Jake Leberl fires home Dover's second.

Ten years ago this week Dover Athletic recorded their biggest ever victory, beating Weymouth 7-0 at home. The present Dover side marked the anniversary in fine style by putting four past Northwich Victoria in an entertaining game at sunny Crabble.

There had been some speculation in the local press this week that Bill Williams would abandon his favoured 4-4-2 formation in an attempt to halt his side's recent poor form. However he resisted the temptation to experiment with a 5-3-2 system and instead chose to reshuffle his midfield. The right-wing position has been the key concern since the departure of Simon Wormull to Rushden last month. Both Matt Carruthers and Dave Morrison have been given opportunities to replace Wormull but with both now out injured and unlikely to play again this season, Bill Williams was forced to consider other options. The solution favoured by the Whites boss was to move Dave Clarke from his central position to a wide right role with Neil Le Bihan moving from the left wing into the centre, alongside Jake Leberl. Steve Norman moved forward from left-back to left-wing and James Virgo returned to the side at full-back.

Both sides started brightly in what was an open and entertaining encounter. The restyled Whites midfield appeared more balanced with the right-footed Clarke on the right than it had with the left-footed Morrison in that position, and Neil Le Bihan looked comfortable in a central role.

The Whites created a number of good chances in the opening half an hour. Vansittart twice forced Rigby to save and Steve Brown beat the keeper but also the far post with a shot from a narrow angle. For Northwich Gray had a shot deflected wide.

Good work to win the ball from the tenacious Steve Brown created an inviting chance for Neil Le Bihan midway through the half but he hit his shot from 12 yards straight at the keeper.

Dover took the lead on 31 minutes thanks to an excellent headed goal from Joff Vansittart. A good cross from the Dover right found Vansittart at the back post, but with the keeper in his way and a difficult angle he still had a lot to do. Vansittart cleverly lifted a cushioned header over Rigby (a taller keeper may well have tipped it over) and just under the cross bar and inside the back post for his 17^th goal of the season, his first for two months.

Athletic doubled their lead seven minutes later. The Vics failed to clear a Dover set-piece and James Virgo delivered a swerving cross from the left that caused havoc in the visitor's area. The ball found it's way to Leberl just inside the box and he did well to bring it down and calmly poke it past Rigby into the bottom corner.

A lack of concentration at the end of the first half has been the undoing of Dover on many occasions this season and once more they were caught out. Virgo and Norman failed to notice the threat of Stuart Terry wide on the Northwich right and he was given time and space to deliver a good cross into the area which was converted by the head of the unmarked Mark Devlin, leaving Hyde with no chance. It was the eleventh time this season Dover have conceded a goal in the last five minutes of the first half.

Steve Norman, who had picked up a knock in the first period, did not reappear after the interval and was replaced by transfer-listed Mark Hynes (minus silly white boots). This prompted another midfield reshuffle. Neil Le Bihan moved back into his usual left wing position, Dave Clarke returned to the centre and influential forward Steve Brown became the fifth Dover player in the last month to try his luck as a right winger. Hynes played up front with Vansittart.

Northwich had a chance to draw level soon after the restart but David Gray shot well wide from inside the area.

Dover continued to create chances regularly. Simon Beard came close with a glancing header from James Virgo's corner but just cleared the bar. Then Neil Le Bihan hit a screamer from 25-yards which literally went just an inch wide of the top corner with the keeper beaten. Northwich also continued to create chances but on the occasions they got a shot on target, Paul Hyde was more than equal to the challenge.

Dover finished-off their visitors in the 75^th minute when Steve Brown netted following a scramble in the area. Brown's 12-yard shot beat Rigby with the aid of the slightest of deflections off the thigh of Crookes. The goal takes Brown's tally for the season into double figures.

Jake Leberl sustained an injury challenging for a 50/50 ball with Walters on the hour. He was unable to run it off and was replaced by Jimmy Strouts with 13 minutes remaining.

At 3-1 down Northwich looked beaten and Dover gave the scoreline a slightly flattering appearance with the best move of the match. Dave Clarke collected the ball on the edge of the Dover area and ran it out of defence. He fed it forward to Brown wide on the right who took the ball on before playing an intelligent diagonal pass for Mark Hynes to run onto. Hynes collected the ball inside the opposition area but instead of having a shot himself from a narrow angle, he looked up and unselfishly squared the ball for Vansittart who casually flicked it into the bottom corner with his right instep to make it 4-1.

Hynes and Vansittart combined again a few moments later but Vansittart's near post shot into the top corner from close range was very well saved by Rigby.

Hynes could have netted one himself. With most of the players concentrating on an appeal for a Dover penalty, Hynes lobbed the keeper from a narrow angle but missed the target by the smallest of margins.

Jimmy Strouts also had a chance to get on the scoresheet but his effort from 30 yards was wild and very wide.

Strouts was again involved in injury time, skillfully jinking past his marker on the lefthand touchline before pulling the ball back, but it was cleared before Hynes or Vansittart could pounce.

This was a decent performance by the Whites, not quite up to the standard of their previous high-scoring wins this season but comfortable all the same. Dover's general play was not significantly different to the recent first half performances against Woking and Hednesford, but on this occasion they took their chances and dealt better with the opposition's threat. The result moves Dover back into the top four and strengthens their position in the six-team battle for third place. Woking away is the challenge next Saturday before returning to Crabble to take on Kettering next Tuesday.

Neil Le Bihan, the sponsors' man-of-the-match.

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