Category: Match Report

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 0-2 YEOVIL TOWN

By Alex Hoad

Dover’s eight-year stay in the National League came to an end at Crabble on Saturday after the defeat against the Somerset visitors.

With 11 games remaining and 12 points deducted by the National League on the eve of the season, Whites can no longer overhaul Aldershot in 20th, despite Shots losing at home to Kings Lynn on Saturday.

Manager Andy Hessenthaler named an unchanged XI from the narrow defeat at Halifax but replaced the unwell Henry Woods on the bench with 16-year-old Academy prospect Kieron Agbebi.

The game kicked-off following an emotional minute’s silence in memory of beloved Dover fan and club photographer Simon Harris who passed away on Friday at the age of just 66.

Dover had taken just one point from the seven-game since the memorable win over Eastleigh but the visitors arrived at Crabble in less-than-stellar form themselves, having taken only three points from their previous seven games and won one in 16 in all competitions.

Town did however start brightly and goalkeeper Adam Parkes had to drop to his left to hold a low drive from 20 yards from Tom Knowles early on.

At the other end on-loan West Brom keeper Ted Cann, making his second debut for the Glovers after a previous loan spell, made a meal of saving Alfie Pavey’s speculative 25-yard shot on 15 minutes while Dover won several free-kicks in good positions but were unable to test the keeper after curling left-footed deliveries from Arjanit Krasniqi.

The deadlock was broken in the 19th minute when Jordan Barnett’s lofted free-kick was flicked on by Adi Yussuf and bounced through the Dover defence to Ben Barclay, who guided an expert half-volley into the top corner giving Parkes no chance.

It was one-way traffic for a spell and Knowles flashed a low cross across the face of goal with Charlie Wakefield unable to turn in at the back post.

Hessenthaler shuffled his pack at the interval and brought on Koby Arthur, with Michael Gyasi joining Alfie Pavey up top,

Myles Judd reverting to right wing-back and Will Moses joining George Wilkinson in holding midfield with three at the back.

The hosts enjoyed a blistering start to the half and Gyasi fired over while a scrambling Cann had to tip over a curling Wilkinson cross.

The clinching goal arrived against the run of play 10 minutes after the break when Knowles broke from midfield and was controversially adjudged to have been fouled by Jake Goodman on the edge of the box.

Dale Gorman stepped up to fire a curling right-footed free-kick around the wall which beat Parkes into the top-corner. It was the first time the Glovers had scored more than once in a game since November.

The lively Gyasi swung a free-kick past the post at the other end and sub Agbebi – the latest debutant from our Academy – caused Town’s defence some problems, but the game was up when Cann missed the ball allowing Gyasi to roll the ball into the empty net, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside with protests from Gyasi and Pavey falling on deaf ears.

Danny Collinge looped a header from an Arthur corner well over the bar and Gyasi saw appeals for a penalty waved away in the closing stages while at the other end a block from Krasniqi thwarted Knowles from close range and Parkes dived to his left to deny Barnett before sub Olofela Olomola dragged a shot past the upright in stoppage time.

After the game chairman Jim Parmenter confirmed Hessenthaler will return next season to spearhead Dover’s challenge in National League South.

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 1-3 TORQUAY UNITED

By Alex Hoad

Battling Dover were eventually seen-off by two late goals from play-off chasing Torquay United at Crabble on Saturday.

Whites fell behind after just 90 seconds when Gulls skipper Asa Hall unleashed a superb volley from the edge of the box but Jake Goodman equalised before the half-hour and after Dover had spurned some decent chances, in the end, it needed two goals in the final 12 minutes to seal the points and take the Devon side within six points of the promotion places.

Andy Hessenthaler made a single change with George Wilkinson coming in for Myles Judd, who was serving the first of his three-game ban for his red card at Stockport last weekend, with Arjanit Krasniqi reverting to left-back and Danny Collinge playing full-back on the opposite side.

After missing two months with a back injury, TJ Bramble made a long-awaited return to the squad, named on the bench in place of Khale Da Costa, who left the club earlier this week.

The visitors made the perfect start as Hall – who netted the 8th-minute winner as Torquay beat Wrexham 1-0 last Saturday – latched onto a headed clearance, chested the ball down, and unleashed a swerving 20-yard volley which flew past Adam Parkes and into the roof of the net.

Boosted by the bright start, the Gulls took control and Dan Holman, Ben Wynter, Armani Little, and Stephen Wearne all tried their luck as Dover struggled to get into the game.

United keeper Shaun MacDonald had only touched the ball with his hands once by the time Dover drew level against the run of play.

A deep corner from the right by Krasniqi was met by Alfie Pavey at the far post and after rolling across the face of goal Goodman was on hand to ram home from a couple of yards out.

The goal settled Athletic down and Dover grew into the game, though the lively Michael Gyasi was unable to thread the ball through for Henry Woods on the edge of the box.

At the other end, Parkes did well to deny Wearne with a point-blank save at his near post while Hall fired the follow-up well over – a chance far easier than that from which he had broken the deadlock.

Goodman headed a deep Koby Arthur free-kick off-target before the break while Dover changed their shape at the interval and continued to enjoy good spells of possession.

Gyasi continued to be a thorn in the Gulls’ side and saw an effort collected by MacDonald, who also held a Goodman header from a huge throw from captain Ryan Hanson and saw Pavey skew wide from an Arthur cross.

Wynter fizzed a shot past Parkes’ post at the other end as the visitors began to increase their urgency just before the hour.

Duke-McKenna and Danny Wright came on as Torquay chased the game and Wright sent a header wide and Lewis had another effort deflected past the post while on 73 minutes Gyasi miscued his shot when clean through after latching on to an almighty clearance from Parkes which had sailed over Lewis’ head.

It proved a pivotal moment as Torquay scored the game’s crucial third goal just five minutes later. Lewis lost his marker Pavey and met Little’s deep corner with a powerful header that flashed past Parkes and into the net.

Dover piled on the pressure late-on, with Bramble firing off target from the edge of the area, Goodman directing a Ransom cross the wrong side of the post, and Pavey nodding wide from a corner, however, they were stung on the counter-attack deep into stoppage time as Little freed Duke-McKenna down the left and he drove forward before firing a low shot past Parkes and into the far corner.

Whites remain 32 points from safety, though wins for Altrincham and Wealdstone hauled them away from the drop-zone and Dover have played more games than any team in the bottom-five.

Notts County are the visitors to Crabble on Tuesday (7.45pm).

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 0-1 SOUTHEND UNITED

By Alex Hoad

A solitary second-half strike proved the difference as Southend edged a narrow win at Crabble in Vanarama National League on Saturday.

Buoyed by their first win of the season, and first in 364 days, against Eastleigh on Tuesday night, Whites caused Southend problems all afternoon and felt they deserved at least a point from a pretty uninspiring encounter in front of a bumper crowd of more than 2,600.

Dover manager Andy Hessenthaler made three changes with Sam Wood returning at the back in place of Seth Twumasi while there were full debuts for former Braintree midfielder Arjanit Krasniqi, who signed on Friday night, and on loan Kings Lynn forward Michael Gyasi, who had made an impact off the bench against Eastleigh.

Southend boss Kevin Maher brought Jason Demetriou back in as captain with Norwich loanee Matt Dennis returning upfront after missing their midweek draw at Aldershot.

Southend forward Harry Cardwell saw appeals for a penalty dismissed inside three minutes as keeper Adam Parkes raced out to gather a back-header from Jake Goodman.

Chances were at a premium in the opening stages but around 20 minutes in Harry Ransom rose highest to head a curling Koby Arthur corner goalwards, only for his effort to be blocked on the line, while Gyasi skewed an effort wide of Steve Arnold’s post after a poor clearance from the former Whites stopper.

New arrival from Dartford, Noor Husin saw a volley from a half-cleared Tom Clifford corner blocked by Parkes at the other end while on the stroke of half-time Matt Dennis got his angles wrong and nodded a header from a Will Atkinson cross past the post with Parkes stranded.

Michael Gyasi caused the Blues plenty of problems after the break, using quick feet and direct running to good effect, though he blazed well over the bar from the centre of goal after one of his mazy runs ended with the ball bobbling at the crucial time.

The deadlock was eventually broken 17 minutes from time from Southend’s first real chance of the half, Sam Dalby saw a header from a corner blocked on the line but the ball broke towards the edge of the area where Husin leapt two-footed into the air before using expert technique to guide the ball into the top corner with his left-foot, though Parkes was claiming he was impeded.

Dover almost found a response within three minutes as more good work down the left from Gyasi led to Arthur darting across the area before hooking a low shot past the flat-footed Arnold, only to see the ball thud the inside of the post and roll along the line before being cleared.

Dover threw everything at Southend in the closing stages, winning a string of set-pieces, but were unable to call Arnold into action, and it was Dalby who came closest to adding a second goal in stoppage-time, with Ryan Hanson needed to clear the ball off the line after the striker forced the ball past Parkes on the break.

Victory took United 13 points clear of the relegation zone, to the delight of Southend’s travelling army of more than 1,900 fans at the Town End, while Dover remain on -5 points and 30 points from safety, with just 18 games remaining.

Hessenthaler said: “It’s the crazy world of football – we probably played better today than we did on Tuesday when we won. There wasn’t much in the game first half but second half we had a few chances. They never looked like scoring but one lapse of concentration and we got punished.

“If the shot that hit the post went in I think it would have been a fair reflection of the game, a point each. We deserved something.”

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 1-0 EASTLEIGH

By Alex Hoad

After 364 days without a win, Alfie Pavey’s goal earned Dover Athletic a 1-0 win over Eastleigh on a night which will go down in Crabble folklore.

Whites’ first victory of the National League campaign came at the 25th attempt and ended a run of eight straight defeats and a streak of 16 losses in the past 17 league games.

The last time Dover had tasted victory in any competition was a 3-1 success against Barnet at a soggy Crabble on January 26, 2021.

Dover’s withdrawal from the 2020/21 campaign meant the result was expunged by the league so the club’s last official win came against AFC Fylde 703 days ago, on February 22, 2020.

Hosting his former club – who had beaten Dover 4-1 in Hampshire in September – Dover manager Andy Hessenthaler made two changes from the side which had lost 5-0 at Solihull Moors on Saturday with Jake Goodman returning at the back in the place of Sam Wood while Khale Da Costa replaced Ben Williamson, who was not named in the 16.

The captain’s armband was taken by hometown lad Ryan Hanson, who turned 21 last month.

The first-half was a scrappy affair, despite a bright start from Dover who saw Seth Twumasi fizz a low cross across the six yard box untouched, in the opening moments.

Eastleigh grew into the game and won a string of set-pieces, one of which on 13 minutes was only half-cleared to Ryan Hill who whipped a left-footed shot off the crossbar from the right of the penalty area.

Another in-swinging corner from the left was glanced goalward by Spitfires forward Dan Smith, only for Whites keeper Adam Parkes to fling himself low to his left and pull off an instinctive save before the ball was hacked clear.

Goodman and Harry Ransom dealt with the visitors’ aerial threat well for almost the entire game but eight minutes before the break the dangerous Tyrone Barnett peeled off to the back post to nod a deep cross back into the centre where Smith could only hook an acrobatic volley past Parkes’ upright.

At the other end Dover enjoyed a rare spell of possession which led to 17-year-old George Wilkinson battling to win possession on the edge of the penalty area and work himself some space before swinging in a swerving shot which Eastleigh keeper Joe McDonnell had to turn around the post.

Tom Whelan lashed a 20-yard effort over the River End in first-half stoppage-time and the visitors had the better of the start of the second period too, with Parkes holding a close-range Smith header at the far post on 49 minutes, shortly after a speculative effort off target from Andrew Boyce.

Parkes got his body behind a swerving drive on 52 minutes before a rare foray forward from Whites as Da Costa drove forward before sending in a low shot from the edge of the box which was held by McDonnell.

The visitors struck the woodwork for the second time on 57 minutes as a deep corner was nodded tamely down and into the post before being gathered by the grateful Parkes.

The turning point came just before the hour and owed much to the tenacity of Koby Arthur.

Firstly Arthur dispossessed a defender before sliding the ball clean through for Pavey who saw a low shot blocked by the legs of McDonnell.

With Pavey’s head still in his hands Arthur raced out to the right flank and again hassled a defender into a mistake before squaring the ball low for Pavey to make amends, clipping home at the near post to send the home fans into rapture.

Pavey’s fourth goal of the campaign gave Dover their first lead of the season at Crabble and ended his side’s run of 5 hours and 56 minutes without a home goal.

New arrival on loan from King’s Lynn, Micheal Gyasi, was introduced off the bench to replace Wilkinson and made an immediate impression, firing one angled shot past the post after a lung-busting and Beckenbauer-esque run forward from Ransom and seeing another rasping effort tipped over the bar by McDonnell.

Smith got in the way of a thunderous shot from his own teammate Jake Hesketh at the other end while Wood, who came on for Twumasi, needed to time a challenge in the area to perfection to avoid conceding a penalty on 83 minutes.

The visitors dominated possession and poured forward in the six added minutes at the end of the 90, with keeper McDonnell even racing up to join the attack for a corner, however Dover defended resiliently while the fans cheered every stray pass and wayward shot from the Spitfires until the final whistle sparked joyous celebrations on and off the pitch.

Dover are back in action at Crabble when Southend visit on Saturday (3pm).

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 0-2 DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE

By Alex Hoad

Whites produced another battling display but were unable to avoid a 2-0 home defeat to Dagenham & Redbridge on Boxing Day.

Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler rang the changes with 17-year-old Academy forward Noah Carney handed his first start, fresh from his England Schoolboys selection, while Alfie Pavey and Ben Williamson returned in attack, and Seth Twumasi and Danny Collinge were named in the backline.

Leading scorer Aaron Cosgrave missed out due to Covid while Koby Arthur, Khale Da Costa, Sam Wood, and James Caton dropped to the bench following the 1-0 FA Trophy defeat to Bromley last time out.

Despite playing the Daggers at Crabble on Boxing Day for the second time in as many seasons, Whites became Purples for the day as they donned their away strip as part of the national #NoHomeKit campaign in aid of the homeless charity Shelter.

Twumasi was in the thick of the action within three minutes as he was beaten to a ball over the top by one-time Gillingham and Ebbsfleet man Myles Weston who dragged an angled shot past Josh Bexon but also inches wide of the far post.

Dover bounced back and Henry Woods sent a dipping volley narrowly over the bar from the edge of the box following a long throw but the hosts fell behind after 10 minutes when Will Wright’s corner sparked a scramble amid which the ball rolled agonisingly inside the post with the final touch seemingly between Danny Collinge and Daggers midfielder Matt Robinson who was credited with the goal.

Junior Morais was denied by Bexon but Dover grew in stature and Carney came close on 35 minutes when he controlled in the box and shot on the turn only to see his effort deflect past the post.

It was from the resultant corner that the visitors landed a killer blow on the counter, breaking clear from their own area before Mo Sagaf spread the ball wide to the left where Robinson outstripped the covering Williamson for pace and slotted past Bexon to double the advantage.

Jake Goodman headed narrowly over before the interval and nine minutes after the break he nodded a deep cross back into the middle for Collinge who could only nod his own effort just over Elliot Justham’s crossbar.

At the other end, Wright curled a long-range free-kick wide of the post while Bexon produced perhaps the save of the season to instinctively claw Goodman’s sliced clearance from a low Morais cross off his own goalline.

Whites were enjoying more of the ball and playing some attractive football, despite the persistent rain and heavy pitch – which had passed a 2.30pm pitch inspection. Arthur and Da Costa were introduced from the bench to liven things up and Callum Reynolds had his heart in his mouth after clipping Da Costa as he raced through, only for referee Sunny Gill to issue only a yellow card.

Arthur saw a shot blocked after some nice approach play while Da Costa took a heavy touch in the box after robbing a defender and also swung a free-kick straight at Justham as time wore on.

One final half-chance saw Pavey mis-time a header from a corner to glance off-target as Dover’s winless run in Vanarama National League extended to 20 games, 15 of them now defeats.

Whites are on the road at Woking on Tuesday (December 28) before heading to Victoria Park for the rematch with the Daggers on Sunday (January 2).

 

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 0-1 WREXHAM

Manager Andy Hessenthaler’s patched-up side suffered late heartbreak after Jordan Davies’ goal six minutes from time secured all three points for the promotion-chasing Red Dragons at Crabble.

Hessenthaler was forced to play players out of position with on-loan Crawley Town defender Harry Ranson pulling out on the morning of the match due to illness.

Millwall loanee Junior Tiensia played at right-back rather than left with Danny Collinge suspended, while Seth Nana Twumasi, who only turned up to get treatment for his knee injury, found himself replacing Ranson, and doing it in a pair of borrowed boots too!

Twumasi hasn’t trained for three weeks either, but it didn’t show as he produced an outstanding performance at the back in substitute Noah Carney’s boots.

Despite the changes, Whites made the visitors work hard and it could have been such a different result with Hessentahler’s team seeing a penalty claim waved away after TJ Bramble was bundled over by visiting captain Luke Young four minutes before half-time.

Whites hit the woodwork three times in the second half before Wrexham won it at the death after Davies’ corner eluded everyone.

The win sees Wrexham move up to fourth while Whites remain winless and bottom.

MATCH REPORT: SOUTHEND 4 – 1 DOVER

Dover’s winless run continued as they were defeated by Southend United at Roots Hall.

Rhys Murphy – a prolific goalscorer in the National League – scored twice in the first half to put his side into a controlling lead.

Dover made changes at half time and did look brighter, however went three down on the hour mark through Sam Dalby.

With 20 minutes to go, Ryan Hanson got his first goal for his hometown club as Whites looked go get back into the game, however moments later Southend’s regained their three goal lead through Jack Bridge.

Adam Parkes was forced into to good save early on after a cross into the box found Murphy, but the Watford loanee did well to deny the striker.

Murphy looked dangerous and went close for a second time in the first 20 minutes when a counter attack from the home side found its way to the ex-Republic of Ireland U21 international but his shot was just wide of the far post.

It would be third time lucky for the striker who gave the home side the lead on the half hour mark as the striker was in the right place at the right time to poke home from close range from a Zak Brunt corner.

The former Gillingham man doubled his tally and his teams lead five minutes later after sending Parkes the wrong way from the penalty spot after Travis Gregory took down Jack Bridge in the box.

Dalby added a third and put the game to bed on the hour mark after the attacker’s curling effort beat Parkes in Whites’ net.

Dover were still getting chances and almost got one back through Ben Williamson who’s shot deflected off the crossbar and over.

From the resulting corner, thoughts of a comeback was on as Whites got one back through Hanson, who was able to stick a foot out to poke the ball home.

However, the thoughts of a comeback was short-lived as moments later Southend got a fourth through Bridge when the ex-Bromley midfielder picked the ball up on the left hand side from a nice through ball and fired it into the far corner.

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 2-5 STOCKPORT COUNTY

By Alex Hoad

Koby Arthur’s stunning volley could not prevent Dover slipping to another Vanarama National League defeat at home to Stockport County on Saturday.

Whites produced perhaps their best performance of the season to battle back to go into the final half-hour level at 2-2 thanks to Arthur’s strike and Ben Wiliamson’s first goal for the club from the spot, however, the superior fitness and class of the hugely ambitious visitors proved decisive in the end as they ran-out 5-2 winners.

Boss Andy Hessenthaler handed starts to Reda Johnson and Yannis Drais and Dover made a bright start, though the early chances fell to the visitors as Ollie Crankshaw fizzed a shot past the angle of Adam Parkes’ post and bar after just four minutes and the on-loan Watford keeper held a low shot from Paddy Madden seven minutes later.

At the other end, some good hold-up play from Aaron Cosgrave saw him tee-up Arthur soon after, only for the Whites livewire to see his shot deflected just over the bar.

Ryan Hanson tried his luck with a low strike from 20 yards on 20 minutes but Scott Quigley broke the deadlock at the other end three minutes later when he collected a pull-back, cut inside, and fired in a shot that took a huge deflection and looped into the net past the helpless Parkes.

Dover rallied and were level just after the half-hour when Hanson’s quick feet saw him fouled in the box by Ethan Pye, allowing Williamson the chance to send Ethan Ross the wrong way and slot home his first Whites goal from the spot.

Dover continued to press and Danny Collinge saw a powerful goalbound header blocked on the line – possibly by teammate Johnson – as the hosts pushed for a second but three minutes before the break they were unable to clear a John Rooney corner allowing Madden to sweep home at the far post.

A thunderous 25-yard strike by ex-Bolton Wanderers captain Antoni Sarcevic came back off the underside of the bar in added time, with Quigley’s follow-up effort ruled-out for offside.

After the turnaround it took just five minutes for Dover to draw level as the impressive Arthur showcased superb technique to lash a dropping ball into the top corner on the volley from the edge of the box past the stunned Ross.

Rooney – brother of former England star Wayne -showed superb vision to beat the backpedaling Parkes with a 45-yard lob soon after but saw his audacious effort thud into the crossbar.

The pivotal moment arrived when sub Travis Gregory was denied by Ross at the far post with Williamson unable to turn in the rebound. Moments later Dover hearts were broken at the other end as the defence parted allowing Crankshaw to slot in the loose ball after a Parkes parry on 67 minutes.

The wind left Dover’s sails and the full-time visitors’ superior fitness proved telling in the final 20 minutes. Parkes had already denied Quigley and Rooney when defender Liam Hogan rose to nod home a far-post corner to make it 4-2 on 76 minutes.

Parkes patted down another rasping Quigley drive before he and Madden helped tee-up sub Ben Whitfield to tap in a stoppage-time fifth.

The defeat leaves Dover 17 points from safety with a game in hand and 32 fixtures remaining.

County, who were led by interim boss Dave Conlon after the midweek sacking of Simon Rusk, moved up to ninth, four points below the play-off places.

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 1 – 1 YATE TOWN

Ricky Miller’s first goal since his summer return to Dover ensured the club lived to fight another day in the FA Cup after earning a replay at Yate Town on Tuesday.

Miller came off the bench for the second half and scored the equaliser for Andy Hessenthaler’s side in the 61st minute after Olly Mehew had given The Southern League Premier Division South side an eighth-minute lead.

Whites finished the Fourth Qualifying Round tie with 10 men after player-coach Reda Johnson was sent off just 18 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.

Dover started well enough and captain Sam Wood, who was playing in midfield rather than his usual left-back, saw his effort saved by Yate goalkeeper Andy Hannah.

But it was Yate who opened the scoring, and with their first attack, when the unmarked Mehew tapped home captain Dave Sims-Burgess’ cross

Dover pressed for an equaliser and Hannah saved well from Aaron Cosgrave and Yannis Drais.

Midfielder Drais’ game soon came to an end after a horrible collision with Yate defender Will Tunnicliff saw the Frenchman leave Crabble in an ambulance with a rib injury.

He was replaced by Ryan Hanson, who was making his own injury comeback following a knee injury.

Miller got his side back on level terms when he scored from close range following good work by the impressive Cosgrave.

Johnson saw red not long after following an earlier yellow card.

The team from Gloucestershire looked to take advantage of their extra man and almost won it in stoppage time when Sam Kamara’s shot from outside the box whistled just wide of Adam Parkes’ post.

Tuesday’s replay at Lodge Park kicks-off at 7.45pm.

Earlier, Millwall loanee Junior Tiensia came back into the side after missing the past four games through injury in place of injured midfielder Koby Arthur.

MATCH REPORT: DOVER 1 – 2 BARNET

By Alex Hoad

Another Aaron Cosgrave rocket was not enough to prevent Dover falling to a third straight home defeat, going down 2-1 to Barnet in Vanarama National League on Saturday.

The on-loan AFC Wimbledon striker added another impressive long-range strike to his showreel to register his 4th goal of the campaign, but it wasn’t enough to prevent an 8th loss in 11 matches.

Whites remain 17 points from safety – thanks in large part to the league-imposed 12 point penalty – despite netting at Crabble for the second time in 4 days having begun the season with no goal in four matches at Crabble.

Barnet began the day second-bottom but made it four games unbeaten under caretaker boss Dean Brennan and climbed to 17th after another improved display.

The Bees thought they were ahead inside 90 seconds when the lively Ephron Mason-Clark fed Daniel Powell down the right and his low cross was slammed home by Mason Bloomfield, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.Koby Arthur saw a shot deflected over the bar from 20-yards soon after, but the deadlock was eventually broken on 10 minutes as Mason-Clark drove towards the byline before sending a deep cross to the back post.

Ben Richards-Everton nodded the ball back into the centre where Bloomfield arched his neck to turn a close range header past the helpless Adam Parkes.

Whites battled back and Arthur drew a flying save from Aston Oxborough, who also turned a low Matt Bentley effort around his near post on 23 minutes.

The all-energy Cosgrave was inches away from a leveler when he flung himself at Sam Wood’s looping set-piece just before the half-hour, only to see his header trickle past the post with Oxborough stranded.

Powell flew down the left and fired a shot past the post before the break while 10 minutes after the interval, Rob Hall showed some superb trickery to create space before seeing a near-post shot blocked by Parkes.

After scoring the opener, Bloomfield turned provider for the crucial second just before the hour, threading a defence-splitting pass for Powell to run through and slot past Parkes.

Dover did halve the deficit five minutes later when the tireless Cosgrave fizzed a rocket just inside the post from well outside the box – reminiscent of his breathtaking strike at Altrincham.

Andy Hessenthaler introduced Ricky Miller and Khale Da Costa in an effort to salvage a point and Da Costa sent a diving header straight at Oxborough from a deep Miller cross with 20 minutes remaining.

Hall saw a shot blocked by Parkes and Bees sub Kian Flanagan could only find the side-netting on the break in the closing stages while Jake Goodman’s glancing header in stoppage-time went straight to the grateful keeper as Dover fell to a sixth one-goal defeat of the season so far.