Report

An injury-time own goal handed Andy Hessenthaler’s men a first home win of the season against 10-man Wrexham.

Visiting captain Shaun Pearson was the unfortunate match-winner for Dover, heading Aaron Simpson’s cross into his own net.

Dover had levelled thanks to substitute Ricky Modeste’s second-half header after Mark Harris had fired the Welsh side ahead before the break.

Bobby Grant also saw red in the first half for kicking out at home goalie Lee Worgan, in a game that was delayed by 30 minutes due to Wrexham being stuck in traffic.

Visiting keeper Christian Dibble thwarted Dover with the contest just a few minutes old, diving low to turn away Inih Effiong’s powerful header from Jack Munns’ free-kick.

Steven Rigg then nodded another Munns free-kick wide and Kevin Lokko slipped when going for glory from 30-yards, with his attempt sailing harmlessly over.

It was the away side who went ahead with their first shot on target.

Mark Harris raced onto Devonte Redmond’s pass and fired past home stopper Worgan into the bottom corner.

The Red Dragons’ scorer could have had a hat-trick, firstly sprinting onto Luke Summerfield’s through ball, only to be beaten by the alert Worgan.

The attacker then blasted just wide from an acute angle, but it was his fellow forward Grant who was in the thick of the action for the wrong reasons.

Scorer in Wrexham’s first two matches, Grant was given his marching orders three minutes before the break for kicking out at Worgan just as the goalie was kicking the ball up the pitch.

Alfie Pavey almost nodded Whites’ level on the stroke of half-time, however, Dibble was equal to his effort and Pearson bravely blocked from Effiong following up.

Josh Passley’s looping cross nearly caught out Dibble, but Wrexham’s keeper tipped the ball over for a corner.

Pavey then went close to grabbing his fourth headed goal of the campaign but was unable to generate enough power to trouble Dibble.

Wrexham’s stopper was at it again, palming behind Nassim L’Ghoul’s deflected drive.

And the substitute played a pivotal role in Athletic’s equaliser.

L’Ghoul crossed for fellow replacement Modeste to bullet a header past Wrexham’s stopper.

Pearson nearly headed the 10-men back ahead, hitting the back stanchion behind the goal from Summerfield’s corner.

Modeste then slotted wide of the mark from L’Ghoul’s dangerous ball across the area and Effiong was unable to connect to Pavey’s ball across the face of goal.

However, the hosts did grab an injury-time winner when Pearson diverted Simpson’s cross into his own net to lift Dover up to sixth on the National League table, three points behind current leaders FC Halifax Town.

Earlier, boss Hessenthaler made three changes to the side that started against Dagenham in midweek.  Steven Rigg, Will De Havilland and Aaron Simpson came in for Jai Reason, Scott Doe and Bobby-Joe Taylor.

Whites next travel to Barnet in the National League on Tuesday 13th August, kick-off 7:45 pm.

DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION

WREXHAM REACTION

MATCH GALLERY

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