Dover Athletic staged a gritty comeback to secure all three points at the Megger Community Stadium with a 2-1 victory over Cheshunt in a match full of incident, physicality, and momentum swings.
It was Cheshunt who drew first blood in just the 8th minute. Former Dover man Charlie Naylor found himself on the scoresheet after a long throw into the box wasn’t dealt with by the home defence. The ball took fell to Naylor and nestled into the back of the net, giving the visitors an early advantage.
Dover responded positively. Just six minutes later, a pinpoint cross from Fuad Sesay was met by Luke Baptiste, whose header forced pressure on the Cheshunt defence. George Nikaj lurked at the far post but narrowly failed to convert.
As the hosts pressed, tensions flared. A flurry of yellow cards arrived for Cheshunt in the 27th minute – Alfie Matthews, Jack Munns, Vas Vasiliou, and goalkeeper R’avan Constable were all booked following separate off-the-ball incidents in a heated sequence.
Cheshunt were handed a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 32nd minute after a handball in the Dover area gave them a penalty. But Jordan Gillmore came to the rescue for the home side, diving low to his right to parry away a weak spot kick. Just moments later, Cheshunt hit the post from a header, narrowly missing a second goal.
Dover made their pressure count just before the break. In the 44th minute, Ruben Soares-Junior danced past Naylor and struck a tame shot, but Constable mishandled the effort, allowing Luke Baptiste to pounce and poke home the equaliser. That goal proved crucial in swinging momentum heading into half-time with the score tied at 1–1.
Dover came out of the blocks quickly in the second half, with George Nikaj inches away from scoring in the 50th minute, his shot curling narrowly past the far post. Nikaj continued to be a threat, with a powerful header on the hour mark forcing Constable into a sharp low save.
Roman Charles-Cook was booked in the 55th minute, but Dover remained composed and built steadily. Baptiste again tested the Cheshunt goalkeeper in the 58th minute, while a George Wilkinson cross moments later was nodded just over by Nikaj, who looked hungry for a goal.
That goal would come in the 78th minute, and it was a thing of beauty. Soares-Junior, again instrumental, delivered a peach of a cross into the box, and Nikaj met it with a thunderous header to put Dover in front.
In the final stages, Dover managed the game well despite several substitutions and a lengthy six minutes of added time. Injuries to Wilkinson and the enforced substitutions of key players like Nikaj and Baptiste tested the squad’s depth, but they held firm. There was time for Tamas Amgbaduba to pick up a late yellow card after replacing Baptiste, but Dover saw out the final minutes professionally.
This was a spirited and hard-fought performance from Dover Athletic, who showed resilience after going behind early. With back-to-back home games, Dover will look to build on this momentum as they welcome Hendon to Crabble next Saturday.
Isthmian League – Premier Division
Venue: Megger Community Stadium
Attendance: 685
Referee: Scott Rudd
Dover Athletic:
27 Jordan Gillmore, 2 Roman Charles-Cook, 3 Fuad Sesay, 26 Jacob Mensah, 5 Joe Tennent, 6 Luca Cocoracchio, 7 Luke Baptiste, 8 Alfie Matthews, 10 George Nikaj, 14 Ruben Soares-Junior (C), 29 Ryan Hanson SUBS: 23 George Wilkinson, 28 Kweku-Conrad Lucan, 15 Tamas Amgbaduba, 9 Eniye Amgbaduba, 24 Francis Mampolo
Cheshunt:
1 R’avan Constable, 2 Lordon Akolbire, 3 Finlay Titchmarsh, 4 Charlie Naylor, 5 Darion Furlong, 6 Dequane Wilson Braithwaite, 7 Vas Vasiliou, 8 Nathaniel Orafu, 9 Kenny Coker, 10 Jack Munns, 11 Sam Granville (C) SUBS: 12 Jack Turner, 14 Jaheim Whyte, 15 Rob Hall, 16 Tobias Braney, 18 Donell Thomas