JAMIE Allen scored his second brace of the week as Dover beat Margate 3-0 at a rain-soaked Crabble on Saturday afternoon.

Kane Richards also netted as Athletic ended their pre-season campaign with a win, their fourth victory in a row.

The Bostik Premier side almost took a surprise early lead via a David Martin header, but the midfielder nodded wide after being found by former Athletic striker Frannie Collin’s corner.

The home side opened the scoring in the fourth minute, Jamie Allen tapping home Richards’ low cross.

Allen then turned provider for Ryan Bird, but the big striker’s header was well saved by visiting goalkeeper Lenny Pidgley.

Orlando Smith almost levelled for the away side minutes later, but his fierce drive narrowly missed the top corner.

At the other end, Pidgley made another smart stop, this time turning Connor Essam’s firm header around the post from Mitch Pinnock’s free kick.

Collin almost scored for Gate when his set-piece eluded everyone in the box and bounced just wide.

Defender Manny Adebowale, making his first start since signing for Dover earlier in the week, rose highest to connect to Mitch Brundle’s free kick, but his header looped wide of the mark.

Pinnock’s accurate cross found Brundle, but the midfielder’s first-time volley flew over. White’s skipper went even closer shortly afterwards, fizzing a free kick just over the bar just before the break.

Richards doubled Dover’s lead on 49 minutes. The winger jinked past the Margate defence and found the bottom corner after Femi Ilesamni had intercepted a pass.

The summer signing from Chester almost had another shortly after, forcing Pidgely into a low save with an effort from the edge of the area.

Allen clipped the top of the bar with a deflected twenty-yard effort. The home team then went even closer from the resulting corner, Pidgely parrying Giancarlo Gallifuoco’s point-blank header into Essam’s path, but the away defence cleared the danger with the burly defender poised to score.

Whites made it 3-0 in the 67th minute as their wide men combined once again.

Richards low pass made it’s way to Allen and the former Southport man made no mistake from close in to score his fourth in two matches.

Mitch Walker was called into action for the first time late on, clasping onto Martin’s long-range free kick.

Former Whites defender Tom Wynter denied Allen a hat trick at the end, bravely blocking the attacker’s shot.

Earlier, Chris Kinnear made two changes to the side that beat Welling 5-0 on Tuesday night. Adebowale and Pinnock started in place of Manny Parry and Nortei Nortey, who both started as substitutes.

Whites start their league campaign away at Hartlepool United on Saturday, August 5th at 3 pm.

Starting XI: Walker (Trialist 79), Passley, Ilesamni (Trialist 75), Gallifuoco (Essuman 79), Adebowale (Parry 45), Essam, Richards (Trialist 72), Brundle(c) (Barnard 79), Bird (Nortey 79), Allen, Pinnock.

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JAMIE Allen scored twice as Dover eased past Welling United at Crabble on Tuesday night.

Allen and Femi Ilesamni grabbed their first goals for the club, with Ryan Bird and Mitch Pinnock also on the scoresheet as boss Chris Kinnear’s side registered their third win in four days.

The visitors, featuring former Athletic players Joe Healy, Jack Parkinson and Sean Francis, had the first chance of the match when Alfie Pavey’s angled effort was blocked by Mitch Walker and Dover’s stopper was quickest to the rebound.

The home side’s opener came from their first attack on the half-hour mark.

Ryan Bird collected Giancarlo Gallifuoco’s deft through ball and fired into the bottom corner from inside the box.

The big striker turned provider for Allen minutes later. The diminutive forward latched onto Bird’s flick-on but was forced wide by a sprawling Chris Lewington.

Still with the ball, the forward passed for the onrushing Josh Passley to shoot, but the right back’s powerful strike was blocked by Welling’s goalkeeper.

Athletic doubled their lead just before the break thanks to Ilesamni, with Bird glancing Passley’s cross into the path of the wing back to sidefoot into the bottom corner.

The onslaught on the visiting defence continued after the restart.

Lewington tipped away Kane’s Richard’s curling effort after the winger pounced on Jack Parter’s error.

Connor Essam prodded over Manny Parry’s knockdown from a Mitch Brundle corner and Richards went close again, this time heading wide Passley’s cross.

Athletic’s third arrived on 70 minutes, Richard’s skilfully beating his man and finding Allen free in the box to head home.

And the former Southport man grabbed another just three minutes later, sprinting clear and firing in thanks to another fine assist from Richards.

Bird seized upon a misplaced pass from Ben Jefford, only for Lewington to deny the former Newport man.

However, the rout was completed in injury time as Mitch Pinnock slotted in from close range.

Earlier, Kinnear made 10 changes from Monday night’s 2-0 win at Tonbridge Angels with Gallifuoco the only player to start both games.

Tobi Sho-Silva, Mitch Pinnock, George Essuman and Chris Barnard all dropped on the bench having started the previous evening.

Dover: Walker, Passley, Ilesamni (Triallist 86), Essam, Parry, Gallifuoco, Brundle (Triallist 80), Richards (Pinnock 73), Triallist (Triallist 83), Allen (Sho-Silva 73), Bird.

DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION

WELLING UNITED REACTION

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DOVER suffered their first defeat in pre-season after a goal in each half from Jake Forster-Caskey and substitute Reeco Hackett-Fairchild saw League One Charlton win 2-0 at Crabble on Tuesday.

There was little action in the first 10 minutes of Dover’s third friendly until Forster-Caskey struck the angle of post and bar from outside the area before Kane Richards’ low effort flew just wide minutes later.

Visiting goalkeeper Dillon Phillips had to be at his agile best to tip away Connor Essam’s header from Mitch Brundle’s corner and the centre back was presented with another goalscoring opportunity 10 minutes later.

Brundle’s free-kick was flicked into the path of Essam, but the defender appeared to not realise he only had the goalie to beat and nodded harmlessly over.

The away side opened the scoring just before the break after Northern Ireland international Josh Magennis’ cross found Forster-Caskey and the midfielder made no mistake with a close-range header.

Dover replied with captain Brundle having free-kick held by Phillips at the second attempt.

Brundle’s side continued to push forward after the break and half-time substitute Loui Fazakerley’s foray into the box ended with a shot on target, but Charlton’s stopper comfortably dealt with his effort.

The right-back ventured forward again minutes later, this time slinging a dangerous cross into the box, but fellow substitute Mitch Pinnock was unable to convert.

A trio of chances involving both sides were missed on the hour point.

Essam flashed a header wide from a Pinnock delivery before sub Tobi-Sho Silva fired a twenty-yard effort inches wide.

At the other end, nice interplay involving Magennis and Karlan Ahearne-Grant ended with the latter blazing over when well placed.

Mark Marshall created space for himself to shoot, but Dover goalkeeper Mitch Walker was equal to his effort, diving left to push the ball to safety.

Walker was also on hand to deny Aaron Phillips attempt to go around him.

The Addicks made the game safe right at the death with Joe Aribo laying the ball off to Hackett-Fairchild to fire home.

Earlier, manager Chris Kinnear named an unchanged starting side from the team that drew with Gillingham on Saturday.

Dover: Walker, Trialist (Trialist 46mins), Ilesanmi (Essuman 46mins), Gallifuoco (Barnard 79mins), Parry (Trialist 46mins), Essam, Richards (Trialist 46mins), Brundle (Pinnock 46mins), Bird (Sho-Silva 46mins), Allen (Fazakerley 46mins), Trialist (Trialist 78mins).

Sub not used: Trialist.

Charlton: Phillips; Barnes, Sarr, Konsa (Dijksteel 82mins), Jackson (Charles-Cook 21mins); Marshall (Carter 85mins), Crofts, Forster-Caskey (Aribo 62mins), Ahearne-Grant; Clarke (Stewart 67mins), Magennis (Hackett-Fairchild 71mins).

Subs not used: Beeney, Bowry

Attendance:: 835

DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION

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DOVER and Gillingham shared the spoils in an exciting all-Kent pre-season friendly thanks to Giancarlo Gallifuoco’s second-half tap in.

The defender, who signed a one year deal with Athletic earlier this week, punished Gillingham goalkeeper Thomas Holy after the Czech stopper allowed Mitch Brundle’s free-kick to wriggle underneath his body and into the path of the Australian.

Ryan Bird had earlier given the home side the lead five minutes into the first half, but Gillingham hit back through goals from Connor Wilkinson and Luke O’Neill before Gallifuco levelled.

Dover made the perfect start as Bird expertly directed Femi Ilesamni’s cross into the back of the visitors net via the post.

Jake Hessenthaler, son of former Dover Manager Andy, went close with a header and Gillingham had an even better chance to level 10 minutes later.

Goalkeeper Mitch Walker felled a Gillingham triallist in the box but redeemed himself by diving left to push away Wilkinson’s spot kick.

However, the White’s stopper was unable to keep Wilkinson out for long as the visiting striker slotted pounced on Connor Essam’s miscontrol to slot home.

The home side almost had the lead shortly after the break, but Jamie Allen’s close-range effort was deflected wide. Lee Martin then let fly from the edge of the box for Gills, but his effort flew the wrong side of the post.

The League One side took the lead on 61 minutes as Luke O’Neill crashed a close-range header past a helpless Walker.

But Gallifuoco was on hand to equalise minutes later and Dover were inches away from winning the match late on as Holy tipped a triallist’s curling effort onto the crossbar.

Earlier boss Chris Kinnear made one change to the starting line up from Tuesday night’s 3-0 win at Deal Town.

Gallifuoco, Bird and two triallists came in for Loui Fazakerley, George Essuman, Tobi Sho-Silva and Mitchell Pinnock, who all came on as second-half substitutes against Gills.

Whites host another League One side, Charlton Athletic, on Tuesday 18th July, kick off 19:45.

Dover: Walker, Trialist (Fazakerley 46mins), Ilesamni (Barnard 70mins), Gallifuoco, Parry (Essuman 75mins), Essam (Trialist 75mins), Richards (Trialist 61mins), Brundle, Bird (Trialist 61mins), Allen (Sho-Silva 61mins), Trialist (Trialist 70mins).

Gillingham: Nelson (Holy 46mins), O’Neill (O’Mara 46mins), Ogilvie (Garmston 46mins), Zakuani (Ehmer 46mins), Trialist (Tucker 46mins), Hessenthaler (Oldaker 46mins), Byrne (Trialist 46mins), Martin (Wright 46mins), List (Wagstaff 46mins), Wilkinson (Mbo 46mins), Trialist (Stevenson 46mins). Subs: Hadler, Chapman, Simpson, Cundle.

Attendance: 1,084

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