Dover were on the wrong side of a thriller at Crabble on Tuesday night, though nearly completed an impressive comeback against 10-man Maidenhead United.

Leyton Orient loanee Ruel Sotiriou, on a hattrick having twice put Dover ahead in the first half, saw his late spot-kick saved by visiting goalkeeper Chris Dunn.

Jake Cassidy had levelled in between Sotirou’s goals, with Ryan Upward also equalising for the Magpies in a pulsating first half.

Cassidy put the visitors ahead for the first time before the break and Joe Ellul, who was sent off for a second yellow card in injury time, stretched Maidenhead’s lead after the break.

Rooney stooped down to nod Athletic back into the match, but Andy Hessenthaler’s men were unable to find a leveller despite late heavy pressure.

It was the perfect start for Dover and Sotiriou after just five minutes.

The Cypriot headed Bobby-Joe Taylor’s set-piece into the top corner, though visitors Maidenhead were level four minutes later thanks to Cassidy.

The striker latched onto a ball over the top and planted the ball into the bottom corner, out of reach of home keeper Yusuf Mersin’s despairing dive.

But Sotiriou restored the lead again just minutes later, taking advantage of a mix up in United’s defence.

Two Magpies defenders clashed when trying to clear the same ball and Sotiriou, still with work to do, flicked the ball over his head and into past visiting stopper Dunn.

Remy Clemira nearly restored parity, with Mersin’s tip-over equally as spectacular as the defender’s audacious back-heel volley from Josh Smile’s corner.

It was Dunn’s turn to impress between the sticks, getting down low to palm away Jai Reason’s low drive.

Mersin turned James Akintunde’s bottom-corner bound shot behind the post and Michael Woods was well-placed from the resultant set-piece.

Athletic’s Captain cleared a Maidenhead header off the line to keep his side one goal ahead on the half hour mark.

However, the scores were level again when Upward found the same corner as Cassidy after Akintunde had capitalised on Scott Doe’s poor clearance.

Having twice been behind, Maidenhead then went into the break ahead when Cassidy took advantage of static Dover defending to run clear and slot in to make it 3-2.

And there was no stopping a rampant away side going further ahead after the restart when Ellul slid in between two Dover defenders to score his side’s fourth of the evening.

The two-goal deficit prompted Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler to make a triple substitution, however it was two of the starting XI that pulled the hosts back into the game.

Taylor swung in a free-kick for Paul Rooney to stoop down and nod past Dunn, the Irishman’s first goal for Whites.

Mersin saved well from Akintunde and then Josh Kelly to keep the score at 4-3 to Maidenhead.

And the drama was not over as Whites missed the chance to level from 12 yards after Ellul fouled Ricky Modeste after the sub had outpaced the centre back.

Sotiriou, on a hattrick, saw his penalty pushed to the side and Taylor then went close as Dunn beat away his free-kick from the edge of the box.

And despite late heavy pressure from the home side, Athletic were unable to find a way back into the game.

Earlier, boss Hessenthaler made one change to the side that drew with Solihull on Saturday as Sotiriou came in for Steven Rigg.

Whites next travel to League One Peterborough United in the Emirates FA Cup second round on Sunday 1st December, kick off 2pm.

DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION

 

MATCH GALLERY

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A stunning free-kick from Jamey Osborne denied Dover a third consecutive win on Saturday.

The midfielder curled Sollihull’s first shot on target into the top corner from 25-yards to cancel out Inih Effiong’s early header.

Athletic’s top scorer had stylishly put Andy Hessenthaler’s men ahead after five minutes, looping Jack Munns’ set piece into the top corner.

Both sides had chances to win the game and the away side nearly won it with three minutes remaining when sub Nathan Blissett diverted Callum Howe’s header onto the post.

However, both sides, coming into the match with Dover’s home record matching Moors’ away record, had to settle for a point at the end.

Whites made the perfect start when Effiong’s backward header from Munns’ free-kick looped over the outstretched arms of visiting stopper Boot and into the top corner.

Jai Reason then went close, striking the outside of the post from the edge of the box following Munns’ clever back-heel.

Effiong then had the ideal chance to double the hosts’ lead after beating Moor’s offside trap, only to be denied by Boot’s sprawling save having sprinted through on goal.

Those missed chances were then punished by Solihull.

Home stopper Yusuf Mersin could only watch as Jamey Osborne curled a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner after Michael Woods had committed a foul on the edge of the box.

Reason then nearly restored Whites’ lead after arriving onto Bobby-Joe Taylor’s pinpoint cross at the backpost, only to head high over the bar.

Steven Rigg latched onto Reason’s clever flick after the break, but stabbed his shot straight at Boot.

Yusuf Mersin’s palmed away Osborne’s 20-yard effort after Paul McCallum wrestled Paul Rooney off the ball.

Callum Howe rose highest to meet Osborne’s corner, but could only find the roof of the net and substitute Ruel Sotiriou nearly made an instant impact after coming on, nodding Rigg’s centre wide of the target as the game started to stretch.

Sotiriou went close to meeting Aaron Simpson’s cross and at the other end Mersin was out quickly to deny McCallum sliding in.

Effiong then ran through the Solihull defence, however Boot once again denied the big striker, turning his effort into the side netting.

The woodwork then denied the Midlands side from snatching a late winner.

Osborne’s set-piece was met by Howe and via Blissett’s forehead, the ball smacked the post with Oscar Gobern able to clear away to safety.

And neither side were able to find a winner as whites moved up one space on the league table to ninth.

Earlier, boss Andy Hessenthaler made one change to the side that started at Yeovil last weekend, with Reason returning from suspension to replace Nassim L’Ghoul.

Whites next host Maidenhead United on Tuesday 26th November, kick-off 7:45 pm.

DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION

SOLIHULL MOORS REACTION

MATCH GALLERY

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Dover ended their barren run at Crabble on Tuesday night, but home fans were given a few nervy moments.

Tyrone Barnett halved Easteigh’s deficit following the hour mark after Oscar Gobern and Inih Effiong had given Athletic a two-goal lead at the break.

However striker Effiong sealed the win from the penalty spot to giveAndy Hessenthaler’s men their first in eight attempts at Crabble, a run stretching back to August.

Earlier, Whites almost drew first blood through Paul Rooney.  The Irishman latched onto Jai Reason’s free-kick into the area, only to divert the ball wide of the target.

Effiong bundled his way through to goal, only for Andrew Boyce to make a brave last-ditch challenge on the striker.

Jack Munns’ fizzing corner evaded every shirt in the box as Dover looked to make amend for their loss against Stockport on Saturday.

And Gobern, starting for the first time since September, bought some much-needed cheer to the home fans by opening the scoring.

The midfielder picked up a loose ball 25-yards from goal and arrowed an effort into the bottom corner, his first competitive goal for Dover.

Barnett deflected Jack McKnight’s volley into the side netting and another careless by Eastleigh let in Reason, however the playmaker was unable to find a way past visiting keeper Max Stryjek.

The Polish keeper then denied Reason again, pushing away his firm header from Passley’s pinpoint cross.

But Stryjek’s heroics were soon forgotten as he gifted Athletic a second goal.

The keeper dropped the ball as he rushed off his goalline, leaving Steven Rigg to lay the ball off for Effiong to pass the ball into an empty net.

Effiong nearly profited from Stryjek once again after the keeper punched the ball to his path, however Dover’s forward volleyed over the bar.

Striker Effiong blasted wide from the edge of the area following the restart and home stopper Yusuf Mersin just managed to keep out substitute Ben Williamson’s angled lob.

But the Spitfires reduced the arrears midway through the second half.

Barnett rose highest to power in Jack Payne’s corner, though Dover nearly instantly restored their two-goal cushion, only for Stryjek to deny Effiong.

There was no denying Effiong the next opportunity to score after Whites were awarded a penalty after Andrew Boyce fouled Gobern in the area.

The forward slotted home his ninth National League goal of the season, sending Stryjek the wrong way from 12 yards.

Now on a hat-trick, Effiong saw Stryjek palm away his fierce drive.

And Simpson tried his luck from distance, but Eastleigh’s goalie was equal to his effort.

Mersin’s late slip almost let Williamson in, however the substitute was unable to find the target as Whites ended a run of four league games without a win.

Earlier Hessenthaler made five changes to the side that started against Stockport County.  Aaron Simpson, Scott Doe, Michael Woods, Oscar Gobern and Steven Rigg coming into the team with Kevin Lokko, Will De Havilland and Ricky Modeste missing through injury and Kurtis Cumberbatch and Bobby-Joe Taylor named as substitutes.

Dover next travel to AFC Fylde in the National League, kick off 7:45 pm

DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION

MATCH GALLERY

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Frank Mulhern’s spectacular first-half goal saw Dover lose for the fifth time at Crabble this season.

The Hatter’s forward volleyed in from 35-yards in wet and windy conditions to leave Andy Hessenthaler’s men without a win in four league matches.

Ash Palmer tried to put the visitors ahead early on with a diving header, however the defender slipped as he made contact with the ball with home stopper Yusuf Mersin saving easily.

Another defender then had an effort for County.  Sam Minihan was teed up by Mulhern, only for Mersin to dive onto the ball.

Kevin Lokko then volleyed Jack Munns’ corrner goalwards, only to see his shot bounce inches past the wrong side of the post.

Dover’s skipper was unable to try and add to his goal tally for the afternoon, hobbling off following a challenge and replaced by Anthony Jeffrey.

Tom Walker then unleashed a spectacular 30-yard dipping volley that the visiting support thought had flown in, however the cheers soon evaporated when it was known the attempt had been off-target.

But Stockport and Mulhern had better luck with an effort from an even further distance than the last.

The Hatters’ forward went for goal from 40-yards and the ball flew over Mersin and bounced into the roof of the net.

Athletic’s stopper was called into action again five minutes before the break, stopper Tom Walker’s shot with his legs after the midfielder had been played in by Mulhern.

Walkers namesake Sam then sent a volley the wrong side of the post and following the restart, Inih Effiong headed sub Jeffrey’s swirling cross at Hinchcliffe.

County’s keeper then pushed away Bobby-Joe Taylor’s swirling free-kick and at the other end, Mersin grabbed onto Festus Arthur’s header from a corner.

Jai Reason sent an effort whizzing past the top left-hand corner of Hinchcliffe’s goal.

Things went from bad to worse for Whites’ when Will De Havilland went off injured nine minutes from time.

And Dover’s misery was nearly compounded two minutes from time when Arthur headed towards goal, only for Taylor to kick the ball off the line.

Mersin made a late double save to deny both subs Nyal Bell and Elliott Osborne, however Athletic were unable to muster a late equaliser.

Hessenthaler had made two changes to the side that started at Weymouth last week in the FA Cup, with Kurtis Cumberbatch and Jack Munns replacing the injured duo Joe Bedford and Nassim L’Ghoul.

Whites next host Eastleigh on Tuesday 29th October, kick off 7:45 pm.

DOVER ATHLETIC REACTION

STOCKPORT COUNTY REACTION

MATCH GALLERY

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