DOVER registered their first win of the season after beating National League newcomers North Ferriby United at Crabble on Saturday.

And it could have been by a much larger winning margin had it not been for an inspired performance by visiting goalkeeper Rory Watson.

Watson, on a season-long loan from Premier League Hull City, was under fire for most of the game and he responded brilliantly.

The 20-year-old made 16 saves to prevent his side from ending up on the wrong end of a second consecutive heavy loss after the 6-1 defeat at Lincoln on Tuesday.

While Watson played the leading role for the Yorkshire side, Ross Lafayette was doing likewise for Dover.

celebrated his first start for Dover in stunning fashion.

The former Eastleigh frontman celebrated his first start for Dover in stunning fashion, scoring once and making the other for Moses Emmanuel.

Lafayette, replacing the suspended Ricky Miller, curled home a spectacular second from 18 yards for boss Chris Kinnear’s side late in the second half.

And it was his run and cross which ended with Emmanuel putting Dover ahead from close range in the 34th minute.

Watson’s stunning performance between the posts was not lost on an impressed Kinnear.

He said: “I thought he was absolutely unbelievable – you could see he’s got a massive future ahead of him going on that sort of performance.

“We scored two but we could have won by many, many more, but the good thing is that we are creating chances and you would have problems if you are not.

“Saying that, we are more than pleased with the result and now we’ve got to keep the momentum going.”

Dover, hurting from Tuesday 4-1 loss at home to Boreham Wood, started with plenty of intent.

Watson saved from Jack Parkinson, Sam Magri, Ricky Modeste and Emmanuel before he was finally beaten.

Emmanuel rifled home Lafayette’s cross to open his account for the season.

The visitors almost produced an instant reply and it needed a magnificent fingertip save from Steve Arnold to keep out Danny Clarke’s long-range effort.

Dover kept asking the questions after half-time and the pressure was rewarded with Lafayette’s stunner.

Watson prevented Dover from going further ahead with quality saves from Emmanuel and substitute Tyrone Marsh right at the death.

Earlier, Kinnear made two changes to his starting line-up from Tuesday night.

Tyrone Sterling made his first appearance of the season in the defensive line in place of Richard Orlu while Lafayette came in for Miller following his sending off against Boreham Wood.

Whites head to Eastleigh on Tuesday.

MATCH GALLERY

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”147″ gal_title=”DAFC v North Ferriby United 13/08/2016″]

RICKY Miller’s red card proved costly for Dover as they were left stunned by Boreham Wood’s second-half revival in Tuesday’s National League clash at Crabble.

Whites led 1-0 at half-time thanks to Miller’s penalty but the striker’s dismissal for a second yellow four minutes after the break led to it all going wrong for boss Chris Kinnear’s side.

The Hertfordshire side, who beat Forest Green Rovers 1-0 in their season opener on Saturday, took full advantage of having the extra man by scoring three times in seven minutes to stun the home faithful.

They added a fourth 13 minutes from time to complete a miserable night for the hosts.

And Kinnear was not about to pull any punches when it came to the red card.

He said: “There was only us going to win it until then and was a matter of by how many and then Ricky Miller did something stupid and that was it.

“He’s got to learn – it’s alright being a good player and scoring goals, but if you start getting sent off it costs the whole team.”

But despite the loss, which was Dover’s heaviest since the 3-0 defeat at, ironically Boreham Wood last March, Kinnear was not going to dwell on it.

He said: “Things like that happen. You just dust yourself off, get on with it and don’t feel sorry for yourself.”

Kinnear’s side had started the as they had finished at Wrexham on Saturday – on the attack.

Miller missed a great chance to give his side a dream start in the third minute but his header from Moses Emmanuel’s cross went over the crossbar instead of under it.

But Miller made amends by winning a penalty and converting it in the 22nd minute after Wood defender Matt Paine sent him tumbling.

A hectic ending to the half saw Wood’s Angelo Balanta, who played for Whites in the pre-season win against Billericay, fire wide from 20 yards.

Seconds later Dover goalkeeper Steve Arnold saved low from Bruno Andrade.

Wood goalkeeper Grant Smith saved from Ricky Modeste before Arnold brilliantly saved from Balanta at close range.

Arnold, who was making his home debut, was not to know the Colombian striker had been ruled offside.

Miller saw red after his challenge on visiting captain Mark Ricketts four minutes after the restart – and the game turned on its head.

Wood equalised from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute after Sam Magri brought down Andrade and Kenny Davis sent Arnold the wrong way.

The extra man advantage paid off when Andrade turned home substitute Anthony Jeffrey’s pin-point cross five minutes later.

Balanta made it two in a two minutes after he blasted past Arnold from close range.

Andrade added a fourth, and his second, from a free-kick to complete the rout 13 minutes from the end.

MATCH GALLERY

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”146″ gal_title=”DAFC v Borehamwood 09/08/2016″]