Dover Athletic secured their first three points of the season in extraordinary fashion as they defeated Slough Town 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller at the Megger Community Stadium. Dover appeared to be cruising after a dominant first-half display saw Fish open the scoring before a Sheriff double gave the Whites a commanding 3-0 advantage at the interval.
Slough produced a remarkable response after the restart, with Goddard converting from the penalty spot before two goals from Holness brought the visitors level inside 17 second-half minutes. But Dover recovered from the setback. Bates headed the Whites back in front with 12 minutes remaining before substitute Onu rounded the goalkeeper in added time to finally secure a dramatic victory.
The afternoon had started at a frantic pace, with both sides looking to establish themselves early on. Baptiste found an opportunity to deliver from wide after four minutes, although Slough were able to deal with the danger before Wilson-Braithwaite could capitalise. Dover then suffered a major setback just minutes into the contest when Rendall went down requiring treatment. The defender was unable to continue and, after being stretchered from the field to applause from around the ground, was replaced by Wilkinson in the ninth minute.
Slough threatened from the resulting passage of play as a header from a set piece flashed narrowly beyond Walker’s upright, but it was Dover who soon took control. Some excellent passing football earned the Whites a corner in the 16th minute and from the delivery came the opening goal. Fish managed to hook the ball over his head and into the air, with the looping effort dropping into the net as McNamara scrambled to reach it.
Dover almost added another three minutes later before winning another corner, and this time Slough could not escape. The visitors failed to properly clear the delivery as the ball bounced around inside the penalty area. A deflected effort was eventually directed goalwards by Sheriff, whose header found the net to double Dover’s advantage after 20 minutes.
The Whites continued to dominate. Fish turned sharply inside the area before seeing a shot blocked, while Bates tried his luck from the edge of the box shortly afterwards and sent his effort narrowly wide. Sheriff was causing constant problems for the Slough defence and almost grabbed another in the 32nd minute. The forward produced an excellent piece of skill to work his way into the penalty area before unleashing a powerful effort which McNamara was forced to save with his feet at the near post.
At the other end, Jones rose highest to clear a Slough corner, but the majority of the pressure continued to come from Dover. Sheriff’s direct running earned the first booking of the afternoon when Gregory was shown yellow after bringing him down, before Bates also went into the referee’s notebook five minutes later.
There was another opportunity for Dover shortly before the interval when Sheriff guided a cross towards Baptiste. His header caused problems inside the area but eventually bounced wide. The Whites then thought they had scored a third from another corner in the 45th minute, only for the referee to rule the effort out for a foul.
Dover did not have to wait much longer. Two minutes into first-half stoppage time, another flowing attack ended with Bates delivering a low ball into the area. Sheriff met it and clipped his finish underneath McNamara to score his second of the afternoon and send Dover into the break with a deserved 3-0 advantage.
Slough responded by making two changes before the restart, with Regis and Nelson replaced by Spencer and Francis, and the visitors emerged for the second half transformed. Five minutes after the restart Slough were awarded a penalty after Brooks went down inside the Dover box.
Goddard took responsibility and confidently dispatched the spot kick straight down the middle to reduce the deficit to 3-1. The goal shifted the momentum of the contest and Slough began to apply sustained pressure as they searched for a way back into the game.
They found their second in the 56th minute. Myers produced an impressive piece of play down the right flank before Holness supplied the finish to suddenly put the visitors within one. Six minutes later, the comeback was complete. A pass from Brooks took a deflection off a Dover defender before falling for Holness, who struck underneath Walker to score his second of the afternoon and make it 3-3. Having seen a three-goal advantage disappear in little over ten minutes, Dover needed to regain their composure.
Fish was replaced by Onu in the 72nd minute and Sheriff went close to restoring the lead shortly afterwards as the Whites gradually began to rediscover the attacking rhythm that had served them so well in the opening half. A Dover break resulted in Bates being fouled in a dangerous position with 14 minutes remaining and, two minutes later, the midfielder put the Whites back in front.
Charles-Cook produced an excellent delivery into the penalty area and Bates was left free at the back post, where he made no mistake with his header to make it 4-3. Slough continued to push and had a dangerous free kick blocked in the closing stages, before the announcement of seven minutes of additional time ensured there would be no comfortable conclusion to a remarkable afternoon.
Jallow replaced Bates in the second minute of stoppage time before Dover finally put the game beyond their visitors two minutes later. A ball over the top caused confusion in the Slough defence and Onu reacted quickest. The substitute took advantage, carried the ball around McNamara and finished into the empty net to make it 5-3 and spark celebrations around Crabble.
There was still time for Salami and Ezenwanne to replace Sheriff and Baptiste before the final whistle brought an extraordinary contest to an end.
After a superb first half, a dramatic Slough fightback and an impressive response of their own, Dover emerged with all three points in front of an attendance of 711.
The Whites are back at the Megger Community Stadium on Tuesday evening when Tonbridge Angels visit Crabble for a Kent derby under the lights.
DOVER ATHLETIC: Walker, Charles-Cook, Jones, Rendall, Sesay, Bakrin, Wilson-Braithwaite, Bates, Sheriff, Fish, Baptiste.
SUBSTITUTES: Wilkinson, Ezenwanne, Bartlett, Onu, Jallow, Salami, Beadle.
GOALS: Fish 16′, Sheriff 20′, 45+2′, Bates 78′, Onu 90+4′.
BOOKED: Bates 40′.
SLOUGH TOWN: McNamara, Nelson, Quansah, Morrison, Gregory, Drakes-Thomas, Brooks, Regis, Myers, Goddard, Holness.
SUBSTITUTES: Spencer, Francis, Humphrey-Ewers, Oppong, Vorster, Walsh, Edebe.
GOALS: Goddard 51′ (pen), Holness 56′, 62′.
BOOKED: Gregory 35′.
ATTENDANCE: 711.
