Dover 0-1 AFC Fylde
(Rowe 78)

WHITES title bid was dealt a blow following a single-goal loss to AFC Fylde at Crabble on Saturday.

Danny Rowe, currently top of the National League goalscorer charts, stunned a season-high home crowd of 2,860 – in attendance for the club’s second Community Day of the season, with a goal twelve minutes from the end.

The striker fired his eleventh of the campaign past Mitch Walker after capitalising on Manny Parry’s mistake as Chris Kinnear’s men slipped to a second consecutive defeat

Whites made a bright start and Zaine Francis-Angol nipped in ahead of James Alabi with the loanee waiting to pounce on Mitch Pinnock’s cross. Ryan Bird then headed straight at visiting keeper Jay Lynch from Pinnock’s accurate cross.

Andy Bond fired an effort straight at Walker and Dover’s stopper was able to grab onto Rowe’s low drive after evading a couple of challenges in the area.

Giancarlo Gallifuoco headed Mitch Brundle’s cross directly at Lynch and the Australian defender had another chance before the break, but nodded his skipper’s back-post corner harmlessly over when well-placed.

After the break, Walker dived to block Bond’s piledriver, with the home stopper agile enough to catch Sam Finley’s rebound.

The hosts pressed for a winner, but were unable to find a way past Lynch as the goalkeeper made a succession of impressive saves.

The goalkeeper tipped away Bird’s flicked header with Gallifuoco unable to head the rebound on target.

Then, an already diving Lynch lifted a glove to keep out Pinnock’s deflected shot after a run and pass by sub Anthony Jeffrey.

And the keeper turned Brundle’s goalbound free-kick around the post with some home fans already celebrating what seemed a certain goal.

But it Rowe who had the final say on the result.

As parry tried to dribble the ball out of defence, the attacked stole the ball off the defender and slotted in the winner in spite of Dover calls for a foul.

The result sees Whites drop to fifth in the standings, two points off top.

Earlier, boss Kinnear named an unchanged line-up from Tuesday’s defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Athletic next travel to Bromley on Saturday 2nd December. Kick off 3pm.

Dover: Walker, Gallifuoco, Essam, Parry, Fazakerley (Deen-Conteh 82), Brundle (c), Nortey (Jeffrey 66), Ilesanmi, Alabi (Daniel 45), Bird, Pinnock.

Subs not used: Okosieme, Richards.

Fylde: Lynch, Burke, Tunnicliffe, Edmundson, Francis-Angol, Montrose, Finley (Taylor 87) (c), Bond, Mangan, Rowe (Blinkhorn 84), Tasdemir (Smith 60).

Subs not used: Jones, Grand.

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE 1-0 DOVER

(Ferrier 23)

WHITES 10-match unbeaten league run came to an end following a narrow defeat at a rainy Victoria Road on Tuesday evening.

A first-half header from Morgan Ferrier and some stunning saves from home keeper Mark Cousins saw Dover relinquish their grip on top spot in the National League standings as Chris Kinnear’s men slipped into second place, two points behind new leaders Wrexham.

The Daggers almost took an early lead when Sam Ling snuck in at the far post to nod Corey Whitely’s zipped corner into the side netting.

Visitors Dover should have gone ahead two minutes later, but Cousin flung himself across his goalmouth to tip away James Alabi’s header after Mitch Brundle’s mishit volley fell kindly for the loanee.

The striker then blasted narrowly over following a powerful surge into the area.

Cousin’s opposite number Mitch Walker then performed his own acrobatics, stretching to divert John Robson’s dipping header from the edge of the box from underneath the crossbar.

But there was nothing Athletic’s stopper could do about the home side’s opener midway through the first half.

The impressive Ling latched onto Cousin’s inch-perfect throw and sent in a delicious ball for Ferrier to head home from close range.

Ling then blasted over from an acute angle and the winger forced Walker into a low save with a drilled effort from the edge of the box.

Dagenham’s keeper denied Alabi once again in first half stoppage time. The attacker powered Mitch Pinnock’s pinpoint cross towards goal, only for Cousins to somehow claw the ball away to safety.

And the 30-year old goalie made his best save just after the break to prevent what seemed a certain equaliser for Whites.

Having beaten Jake Howells out wide, Pinnock’s goalward volley appeared destined for the top corner. But Cousins clearly had other ideas and was somehow able turn the winger’s shot behind for a corner.

Walker then ensured his side stayed in the game, blocking Ferrier’s angled effort with Michael Cheek firing over the rebound.

And Cousins thwarted the visitors once again, smothering the ball before Pinnock could latch onto Nortei Nortey’s through ball.

Whitely’s strike from near the byline clipped the bar and the winger then forced Walker into a fingertip save with a curling effort.

And John Still’s team should have doubled their lead in injury time, but sub Dan Sparkes blasted past the post when put in the clear by Whitely.

Earlier, boss Kinnear made one change to the side that started away at Leyton Orient. Loui Fazakerley replaced the injured Josh Passley.

Athletic next face AFC Fylde at Crabble on Saturday 25th November at Crabble. Kick off 3pm.

Dagenham and Redbridge: Cousins, Doe (c), Robson, Howell, Ferrier (Sparkes 88), Boucaud, Lokko, Ling, Cheek (Bloomfield 67), Whitely, Howells.

Subs not used: Moore, Adams, White.

Dover: Walker, Fazakerley, Gallifuoco, Parry, Essam, Ilesanmi, Brundle, Nortey (Daniel 72), Pinnock, Bird, Alabi (Jeffrey 65).

Subs not used: Deen-Conteh, Richards, Okosieme.

Referee: David Rock

Attendance: 1,262

LEYTON ORIENT 1-1 DOVER

(Clay 78) (Nortey 23)

Mitch Walker’s spectacular late save preserved a hard-earned point for Whites at a rain-swept Brisbane Road on Saturday.

Athletic’s keeper blocked Macaulay Bonne’s point-black header from six yards with his legs as Chris Kinnear’s men extended their unbeaten league run to 10 matches.

Nortei Nortey had curled the visitors ahead in the first half, but a deflected effort from Craig Clay 12 minutes from time had the O’s level.

The away side almost made the perfect start for when James Alabi bore down on goal following a mistake by Joe Widdowson, but home keeper Sam Sargeant, a late addition to the starting line-up after Orient’s first choice stopper Charlie Grainger injured himself in the warmup, denied the striker with his feet.

Bonne then nodded Alex Lawless’ corner narrowly over and at the other end both Alabi and Ryan Bird were close to connecting to Femi Ilesanmi’s dangerous ball across the box.

Mitch Pinnock’s 30-yard free-kick dipped just wide of Sargeant’s goal and Clay blasted just wide in a breathless first quarter of an hour.

Former Premier League star Jobi McAnuff drilled just past the post and Alabi volleyed just over from a tight angle.

But Chris Kinnear’s men were not to be kept out for long and Nortey collected Alabi’s pass and fired past a diving Sargeant much to the delight of the 537 travelling fans.

McAnuff and Swindon loanee James Brophy struck efforts wide for Orient and Mitch Pinnock flicked Josh Passley’s pinpoint cross narrowly over.

Passley was then replaced by Loui Fazakerley five minutes before the break after an unfortunate collision with an advertising board following a 50-50 challenge.

And in first-half stoppage time Walker dived low to push Brophy’s shot from outside the box to his right.

Dover’s keeper then tipped away Bonne’s header from a corner, but a goalmouth scramble ensued with Zimbabwe international Bonne poking an effort towards goal with Connor Essam clearing off the line.

But Leyton Orient’s pressure finally paid off as Clay run onto Brophy’s pass and found the net from inside the box via a deflection in spite of Giancarlo Gallifuoco’s best efforts to keep the ball out.

And the home team, with caretaker boss Russ Embleton in charge following the dismissal of Steve Davis as manager earlier in the week, almost snatched a late winner as Bonne leapt highest to meet James Dayton’s ball into the box, only to be denied by Walker.

McAnuff fired a free-kick narrowly over in injury time as Dover kept their place at the top of the table, one point clear of Wrexham in second spot.

Earlier, Kinnear kept with the same side that beat Eastleigh last week. Anthony Jeffrey, signed on loan from Sutton, started as a substitute.

Whites next travel to Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday 21st November.  Kick off 7:45pm.

Leyton Orient: Sargeant, Caprice, Widdowson, Lawless (Harrold 65), Sendles-White, McAnuff (c), Bonne, Clay, Happe, Brophy, Dayton.

Subs not used: Mooney, Ellis, Westbrooke.

Dover: Walker, Passley (Fazakerley 44), Ilesanmi, Gallifuoco, Parry, Essam, Brundle (c), Pinnock, Bird (Daniel 76), Nortey, Alabi.

Subs not used: Richards, Okosieme, Jeffrey.