Ryan Bird’s 79th minute penalty stunned a 4000-strong home crowd as Dover won 1-0 in front of the BT Sport cameras at Prenton Park on Saturday.

The striker rammed the ball down the middle of the goal after being fouled in the box by Ritchie Sutton.

The visitors started brightly with Mitch Pinnock’s 30-yard strike narrowly clearing home keeper Scott Davies’ bar.

The home team were first to register a shot on target as Ollie Norburn curled a free-kick into the arms of Mitch Walker.

And Dover’s stopper was in the thick of the action as Rovers pushed forward.

He dived onto Sutton’s drive at the second attempt after initally parrying the defender’s effort, then blocked Hughes shot after Jay Harris’ cross-field ball found the midfielder in space.

Andy Cook then tried his luck with a twenty-yard rocket that fizzed past the post much to the relief of a diving Walker.

Jamie Allen latched onto a goal-kick, but his first-time shot was too weak to trouble Davies.

Pinnock went close before the break after robbing Steve McNulty, but aimed his shot just wide.

Walker had to be alert to block Cook’s close range header from a Harris cross and at the other end Femi Ilesanmi’s shot whistled past the far post after Mitch Brundle found the winger in space.

Sub Tobi Sho-Silva forced Davies into a smart save late on with a clever turn and strike from the edge of the box.

Ilesanmi then went even closer to giving Whites the lead, heading sub Loui Fazakerley’s cross against the bar.

James Norwood’s flick from sub Liam Ridehalgh’s set-piece went agonisingly wide for the hosts.

But the away team did go ahead ten minutes later thanks to Bird’s penalty.  The forward was felled in the area after sneaking in ahead of Sutton as the defender went to clear the ball, leaving Peter Wright no choice but to award a spot-kick.

With the clock ticking towards full-time, Walker pulled off two fine saves to confirm Dover’s second win in three games at Tranmere.

The keeper firstly blocked Ridehalgh’s effort with his legs, with Connor  Essam on hand to clear the ball off the line as it rolled towards goal.

Walker then somehow pawed behind Norwood’s volley following good work from Sutton.

Earlier, Chris Kinnear made one change from the side that drew with Ebbsfleet on Monday. Fit-again Jamie Allen replaced Tobi Sho-Silva, who started on the bench.

The win sees Whites rise three placed to sixth in the table, two points of leaders Dagenham & Redbridge.

Dover: Walker, Gallifuoco, Essam, Parry, Passley, Brundle(c), Nortey (Fazakerley 65), Pinnock, Ilesanmi, Allen (Sho-Silva 55), Bird(Daniel 82).

Subs not used: Deen-Conteh, Richards.

Referee: Peter Wright

Attendance: 4101 (79 away)

Yellows – Gallifuoco, Pinnock (Dover)

Ryan Bird’s first half header was not enough for Whites to take all three points in a 1-1 draw with Kent rivals Ebbsfleet at Crabble on Bank Holiday Monday.

The big striker powered home Mitch Pinnock’s cross on 17 minutes, but United fought back to level through Darren McQueen’s volley.

Bagasan Graham strode forward and fired a low effort straight at Mitch Walker as the visitors registered the match’s first shot on target on the quarter-hour mark.

Athletic were ahead moments later and Danny Kedwell nearly equalised shortly after, smashing Myles Weston’s cross narrowly wide.

McQueen was then denied by Walker, who dived onto the ball after the diminutive forward cut in from the right and fizzed in a shot.

Kedwell nodded Jack Powells’ corner over as the referee drew the first half to a close.

Following the restart, Jack Payne’s pass was collected by McQueen on the edge of the box, but was once again unable to beat Walker and Pinnock’s free-kick at the other end flew inches wide of the post.

Yado Mambo was in the right place to block Nortei Nortey’s vicous volley following a defensive clearance.

The home pressure continued with Tobi Sho-Silva evading attention on the right-wing and passing into the box, but both Bird’s and Pinnock’s attempts were too weak to trouble Nathan Ashmore in the away goal.

The burly stopper then had to scurry back to his goalline to stop Mitch Brundle’s audacious 70-yard effort from going in.

It was all square in the 76th minute, McQueen out-muscled Femi Ilesanmi to latch onto Kedwell’s flick and fire past a helpless Walker.

And the visitors almost took the lead as Powell headed over substitute Sean Shields’ cross.

Brundle almost won the game late on, but curled his free-kick into Ashmore’s arms.

The draw sees Whites drop four places to ninth in the table.

Earlier, boss Kinnear made one change to the starting line-up from Saturday’s match at Macclesfield.  Mitch Pinnock replaced Kane Richards, who dropped to the bench.

Chris Kinnear’s men travel to Tranmere Rovers next on Saturday 2nd September. Kick off 5:30pm.

Dover: Walker, Passley, Ilesanmi (Deen-Conteh 78), Gallifuoco, Parry, Essam, Pinnock (Daniel 82), Brundle (c), Sho-Silva, Bird, Nortey.

Attendance: 1625 (373 away supporters).

Yellow cards: Parry, Daniel, Brundle

Dover remain winless at The Moss Rose since their return to the National League as Chris Kinnear’s men lost 1-0 to Macclesfield Town on Friday night.

Former Whites striker Tyrone Marsh headed in Elliott Durrell’s cross five minutes after half-time as Athletic suffered their first away defeat of the season.

The home side fashioned the first chance early on with Danny Whitaker firing straight at Walker from close range.

The action then moved to the other end of the pitch.  Femi Ilesanmi’s  free-kick deflected narrowly wide and Kane Richards’ then saw a shot blocked by the legs of home keeper Shawn Jalal following Nortei Nortey’s pass.

Nortey was once again involved on the quarter-hour mark, chasing down the ball after blocking Keith Lowe’s attempted clearance, but his final pass into the box was too weak to find a teammate.

Lowe was almost left red-faced again after his backpass was missed by Jalal, however Ryan Bird was unable to react in time.

Gime Toure stumbled in the Dover area with Connor Essam close by, but the referee adjudged there was no contact on the Frenchman.

Bird’s flick-on found Josh Passley lurking at the back post, but the right-back was denied by Jalal’s stunning finger-tip save around the post.

Toure spotted Ryan Lloyd’s clever run into the area, but the midfielder scooped the ball over the bar.

Lowe bravely blocked Sho-Silva’s effort before half-time after the forward had been sent clear by Mitch Brundle.

Marsh’s bullet header seemed to galvanise the Silkmen, with Scott Burgess curling just over from long range and away keeper Mitch Walker flinging himself across the goalmouth to prevent Durrell’s swirling free kick from going straight in.

Dover’s stopper then had to be alert to palm over Toure’s firm strike after he turned Manny Parry in the box.

Walker then produced a stunning save to turn sub Mitch Hancox’s twenty-yard effort past the post.

The visitor’s final chance came from Pinnock’s long throw in injury time, but the ball bounced agonisingly over Bird after Jalal’s unsuccessful attempt to claim the ball.

The defeat sees Dover stay in fifth spot in the ladder, with the rest of this round of National League fixtures due on Saturday.

Earlier, boss Kinnear made two changes from the home draw with Barrow on Saturday.  Josh Passley returned from illness in place of Louis Fazakerley, who started as a substitute. Tobi Sho-Silva also came in for Jamie Allen, who was ruled out through injury.

Aziz Deen-Contch was named on the bench after signing for the club earlier in the week.

Whites next face Kent rivals Ebbsfleet United this coming Bank Holiday Monday, kick off 3pm.

Dover starting XI:

Walker, Passley, Essam, Parry(Deen-Conteh 68), Gallifuoco, Ilesanmi, Brundle, Nortey(Pinnock 68), Richards(Daniel 63), Bird, Sho-Silva.

Subs not used: Fazakerley, Essuman.

Yellow cards: Brundle

Attendance:  1270 (37 away supporters).