DOVER 3-4 LEYTON ORIENT

(Bird 57, 82)   (Elokobi 35)
(Pinnock 81)   (Bonne 48)
(Harrold 53)
(Mooney 90)

AN impressive comeback was not enough for Whites as they were knocked out of the FA Trophy by Leyton Orient at Crabble on Saturday

Sub David Mooney chipped in an injury-time winner after a brace from Ryan Bird and a stunning lob from Mitch Pinnock had seen the hosts overturn a three goal deficit.

George Elokobi had headed the visitors ahead in the first half, with further strikes from Macauley Bonne and Matt Harrold putting the O’s  in control.

Dean Brill had to be alert early on, tipping over Giancarlo Gallifouco’s looping header from Nortei Nortey’s ball.

Brill then expertly turned away Anthony Jeffrey’s fierce drive and Connor Essam stabbed Pinnock’s cross wide.

Home keeper Walker denied Harrold with his legs after the striker was put through by Ebou Adams.

Walker was left motionless as Bonne dragged Lemar Reynolds cross narrowly wide and Whites’ goalie was then called into action to acrobatically turn away a long range drive from Reynolds.

There was a melee in the penalty area from the resulting corner with Harrold, Bonne and Coulson all unable to breach the Dover backline before Essam was finally able to clear the danger.

The action was soon at the other end as Brill dived to catch Gallifouco’s header from Pinnock’s free kick.

But the visitors had the lead ten minutes before the break as Elokobi powered in McAnuff’s corner.

It was almost an instant reply through Nortey’s low shot, but Brill was down quickly to palm the midfielder’s effort wide.

Mitch Brundle then nearly added to his repertoire of spectacular goals, volleying inches past the wrong side of the post from the edge of the area.

Harrold was within a whisker of doubling Orient’s lead, just missing Jake Caprice’s ball across the goalmouth.

And there was still time for one more chance in a breathless first half as Josh Passley slid in to clear Harrold’s clever finish off the line.

Bird almost continued his record of scoring in each round of the competition so far, heading Pinnock’s cross straight at Brill.

And that miss proved costly as Bonne doubled his side’s lead

The Zimbabwean international collected the ball 30 yards from goal and curled a stunning effort into the top corner, beyond Walker’s despairing grasp.

And the tie was seemingly over once Harrold stabbed in Elokobi’s knockdown to make it 3-0.

But Dover and in particular Bird had other ideas as the striker fired Pinnock’s shot into the bottom corner to reduce the arrears.

And the Dover fans were celebrating once more shortly afterwards.

But the cheers soon faded when they realised Jeffrey’s 20 yard rocket had flown into the side netting.

Walker kept Athletic in the tie, firstly denying Harrold after Adams teed up the attacker.

Whites’ keeper then produced a magnificent save to stop Bonne after Gallifuoco miscued a clearance, then denied the same striker after Bonne returned his weak kick out with interest, with Walker sprinting back to his own area and landing on the goalbound ball.

With ten minutes left, Pinnock stylishly pulled his side back into the tie.

The winger took advantage of some miscommunication between Coulson and Brill, lobbing over the stranded Orient keeper from distance.

And the turnaround was complete just one minute later thanks to Bird’s 16th goal in all competitions this season.

The striker slotted his second of the game, following up after Brill tipped sub Kadell Daniel’s angled shot his way.

But Orient sub David Mooney had the final say with a classy finish, with Dover unable to muster a leveller in the final moments of the tie.

Earlier, boss Kinnear kept with the same side that started last weekend’s win against Guiseley.

James Alabi and Chris Lewington returned as substitutes in place of Loui Fazakerley and Kane Richards.

Dover: Walker, Gallifuoco, Essam, Parry, Passley, Brundle (c), Nortey (Bellamy 61), Ilesanmi, Jeffrey (Daniel 72), Bird (Alabi 86), Pinnock.

Subs not used: Lewington, Okosieme.

Leyton Orient: Brill, Caprice, Coulson, Elokobi, Widdowson, McAnuff (c), Adams, Clay, Reynolds (Brophy 67), Harrold (Mooney 80), Bonne.

Subs not used: Sargeant, Koroma, Happe

Referee: David Rock

Attendance: 1,016

DOVER 2-1 GUISELEY

(Brundle 7) (Southwell 63)
(Pinnock 88)

MITCH Pinnock struck late to hand Whites a valuable three points against a determined Guiseley side at a wet and windy Crabble on Saturday.

The midfielder collected Femi Ilesamni’s pass and after cutting inside Jack Sheppard, fired through the body of visiting keeper Luke Coddington as Chris Kinnear’s side registered back-to-back league victories for the first time since September.

Captain Mitch Brundle had given his side an early lead with a scorching 30-yard effort, but Dayle Southwell levelled midway through the second half in equally stunning fashion from a free-kick.

Dover almost made the ideal start as Pinnock crashed an effort onto the bar with the match barely five minutes old.

But Brundle was able to better his teammates’ effort, driving a 30-yard scorcher into the top corner after Anthony Jeffrey played the ball into the skipper’s path.

Ryan Bird thought he had doubled the lead after burying Brundle’s cross, but the linesman’s flag denied the forward his thirteenth National League goal of the campaign.

And Athletic’s top scorer went close again moments later, this time heading Jeffrey’s cross narrowly wide.

Whites were almost made to pay for their missed chances as new Lions recruit Harry Flowers nodded over Callum McFadzean’s corner.

The former Burnley defender then blazed wide of a static Mitch Walker moments after his previous chance.

Giancarlo Gallifuoco nodded off target from Pinnock’s corner as the home side searched for a second goal and Walker was called into action twice in succession at the other end, firstly tipping away McFadzean’s low drive and then producing a similar save to deny James Roberts.

Brundle almost had his first brace of the season, flashing Bird’s pass just past the post after the restart.

Walker punched away Roberts’ ferocious drive as the visitors seeked to end a run of three defeats on the spin away from home.

And it looked like one of Guiseley’s recent new signings had rescued a precious point for Paul Cox’s strugglers shortly after an hour.

Dayle Southwell, signed from Wycombe earlier in the week, curled a sumptious 20-yard free-kick past an onlooking Walker.

Cheers from the 2327 strong crowd, in attendance for the club’s third Community Day of the season, were short-lived after the linesman ruled out Pinnock’s curling shot after Bird had allegedly strayed offside.

And midfielder Pinnock almost made the controversial decision irrelevant as he blasted a set-piece past the wrong side of Northampton loanee Coddington’s post.

But the midfielder finally got his just rewards two minutes from time and Femi Ilesanmi almost wrapped up the points in injury time, but he was he was unable to find the finish needed following a lung-busting run from his own half.

Earlier, Kinnear kept with the same side that started away at Boreham Wood last weekend.

The win sees Whites move up one place to sixth in the table, five points off current leaders Macclesfield Town.

Dover next host Leyton Orient in the Buildbase FA Trophy on Saturday 3rd February. Kick off 3pm.

Dover: Walker, Gallifuoco, Essam, Parry, Passley, Nortey (Bellamy 78), Pinnock (Okosieme 90), Brundle (c), Ilesanmi, Bird, Jeffrey (Daniel 79).

Subs not used: Richards, Fazakerley.

Guiseley: Coddington, Sheppard, Flowers, St Ledger, Crookes, McFadzean, Lenighan, Harvey (c), Southwell, Odejayi (Fondop-Talom 62), Roberts (Liburd 88).

Subs not used: Palmer, Purver, Haworth.

Attendance: 2327

Referee: Sam Purkiss