SOLIHULL 3-2 DOVER

Storer (29)    (Bird pen 22)
Thomas (75) (Pinnock 60)
(Reid 84)

WHITES promotion hopes were dented by Alex Reid’s late winner at Damson Park on Saturday.

The substitute collected Darren Carter’s pass and fired past Mitch Walker to give his side the lead after Whites had twice gone ahead thanks to Ryan Bird’s penalty and Mitch Pinnock’s finish. Moors twice hit back via Kyle Storer and a Kwame Thomas spot kick.

The hosts started brightly and test Walker early on with Dover’s stopper saving from Carter.

But it was Athletic that had the lead midway through the first half following Storer’s clumsy challenge on Anthony Jeffrey.

Bird slotted the ball into the middle of the goal from 12 yards and though home stopper Max O’Leary initially stopped the ball with his legs, the Bristol City loanee was unable to prevent the ball from trickling over the line.

But Mark Yates’ side were level just seven minutes later through Storer.

The midfielder volleyed a loose ball into the bottom corner after following up on Jamey Osborne’s blocked shot.

Walker then prevented his side from going behind, turning behind Adi Yussuf’s close range shot with his foot.

Osborne tried his luck from range after the restart, curling a deflected effort just past the wrong side of the post. Nortei Nortey then chested the ball off the line following a corner, with the subsequent cross from Storer clipping the top of the bar.

And a defensive error by Tyrone Williams handed Whites the lead once more.

A wayward header from the centre back fell for Pinnock, who strode onto the ball and slotted into the net, in spite of Daly’s last-ditch attempt the clear the winger’s effort off the line.

Osborne blasted wide and Yussuf fired into Walker’s arms as the away side searched for a second leveller.

And that equaliser arrived with fifteen minutes remaining as Whites gave away their first penalty of the season.

Manny Parry fouled Thomas in the area and despite the centre half protesting the ball had gone out of play, winger Thomas picked himself up to slam the ball into the middle of the goal, through the already diving Walker’s outstretched hand.

Pinnock’s spectacular long ranger flew straight down the throat of O’Leary as Chris Kinnear’s men looked to go in front for a third time, but it was Moors who grabbed a winner six minutes from the end.

A counter attack saw Carter escape down the left wing and the midfielder passed inside to sub Reid, who checked inside and fired past a statuesque Walker in goal.

The hosts held on to condemn Whites to their second consecutive league defeat and keep Kinnear’s side ninth in the standings, one point outside the play-offs.

Dover next host Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday 20th February. Kick off 7:45pm.

Solihull: O’Leary, Williams, Keleher, Carter, Daly, Reckord, Osborne, Storer, Yussuf (Edwards 90), Hylton (Reid 69), Thomas.

Subs not used: K.Green, P.Green, Carline.

Dover: Walker, Ilesanmi, Nortey (Bellamy 61), Brundle, Parry, Okosieme, Essam, Pinnock, Gallifuoco, Jeffrey (Daniel 83), Bird.

Subs not used: Fazakerley, Alabi, Passley.

Referee:  Peter Gibbons

DOVER 0-1 SUTTON
(Cadogan 26)

WHITES promotion hopes were dealt a blow as Kieron Cadogan struck a first half winner for 10-man U’s in wet and muddy conditions at Crabble.

The midfielder collected Tommy Wright’s cross and placed the ball past home keeper Mitch Walker into the net, via the far post, as Chris Kinnear’s men fell out of the top seven for the first time this season.

The game sparked into life instantly, with visiting stopper Jamie Butler turning away Ryan Bird’s snapshot. A ricochet then saw Harry Beautyman run clear through, only for Walker to deny the midfielder with his legs.

Butler then tipped over Femi Ilesanmi’s 20-yard rocket from the edge of the box and Bird was unable to slip the ball past the visiting goalie when the striker went through one-on-one .

After watching a Cadogan effort deflect just wide, Walker tipped away Wright’s ricocheted angled strike and then turned behind Simon Walton’s long range curler.

But there was nothing Athletic’s goalie could do about Sutton’s opener, although his teammates almost levelled instantly.

However Butler palmed over Giancarlo Gallifuoco’s backwards header from a free kick.

And Walker produced a similar save from Terell Thomas to stop the away team doubling their advantage.

Wright showed some clever skill to beat Mitch Brundle on the wing, but fizzed his shot just past the wrong side of the post.

And Kane Richards almost had Athletic level at the break, but Butler was out quickly save the winger’s close range effort.

After the restart, Louis John headed just wide from a corner and Josh Passley’s last-ditch block denied Tom Bolarinwa a tap-in after the winger had rounded Walker.

Sub Kadell Daniel almost made an immediate impact, but connected with fresh air rather than Ilesanmi’s pass with the goal gaping.

Goalkeeper Walker then produced his best save of the night to deny John.

The 26-year old dived low to somehow keep out the defender’s bullet header from a corner, collecting the ball at the second attempt.

And Whites received a boost on the hour mark when Beautyman was shown a red card.

The midfielder’s rash challenge on Connor Essam saw the former Peterborough man receive his marching orders.

Dover looked to make their man advantage count as Gallifuoco inadvertently blocked Essam’s goalbound shot.

Butler then clawed the ball away from underneath his own crossbar following a melee in the penalty area.

And Sutton’s keeper twice stopped Athletic from equalising in injury time.

Firstly, he beat away Brundle’s near post header from Pinnock’s corner and then blocked Bird’s close range strike with his face.

Earlier, Kinnear made one change to the side that started last week’s game against Leyton Orient as Kane Richards replaced Anthony Jeffrey, who was ineligible to face his parent club.

The result sees Dover drop three places to ninth in the table.

Athletic next travel to Solihull on Saturday 17th February. Kick off 3pm.

Dover: Walker, Gallifuoco, Essam, Parry, Passley, Nortey (Alabi 75), Brundle (c), Ilesanmi, Richards (Daniel 55), Bird, Pinnock.

Subs not used: Fazakerley, Okosieme, Bellamy.

Sutton: Butler, Collins (c), John, T. Thomas, Bolarinwa (A.Thomas 78), Walton, Bailey (Downer 86), Davis, Cadogan (Dundas 70), Beautyman, Wright.

Subs not used: Hudson-Odoi, Coombes.

Attendance:1,027

Referee: Thomas Bramall

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