A brace from Ruben Soares-Junior looked set to hand Dover all three points on Tuesday night, but a late penalty meant honours were shared in a 2-2 draw at Crabble.

The visitors could not have asked for a better start, breaking the deadlock inside two minutes. Reggie Young burst clear down the right and cut the ball back for Donovan Wilson, who calmly tucked home from close range. Dover responded with purpose, Luke Baptiste forcing an early save and Harry Beadle heading wide, but Dagenham continued to threaten on the counter and tested Mitch Walker through Dylan Stephenson and Tom Sidwell.

The game turned on 25 minutes when Daggers defender Corey Panter was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident, leaving the visitors to play over an hour with ten men. Dover pressed forward and were inches from levelling when Roman Charles-Cook rattled the upright, before Walker was called on again to deny Wilson with a sharp stop just before the break.

Jake Leberl made changes at half-time, introducing Francis Mampolo and George Wilkinson, and the impact was instant. Just 35 seconds after the restart, Mampolo delivered a superb cross from the left which Soares-Junior headed in at the back post to bring Dover level. The Whites, buoyed by the equaliser, pushed on and completed the turnaround midway through the half. Mampolo’s strike was parried by goalkeeper Daniel Barden, but Soares-Junior reacted quickest to lash home his second and put Dover 2-1 up.

Dagenham, however, refused to fold. Substitute Ashley Hemmings almost created an equaliser when his low ball was steered narrowly wide by Rafiq Khaleel, and with four minutes to play they were handed a lifeline. Referee Jonathan Bolland pointed to the spot after Harvey Broad was brought down in the box by Henry Lukombo, and Hemmings kept his cool to send Walker the wrong way and level the contest at 2-2.

Alfie Matthews went close in stoppage time with a bending effort, but Dover were forced to settle for a point in front of a crowd of 1,103. The Whites now turn their attention to back-to-back games with Farnborough, first in the league and then in the FA Cup.

Dover Athletic

Walker, Charles-Cook (Lukombo 76), Sesay, Jones, Mensah, Cocoracchio, Beadle (Wilkinson 46), Matthews (Sheriff 90+2), Baptiste (Mampolo 46), Nikaj, Soares-Junior.
Subs not used: Tennent, Coker, Gillmore.

Dagenham & Redbridge

Barden, Lusala (Broad 72), Maghoma, Panter, Rendall, Harrack, Sidwell, Young (Hemmings 78), Haigh (Khaleel 78), Wilson (N’Guessan 72), Stephenson.
Subs not used: Howes, Scott, Kalambayi.

Referee: Jonathan Bolland
Attendance: 1,103