DOVER 3-1 WOKING
(Bird 5, 21) (Ward 54)
(Parry 56)
WHITES soared back into top spot after beating promotion rivals Woking in an entertaining match at Crabble on Tuesday night.
Ryan Bird’s brace and a Manny Parry header two minutes after Joe Ward had reduced the deficit saw Chris Kinnear’s side move into first place on goal difference.
Anthony Limbrick’s men, looking to bounce back from defeat at Bromley three days earlier, fashioned the first chance with Josh Staunton heading Chez Isaac’s early corner narrowly wide.
Nathan Baxter was forced to tip over Mitch Brundle’s dipping volley, but there was nothing the visiting keeper could do about Bird’s fifth minute opener.
The striker pounced at the back post to slot in his eighth of the season after Mitch Pinnock’s corner eluded all the yellow shirts in the box.
Brundle then tried his luck again from range, but this time the skipper’s lob cleared the crossbar.
On the counter-attack, Inih Effiong outpaced Manny Parry on the wing, but could only blast wide and James Alabi headed over Josh Passley’s cross at the other end.
After tackling Nathan Ralph, Passley surged into the penalty area and passed to Bird, but the goalscorer miskicked when well-placed.
But the forward made no mistake with his next chance on 21 minutes.
Pinnock’s long throw was inadvertently flicked on by Joey Jones into the path of Bird, who fired in his ninth of the campaign to move joint top of the National league scoring chart.
Woking went close before the break, but Jamie Philpott headed Ralph’s cross wide and then fired at Walker with a low drive.
Dover’s stopper also held onto Regan Charles-Cook’s curling shot, but his best efforts were not enough to prevent the away team from pulling a goal back on 52 minutes.
The keeper superbly denied Joe Ward following a clever pass from Effiong, but the ball ricocheted off Femi Ilesanmi and back into the striker’s path to reduce the arrears.
Pinnock unleashed a 30-yard sizzler that flew past the upright and Jordan Wynter was relieved to see his interception bounce over the bar following a dangerous run and cross by Alabi.
But Whites restored their two-goal cushion on 54 minutes as Parry rose highest at the far post to head in Pinnock’s deep corner.
Paul Lewis almost grabbed the hosts fourth of the evening, but Baxter tipped away the midfielder’s inswinging shot.
Jamie Philpot fired wide under pressure from Passley and Isaac blazed over from distance as Whites extended their unbeaten run to seven league matches.
Earlier, Kinnear made one change to the team that started Saturday’s draw with Maidenhead as Giancarlo Gallifuoco replaced Loui Fazakerley, who started as substitute.
Dover travel next to Gateshead on Saturday 28th October. Kick off 3pm.
Dover: Walker, Passley, Ilesanmi, Gallifuoco, Parry, Essam, Brundle(c), Pinnock, Bird, Alabi (Daniel 59), Lewis.
Subs not used: Richards, Fazakerley, Nortey, Deen-Conteh.
Woking: Baxter, Young, Wynter, Staunton, Ralph, Jones(c) (Appau 70), Isaac, Philpot, Ward, Charles-Cook, Effiong.
Subs not used: Stojsavljevic, Saraiva, Banton, Mason.
Referee: Alan Bale