DOVER’S four-game winning run at Crabble is over after Tranmere won a game of two halves on Saturday.

Rovers kept their perfect National League record under new boss Micky Mellon intact in stunning style after coming from behind to stun Dover.

Mellon’s side won for the fourth consecutive game thanks to Andy Cook’s double, an own goal from Dover goalkeeper Mitch Walker and sublime Ben Tollitt strike.

It was the first loss Dover had ever suffered against Tranmere and the first at home since the Aldershot defeat on August 29.

But you would never have predicted the gem would end the way it did after Aswad Thomas opened the scoring for Whites in the first half.

It was all Dover at that stage with the visitors offering nothing in attack.

That all changed after Cook, the leading Tranmere marksman with 10 now, silenced the biggest crowd of the season with his equaliser.

With honours even at the break, whatever Mellon said during it worked as his side scored three unanswered goals to take all the points back to Birkenhead.

The defeat sees Dover drop a place to seventh while Tranmere stay fourth.

Dover started brightly enough and Ross Lafayette headed a Sammy Moore corner wide after nine minutes.

Moore then had an effort charged down before Thomas headed wide.

The defender soon made amends, heading Sam Magri’s pin-point cross down and over goalkeeper Scott Davies in the 23rd minute to register his third goal of the season.

It was the first goal the visitors had conceded in four league games.

But Tranmere were back on level terms less than 10 minutes later after Cook turned home Portsmouth loanee Tollitt’s cross from close range.

Dover responded with Ricky Miller seeing his 20 yarder sting the hands of Davies before Walker saved Lois Maynard’s low shot just before the break.

Tranmere created the first opening of the second half with Walker saving Cook’s effort from distance.

Miller then found some rare space in the Tranmere backline, but his shot from just outside the box ended up nearer the corner flag rather than Davies’ goal.

That just about summed up the league’s leading marksman’s day.

Davies’ counterpart Walker produced a decent save to deny the impressive Tollitt just after the hour mark but he couldn’t prevent Rovers taking the lead seconds later.

Dover failed to clear their lines, the ball bounced Cook’s way and the striker fired past an unsighted Walker from 12 yards.

And worse was to follow for Walker and Dover four minutes later.

Walker came for Jeff Hughes’ corner but only succeeded in punching it into his own net.

Dover through caution to the wind and Lafayette saw his 25 free-kick caught easily by Davies after Miller had been spent sprawling.

But there was to be no coming back for the hosts after Tollitt fired the fourth past Walker in clinical fashion 10 minutes from the end.

RICKY Miller scored four times as Dover hammered struggling Braintree Town at Crabble on Saturday.

Miller’s stunning haul included a first-half hat-trick, as Dover came from behind to stun the Essex side and equal their biggest winning margin in the top-flight.

The livewire striker, who also scored a treble against Forest Green Rovers at the venue last month, proved too hot for Braintree to handle, especially in the opening 45 minutes.

He struck three times in 10 minutes as Dover turned a 1-0 deficit following Sam Matthews’ sublime early strike into a 5-1 lead by half-time.

Miller, the leading scorer in the competition with 14 now, added a fourth in the second half before being substituted to a deserved standing ovation.

Aswad Thomas and Jack Parkinson got the other goals to complete a nightmare debut for Iron goalkeeper Joe Taylor, who only signed from Dartford on Friday.

The day started well enough for goalkeeper Taylor as he produced smart saves to deny Ricky Modeste and Jim Stevenson.

But despite the bright start from Dover, it was the visitors who took the lead thanks to Matthews in the 12th minute.

His stunning curling effort from 20 yards gave Dover goalkeeper Mitch Walker no chance.

Dover almost provided an instant response with Taylor doing well to keep out a close-range header from Modeste from the returning Sammy Moore’s free-kick.

But they were soon back on level terms after Taylor fumbled Thomas’ shot, the ball went through his legs and crept over the line.

Miller doubled the advantage after he fired past Taylor after being sent clear by Ross Lafayette’s clever flick.

And Miller didn’t wait long to score his second, firing past Taylor from just inside the area after a neat one-two with Sam Magri.

Walker then produced a great save to deny Matthews before Miller completed his treble with an almost identical strike to his second.

Parkinson made it five after he blasted home his second of the season from close range five minutes from half-time.

The rout did not ease up after the break with Miller firing home a free-kick for Dover’s sixth three minutes after the restart.

But, despite the scoreline, it wasn’t all Dover and Walker made decent saves to deny Michael Cheek, substitute Jack Midson and Simeon Akinola.

Dover had only beaten the Essex side once in the previous past four meetings between the sides before Saturday and only scored a single goal in the process.

They changed that disappointing record in stunning fashion – red-hot Miller saw to that.

DOVER put Saturday’s drubbing at the hands of Chester behind them with a 3-1 over Sutton, though the visitors did give Whites a few frights along the way.

After their sorry Saturday display in Cheshire, Chris Kinnear opted to give the majority of his outfield players that started at the Deva Stadium a chance at redemption, with Mitch Walker taking over from the injured Steve Arnold in goal and Chris Kinnear a last minute replacement for Sammy Moore who had pulled out in the warm-up. Jahmal Howlett-Mundle filled the vacant spot on the bench.

Sutton, looking for a first win on the road since 13th August, made two changes to the side that narrowly beat Guiseley. Louis John came in for Forest Green bound Dan Wishart, whilst Bradley Hudson-Odoi replaced Simon Downer.

Dover made the perfect start on three minutes, Moses Emmanuel played in Ricky Miller with a clever through ball and the striker bagged his eight of the season with an angled finish across goalkeeper Ross Worner.

Sutton almost levelled in stunning fashion, Chris Dickson connected to a cross with an audacious overhead kick and the ball flew inches wide of Mitch Walker’s post.

They then thought they had levelled on twenty minutes, a header from Dickson struck the underside of the bar and appeared to cross the line. The referee, unnerved by Sutton’s protests, waved play on much to the dissatisfaction of all those involved with the U’s. The visitors have every right to feel aggrieved as later evidence shows the goal should have stood.

With Sutton’s blood still boiling, Ross Stearn smashed a free kick toward goal, of which Walker could only parry skywards before the ball was cleared to safety.

Sutton continued to throw caution to the wind and another fabulous strike, this time from Bedsente Gomis flew just wide of the goal past a spectating Walker. The same player then strode forward just before the half time whistle and fired in a low drive that Walker held onto at the second attempt.

United carried on their search for an equaliser after the break, Walker comfortably dealing with Dickson’s fizzing effort from the edge of the area.

Though many could argue Sutton deserved a goal, danger man Miller showed there was sentiment as he doubled Dover’s lead on 58 minutes, racing onto a long ball over the top and volleying past Worner from a ridiculous angle.

Dover had their work cut out for the last twenty minutes as Emmanuel was shown a straight red for a dangerous tackle on Kevin Awankwaah. Sutton’s right back was able to continue and helped his team find a way back into the game. Having set up Craig Eastmond to spurn a glorious chance from 10 yards, he decided to take matters into his own hands by slotting home from close range after a scuffed shot fell kindly for him.

Walker spread himself brilliantly to stop Hudson-Odoi from sealing a comeback after the pacy winger sprinted through a static Dover defence.

Jim Stevenson thought he had the last word, an opportunist long-range volley late on struck Louis John and flew over a helpless Worner.

However, the last word belonged to Dover’s goalkeeper who dived low to his right to save Hudson-Odoi’s penalty, with the spot-kick awarded after substitute Ayo Obileye handled in his own area.

The win sees Dover rise one place to eighth, five points behind new leaders Forest Green. Whites face a long trip to Gateshead on Saturday, hoping to make it five wins from five against Neil Aspin’s men.