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Dartford 2 Dover Athletic 1 match report

21:30, 16 September 2014

Luke Daley is kept in check by former Dartford defender Tom Bonner Picture: Steve Crispe
Luke Daley is kept in check by former Dartford defender Tom Bonner Picture: Steve Crispe

Dartford came from behind to beat Kent rivals Dover on Tuesday night.

Ricky Miller gave the visitors an early lead at Princes Park and Dover had enough chances in the second half to put the game to bed.

But their profligacy came back to haunt them when two goals in the last 18 minutes turned the game on its head. Harry Crawford scored the equaliser and then laid on the winner for Tom Bradbrook.

Goalkeeper Jason Brown was Dartford's hero in stoppage-time when he saved Miller's penalty.

Dartford were unchanged from Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Gateshead, meaning midfielder Peter Sweeney had recovered from the injury which forced him off in the early stages of that game.

The Whites, who lost 1-0 at home to Macclesfield at the weekend, were also unchanged. There were three ex-Dartford players - Tom Bonner, Connor Essam and Tyrone Sterling - in the visitors' back-four, alongside former Ebbsfleet defender Craig Stone.

Dover took the lead on eight minutes. Elliot Bradbrook fouled his former team-mate Sterling just outside the box and Miller's free-kick took a wicked deflection which carried the ball away from Brown and inside the far post.

Ricky Miller's free-kick deflects off the Dartford wall for the opening goal Picture: Steve Crispe
Ricky Miller's free-kick deflects off the Dartford wall for the opening goal Picture: Steve Crispe

Miller, on loan from Luton, was giving the Darts defence a few problems and he tried his luck with another free-kick moments later. This time, Brown made a straightforward save.

At the other end, Crawford rose well to meet a Lee Noble free-kick and the home fans were ready to celebrate the equaliser - only for Mitch Walker to pull off a brilliant one-handed save to keep his side ahead.

Nathan Collier slid in to cut out a dangerous Miller cross and Chris Kinnear dragged a shot wide from distance as the visitors threatened a second goal.

Walker and Crawford then renewed their duel, the goalkeeper catching Crawford's downward header from a deep Adam Green delivery.

Miller had the travelling fans singing his name again at the start of the second half when he got free in the box and crunched a left-footed shot over the bar.

And the visitors came within inches of doubling their lead moments later. Matt Lock's shot came back off the post and only a brilliant diving block by Mat Mitchel-King stopped half-time substitute Stefan Payne knocking in the rebound.

Miller then met Lock's cross with a shot which was charged down by Rory McAuley. The diminutive forward was involved in all of Dover's best moves - Miller latched onto a long ball forward from Nick Deverdics and evaded Mitchel-King's attentions before shooting wide.

Mitch Walker saved this Harry Crawford header Picture: Steve Crispe
Mitch Walker saved this Harry Crawford header Picture: Steve Crispe

But chances kept coming for the men in pink shirts. Deverdics had a low shot clawed out by Brown and Richard Orlu lashed the rebound over before Brown saved again, from Payne.

Chris Kinnear brought Christian Nanetti off the bench and the flying winger teed off from the left-hand side of the penalty area, his shot fizzing wide.

But just as the visitors looked in complete control, Dartford equalised. Crawford converted Ryan Hayes' right-wing cross at the third attempt, despite Walker's brave attempts to keep the ball out. Walker injured his arm in the process and with no goalkeeper on the bench, Dover had to bring on Sean Raggett and stick the centre-half between the posts for the last 15 minutes.

Play became frantic as time ticked away and the lively Nanetti fired a shot straight at Brown.

But then came Dartford's big moment. Hayes played a slide-rule pass down the right-hand channel and Crawford's wonderful cross from the byline was powered in at the back post by the onrushing Tom Bradbrook.

However, the home side's good work looked to have been undone in the 91st minute when Nanetti wriggled into the box and was tripped by Elliot Bradbrook.

Miller took the penalty but Brown dived low to his right to save, sparking raucous celebrations around the ground at the final whistle.

Dartford: Brown, McAuley, Mitchel-King, Collier, Burns (T Bradbrook 44mins), Noble (Hayes 55mins), E Bradbrook, Sweeney, Green, Daley, Crawford (Cornhill 90mins). Subs not used: Harris, Ibrahim.

Dover: Walker (Raggett 75mins), Stone, Essam, Bonner, Sterling, Orlu, Lock (Nanetti 68mins), Kinnear, Deverdics, Reid (Payne 46mins), Miller. Subs not used: Elder, Cogan.

Attendance: 1,103.

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