Dover's rocky relationship with the FA Cup continued on Saturday as they were knocked out at the fourth qualifying round stage by fellow Blue Square South side Eastleigh at Crabble.

Tony Taggart scored twice for the visitors, who deservedly won an action-packed tie 5-3. The Whites had player-manager Andy Hessenthaler sent off just six minutes after coming on as a substitute as frustrations boiled over.

Eastleigh took the lead on 12 minutes when Taggart picked the ball up and beat keeper David Wilkinson with a low shot from the edge of the area.

Olly Schulz levelled for Dover in the 26th minute when he volleyed home from eight yards after a poor punch from Eastleigh keeper Jason Matthews.

However, the visitors were back in front before half-time as Taggart struck again on 32 minutes, this time squeezing a fine volley past Wilkinson after Peter Adeniyi had headed into his path.

Eastleigh gave themselves some breathing space two minutes after the break when Tom Jordan - son of Joe - headed in Adeniyi's corner. And Crabble was silenced on the hour mark when Richard Gillespie rifled home from close range after Wilkinson had failed to claim.

Lee Browning's chip gave Dover a glimmer of hope almost immediately...and then controversy.

Shaun Welford thought he had brought the Whites within a goal of a dramatic comeback on 66 minutes only to see his close range effort ruled out by referee Nigel Lugg, much to the annoyance of the majority of the 1,161 inside the ground.

Lugg found himself even more unpopular soon afterwards when he turned down a decent-looking penalty shout for handball.

Eastleigh ended any hopes of a Dover fightback with 12 minutes to play when a counter-attack ended with Andy Forbes tapping in from almost on the goal-line.

Hessenthaler had brought himself on just before the fifth goal went in - but his cameo appearance ended just six minutes later when he allowed his frustration to get the better of him and was dismissed for a two-footed tackle by Lugg.

Andy Birchall scored a third for the hosts from the penalty spot but it was no consolation for Dover, who have not reached the first round of the FA Cup since 2002.