Dover Athletic lost more ground in the race for the Blue Square Bet South play-offs going down to leaders Braintree Town on Tuesday and are still waiting for their first home win of 2011.

Sean Marks, the nearest challenger to league top scorer Adam Birchall, netted twice in the space of nine minutes in the first half to ease the Essex side in front.

Birchall scored his 34th goal in 33 games this season from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time, but Dover couldn’t drag themselves back into the contest.

The defeat dropped them to eighth in the table, five points outside the play-offs with two games in hand on fifth-placed Bromley.

Meanwhile, Dover have signed central defender Dominic Shimmin and he is set to make his debut against Weston-super-Mare on Saturday.

The 23-year-old is a free agent after being released by Scottish club Dundee following administration. Shimmin was at Arsenal as a youngster with Birchall.