Dover Athletic face an uphill struggle to reach the Blue Square Bet South play-off places after being pegged back to draw 2-2 at home to Maidenhead, who remain in the relegation zone after the draw on Saturday afternoon.

Whites failed to take advantage of fifth-placed Chelmsford City drawing at Eastleigh, and were overhauled by Basingstoke, who started the day seventh, and who are now two points clear of the Whites with the same goal difference and a game in hand.

After going four whole games without scoring a goal at Crabble, Dover made amends with two goals in 14 first-half minutes.

Barry Cogan (pictured) slammed them ahead after 21 minutes after latching onto a header across goal from Billy Bricknell after a good cross by George Purcell.

Michael Corcoran was on hand to fire in the second 10 minutes before the break after the Maidenhead defence disappeared and Bricknell hit a shot from the edge of the box which rebounded off one post, onto the other and out into the goalmouth for the midfielder to slot his first Whites goal.

However that was as good as it got for the hosts as Devante McCain lashed in a 25-yard volley past Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz to halve the deficit four minutes before the break.

Maidenhead then snatched the leveller just 30 seconds into the second half as Jamiez-Ruiz produced a good save only for Daniel Brown to head the rebound into the unguarded net.

However despite needing a goal to keep alive their realistic hopes of a play-off place, Dover were unable to fashion another real chance and their fate now rests in the hands of relegation-threatened Hampton & Richmond who host Basingstoke on Tuesday.

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