Ricky Miller fired a sensational hat-trick as Dover edged past old foes Forest Green Rovers 4-3 in a stunning lunchtime game in Vanarama National League at Crabble.

The topsy-turvy game was screened live on BT Sport and saw Dover come from behind to lead 2-1, and then bounce back from conceding equalisers twice more to snatch the points with two minutes of normal time remaining thanks to a blockbuster from 25 yards into the top corner from man-of-the-moment Miller.

It was revenge for Whites on the side who had beaten them in last season's play-off semi-final and who sit top of the table this season having won their last six games.

The deadlock was broken just eight minutes in when Dover conceded a free-kick 25 yards from goal in a central position and Liam Noble's curling free-kick took a wicked deflection off the Dover wall and sailed to the left of the helpless former Rovers keeper Steve Arnold.

It was nearly 2-0 within two minutes as Arnold got down well to parry a sharp shot from 16 yards from Fabian Robert, with the follow-up deflected behind for a corner which came to nothing.

Dover were however level in the 13th minute when the impressive Aswad Thomas' low cross from the left byline was not cut out by the Rovers defence and fell to Ricky Miller to control and prod in from eight yards.

The influential Noble saw a second free-kick charged down by the wall on 15 minutes, with Drissa Traore's deflected follow-up easily held by Arnold.

Aarran Racine and Traore were both booked for fouls on the Ross Lafayette near half-way while Matt Tubbs lashed out of the ground from an inventive short-corner routine.

Miller did superbly to gain possession and turn Ethan Pinnock, only to see a 15-yard shot blocked, and the Whites striker sent a free-kick straight at keeper Sam Russell midway through the half.

Arnold raced off his line to thwart Noble's header after a delicious through-ball from former West Brom £1m man Darren Carter and the stopper got down well to deny 20-yard blasts from Tubbs and Carter..

Seven minutes before the break Miller's burst forward was ended by a lunge from Dale Bennett who earned a yellow card, with Lafayette's subsequent free-kick from 25 yards destined for the bottom corner until the unsighted Russell changed direction to tip it wide.

Within 60 seconds of the start of the second-half Dover were awarded a penalty after a lunge on Thomas on the left of the area and Miller sent the keeper the wrong way to send the home fans wild.

However the celebrations were short-lived as less than two minutes later Rovers broke down the left and Carter stood-up a cross for Rhys Murphy at the back post.

Arnold initially looked to have superbly stopped the effort on the line, however the linesman adjudged the ball to have gone over and the goal was awarded.

Rovers were buoyed and Tubbs and Carter both went close to a third within minutes while Jack Parkinson made a superb recovery tackle to loop Robert's low shot over his own bar.

At the other end Miller beat the keeper to a bouncing ball only to be denied by Charlie Clough's superb challenge and Parkinson was somehow thwarted in the six yard box from the resultant corner.

The frantic end-to-end pace continued and Murphy teed-up Carter who rattled the bar from 20 yards only to see the ball come down and bounce out off the line with all eyes again on the linesman.

A 25-yard free-kick Noble was then flicked to Tubbs with everyone expecting a shot, though Arnold raced out to block with his legs from a tight angle while on 67 minutes Noble flashed wide of the post from 25 yards with Arnold beaten.

The fifth goal arrived on 69 minutes when Thomas' speculative through-ball was cut-out by a Rovers head with Russell drawn to the edge of his box having expected it to bounce through to him.

The ball fell perfectly for the on-rushing Lafayette who side-footed a delicious volley over the back-peddling keeper from fully 35 yards to send the crowd wild.

However Rovers again came back and forced a succession of corners but it was Dover's Jim Stevenson who came close to making it 4-2 with a 20-yard shot from a short free-kick which looped off a defender and inches wide of the top corner.

Miller curled a free-kick over the angle after good work from Ricky Modeste but with just four minutes remaining Rovers looked to have snatched a point following a slick break which saw Noble push forward before sliding to sub Christian Doidge who sent Arnold the wrong way inside the box.

It was Miller, however, who stole the show with two minutes left, driving forward and unleashing a fierce drive which flew past Russell and found the top corner.

There was still time for Robert's glancing header to fall inches away from the sliding Racine as Rovers threw everything forward but after six minutes of added-time it was Dover who were left to celebrate a famous win over the big-spending title favourites.

Dover: Arnold, Magri (Sterling 72mins), Thomas, Orlu, Modeste, Stevenson, Miller, Grimes, Moore (Fazakerley 83mins), Parkinson, Lafayette. Subs not used: Kinnear Jr, Jackson, Emmanuel. Attendance: 785.