Dover claimed a vital derby win over Bromley to end a three-game winless skid and reignite their play-off charge.

Whites finally broke their Vanarama National League goal drought after almost 400 minutes with Joe Healy's close-range finish on the hour, and Healy's goalline clearance at the other end in the dying stages ensured Dover claimed all three points on a day when the chasing pack also won.

Dover made three changes to the side humbled 5-0 at Boreham Wood on Tuesday night, replacing under-fire keeper Steve Arnold with Mitch Walker while James Hurst came in for Bondz N'Gala, who was unavailable for personal reasons, and Tyrone Sterling took over at left wing-back from Aswad Thomas, who dropped to the bench.

With Ricky Miller serving the second and final game of his suspension, most of Dover's best chances fell to Moses Emmanuel who was clearly desperate to find the net against his former club.

He saw an early range-finder from 20 yards blocked behind while Lee Minshull headed well over from a Louis Dennis free-kick at the other end on 12 minutes.

Ross Lafayette and Sam Magri were denied in a scramble in the box three minutes later, though Ricky Modeste fired the follow-up off-target.

The hosts continued to press and on 18 minutes Emmanuel worked himself a yard in the box before firing in a low shot from an angle which former Dover hero Ross Flitney did well to tip onto the base of the post before the rebound was scrambled away.

Emmanuel lofted over Flitney, but also over the bar, on 23 minutes after Modeste had flicked on a searching Jamie Grimes ball down the right channel and the forward headed well over the bar from Magri's cross from the right soon after.

Flitney's fine punch from an Emmanuel cross led to Bromley's best chance on 27 minutes, with Dennis racing fully 60 yards down the left before cutting back for Toby Sho-SIlva whose eight-yard shot was blocked, with Connor Essam getting down to block Bradley Goldberg's follow-up too.

Essam's head prevented Dennis' curling shot just before the break from troubling returning Mitch Walker, who had to wait 19 minutes for his first touch.

Dover's goalless streak passed 350 minutes as the first half ended but after the restart Essam glanced off-target from a deep Healy cross.

On 50 minutes Flitney instinctively blocked after Lafayette spun and shot in the box, with Emmanuel's follow-up header sailing over the bar, and Modeste came close seconds later when a defensive clearance hit his shin and fizzed inches wide.

Modeste saw strong appeals for a penalty under pressure from Joe Anderson waved away moments later before Dennis pulled a shot a foot past Walker's near post from 20 yards after good work from Goldberg.

Flitney got down well to stop a fierce low 20-yard shot with his weaker right foot from Healy just before the hour but a minute later Healy was celebrating as he was on hand two yards out to get the final touch after Flitney could not gather a low cross from the right from Modeste. The drought was over after 378 minutes.

Goldberg scuffed a shot straight at Walker after getting the better of Richard Orlu moments later but Dover continued to press and Emmanuel superbly curled inches wide of the post with his back to goal and Flitney beaten all ends up.

The Emmanuel show continued as he trapped a high cross from the right but his volley on the spin went over the angle and inside the final 10 minutes he jinked into the box like Ricky Villa, only to air-kick at the vital moment.

Grimes made a vital header to clear a George Porter cross under his own bar while Healy was on hand to head over his own bar on the line when Alan Dunne headed the subsequent corner towards the top corner.

Somehow goalless, Emmanuel with withdrawn by Chris Kinnear as Dover sought to hold onto their lead, with Thomas coming on, but Whites negotiated four added minutes, despite Porter volleying wide from 18 yards.

Lafayette went close to a second with a shot deflected inches wide by Jack Holland but he and Thomas also got booked as the hosts ran down the clock in the corner in a fesity finale, with Thomas collecting a second yellow for dissent after the final whistle.

Dover: Walker, Magri, Essam, Orlu, Modeste (Pinnock 90mins), Grimes, Sterling, Emmanuel (Thomas 87mins), Lafayette, Healy, Hurst. Subs: Kinnear Jr, Fazakerley, Caton.

Bromley: Flitney, Dunne, Holland, Chorley, Anderson, Higgs, Minshull, Dymond (Porter 65mins), Dennis (Turgott 70mins), Sho-Silva, Goldberg (Hall 77mins). Subs: Johnson, Wynter.

Attendance: 988.