Dover midfielder Nick Deverdics had his hair cut short the day before last week’s FA fourth qualifying round replay against Eastbourne Borough at Crabble.

It appears the decision to visit the barber paid off. Well, according to his teammates that is.

Deverdics scored the only goal, a first-half header to earn his side a home first round tie against League 2 side Morecambe on Saturday.

It was Deverdics’ first competitive goal since he joined Whites on a one-year deal in the summer – and apparently it’s all down to his sharp new haircut.

The former Newcastle United trainee, 26, said he’d copped plenty of banter from his team-mates over his match-winning goal.

He said: “The lads haven’t stopped giving it to me. They reckon I only scored because I’d had it cut and it made me aerodynamic. They may have a point, though.

“You see, I haven’t scored many goals with my head and even my dad didn’t believe it when I told him.

“Dad still plays and loves telling me he’s scored more headers than I ever will.

“I will have to try and change that before I hang up the boots! I guess that means I’ll have to keep the hair short.”

Read the full story in the Mercury