Dover climbed out of the National League bottom four after coming from a goal down to beat fellow strugglers Maidstone.

Jake Robinson’s early strike gave United a deserved half-time lead.

But Dover stormed back in the second half with Mitch Brundle, Bedsente Gomis and Inih Effiong turning the match on its head.

The visitors then had Rob Swaine sent off for a challenge on ex-Maidstone captain Stuart Lewis and they’re now five points from safety after another defeat.

The Whites starting line-up featured four Stones old boys in Lewis, Jai Reason, Kevin Lokko and Bobby-Joe Taylor, while Aryan Tajbakhsh was named in the visitors’ XI against his former club.

Maidstone kept it nice and simple, going 4-4-2, keeping the football to a minimum, and working hard to frustrate a Whites side who moved the ball from side to side but didn’t get in behind the defence enough in the first half.

The Stones’ game plan was given the perfect boost with their early goal and it was hard on Lewis, a big favourite in his time at the Gallagher.

It should have been a routine header back to Mitch Walker but Lewis didn’t put enough on it and Robinson got there first and fired the Stones ahead in the eighth minute.

Robinson took a whack for his troubles and had to go off soon after, replaced by Elliott Romain.

Maidstone can be a difficult team to play against when they get in front - no coincidence that all three of their wins under Harry Wheeler had come with clean sheets - and Dover did struggle to break them down in the first half.

Taylor rained a series of crosses into the box late in the half and had a free-kick saved by Ross Worner, while Anthony Jeffrey fired wide but that was about it.

Dover were almost made to regret Jeffrey’s miss when Romain nicked the ball off Lokko seconds later but he went for goal and missed the target with Sean Shields well placed for a pass.

Dover made a double change at the break, Scott Doe and Alfie Pavey on for Ricky Modeste and Jeffrey, and the second half was a different story.

Pavey - a former Stones academy player - had a good chance when played in by Reason but Worner dived bravely at his feet.

Shields was thwarted by Walker at the other end before Dover levelled in the 59th minute, Brundle - pushed into midfield - nodding home Taylor’s inswinging corner.

Whites pushed on after the goal with Worner making a fine double save from Reason and Pavey.

The Stones keeper saved his side again just after, making another good stop from Pavey by the post.

A second Dover goal looked a matter of time and it arrived in the 76th minute when Reason’s cross to the far post was headed home by Gomis.

Whites had their third four minutes later with a long ball leaving the hosts two on one.

Effiong elected to go it alone and finished smartly.

Maidstone were all over the place and found themselves a man down in the 84th minute when Swaine saw red for wiping out Lewis by the corner flag.

Dover: Walker, Passley, Brundle, Lokko, Taylor, Lewis, Gomis, Reason, Modeste (Doe 46mins), Effiong (Allen 85mins), Jeffrey (Pavey 46mins). Subs not used: Nortey, Worgan.

Maidstone: Worner, Phillips, Swaine, Wassmer, McLennan, Wishart (Powell 62mins), Tajbakhsh (Paxman 78mins), Walton, Shields, Robinson (Romain 16mins), Cassidy. Subs not used: Muldoon, De Havilland.

Attendance: 1,937 (300 away).