By Cameron Hogwood

Goalkeeper Lee Worgan saved a penalty as Dover beat Braintree 3-0 to win at home for the first time since Boxing Day.

Alfie Pavey opened the scoring after 18 minutes after the National League's bottom club went down to 10 men following a red card to Ricky Gabriel.

Worgan then capped his third appearance of the season by denying Korrey Henry from the spot, before Braintree were punished by second half goals from Jai Reason and Mitch Brundle.

Manager Andy Hessenthaler named three changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Maidenhead, with goalkeeper Mitch Walker being replaced by Worgan after starting 91 consecutive league matches for Dover.

Striker Inih Effiong was dropped to the bench having not scored in the last nine league games, whilst there was also no place in the Dover lineup for Millwall loanee Danny McNamara.

A reshuffle meant starts for Pavey and the returning Reason, who missed last weekend's game to witness the birth of his son Kiyan.

The first real chance of the game fell to the visitors as the lively Callum Morton found himself through on goal before firing his shot directly at Worgan.

Early drama unfolded on the five minute mark when Braintree's Gabriel was shown a red card by referee Josh Smith following a coming together off the ball with Pavey.

Dover proceeded to threaten with balls into the penalty area but struggled to penetrate Braintree's depleted back line with the ball on the ground.

The disruptions continued on 16 minutes when a clash of heads between Ricky Modeste and Oscar Borg forced a brief stoppage in order for both to receive treatment.

Hessenthaler's men made the breakthrough two minutes later courtesy of Pavey after he pounced on a loose ball to score from close range amid Braintree's failure to clear a corner.

Despite their one man advantage, Dover were unable to assert themselves as the dominant side as Morton continued to trouble with his pace and trickery.

Bobby-Joe Taylor skied a right-footed effort after doing well to cut inside on the left, before Kevin Lokko saw his towering header from a corner ruled out after a push on his marker.

Morton had a great opportunity to level things up on 30 minutes but couldn't connect with his attempted-scissor kick after latching onto a lobbed pass behind Lokko.

Free-kicks were the trend late on in first half, with Dover's spells of possession failing to amount to much in the final third.

Dover looked bright after the interval and went close through a curling effort from Pavey on the edge of the box and a Lokko header that went just wide of the post.

Worgan then played hero between the sticks to keep out a Henry penalty that had been awarded for a hand ball by Scott Doe.

It was 2-0 three minutes later when Reason connected with Brundle's long ball to head over the on-rushing goalkeeper Ben Killip and into an empty net.

A moment of quality made it three on 73 minutes when Modeste capped his bursting run on the right wing with a perfectly-weighted cross to Brundle, who made no mistake with his header.

Dover were in the ascendency late on and posed a threat on the counterattack thanks to second half substitutes Effiong and Anthony Jeffrey.

The result means Dover are now four points ahead of Havant & Waterlooville following their 2-1 defeat to Leyton Orient.

Dover XI: Worgan, Lokko, Brundle, Allen (Jeffrey 75'), Pavey (Effiong 72'), Modeste (Nortei 81'), Gomis, Doe, Lewis, Taylor, Reason.

Attendance: 1.053.