Second half substitute Ricky Modeste wasn’t able to celebrate scoring the winning goal with a trademark dance in Dover’s 1-0 FA Trophy, second round victory at Vanarama Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday.

Not that the winger, who was only making his second appearance since damaging ankle ligaments in the Vanarama Conference clash against Eastleigh at Crabble on August 23, didn’t want to.

Modeste said: “I was so happy to be back playing, let alone scoring a goal. I could have danced all the way home.

“But the pitch was shocking. There was so much sand on it – it was like quicksand.

“It was hard enough to stay on your feet, let alone do a little dance, no matter how much I wanted to.

“After being out for so long, there was no way I was going to do it (dance) in case I went over on my ankle, so I just jumped on Jake (Reid). He had set me up to score, so that was the least I could do.”

And Modeste paid plenty of credit to fellow substitute Reid for the 86th-minute winner which booked manager Chris Kinnear’s side a place in the last 16.

Modeste, whose first appearance since his long layoff was as an 82nd-minute substitute in the FA Cup clash against Crystal Palace, said: “Jake did all the hard work in creating the chance.

“He’s the one who hustled the defender into making a mistake and then crossed for me to tap in from six yards but hey, it (the finish) wasn’t easy – nothing was on that pitch.”

Modeste’s late winner earned Whites a trip to Woking on January 24 – the Surrey side beat Oxford City 2-1 in a replay on Tuesday – and he said the squad are confident.

He said: “There is so much belief in this team – we don’t care who we play.

“We showed plenty of character to bounce back after the loss to Palace and not many sides can do that after such a huge downer like that.”