Crawley town 1 Dover Athletic 0 (aet)

A GOAL in extra-time from Crawley substitute Mo Harkin sent Whites spinning out of the Dr Martens League Cup on Tuesday night at the quarter-final stage.

The only change in the Dover line-up that had lost at Nuneaton saw James Rogers come in for the injured Craig Cloke. Paul Hyde came off the bench during the game after goalie Dave Wietecha went off injured.

Both defences were on top for most of the first half, with the Sussex side looking particularly strong and well-organised at the back.

Then, 12 minutes into the second half, Crawley squandered the chance to go ahead from the penalty spot. Former Dover striker Joff Vansittart fell as he challenged for a loose ball with Hyde, and referee Mr Bushell surprisingly awarded a penalty even though it looked as though that Hyde had dived on the ball and Vansittart fell over him.

But Daniel Marney’s spot kick was far too tame and Hyde dropped to his right to save.

Neither side came really close to breaking the deadlock after that incident and the match then went to extra time.

The only goal, after 101 minutes, came when Dover lost possession in their own half. Marney ran through and slipped the ball past Hyde for Harkin to run in and tap the ball home from close range.

Dover tried to save the game, but despite forcing a series of corners, failed to really test Little in the Crawley goal.

Mr Bushell booked Dover’s Jones Awuah and Laurence Ball for tackles, but he chose to ignore almost all the many infringements committed by the home side.

Dover Athletic: Wietecha (Hyde), Browne, Rogers, Bone, Ball, Chapman, Day, Spiller, Wilkins (Carruthers), Awuah, Millar (Skelton).

Attendance: 351.