Dover Athletic 1 Heybridge Swifts 2

DOVER Athletic were looking to build on an unbeaten run of three league games but it was not to be.

Whites should have gone in front as early as the fifth minute. While credit should go to Swifts' keeper, Darren Smith for the save, recalled striker Chris Wright will surely be disappointed not have buried an early opportunity after Craig Wilkins had nodded the ball into his path.

Wright didn't have to wait too long for a goal, however, as Athletic took the lead after 20 minutes. As Craig Cloke volleyed a good ball down the middle, Wright, whilst looking second favourite, got to the ball first, shrugged off marker Oliver Blackwell, and drilled his shot hard and low into the bottom right hand corner.

Athletic's lead was to last less than five minutes, however, as, not for the first time this season, they were caught napping by a quickly taken free kick.

And as Adam Gillespie got in behind Whites' left flank and knocked the ball in, the vastly experienced Carl Griffiths was first to react, turning the ball in at the near post.

Although Whites were unfortunate not to regain the lead when Tom Hickman's close range drive came back off the crossbar, the game turned following an unseemly fracas just before the interval.

In the first instance, Swifts' full back Daniel Barber threw himself into a reckless challenge on Craig Cloke that rightly earned the offender a red card. Dover's Dean Readings was also dismissed after a genewral punch-up that followed.

To make matters worse, Matt Carruthers was unable to continue after being stamped on by an opponent.

The second half simply started poorly and deteriorated from that point. And although Cloke almost put Whites back in front when his long range free kick was tipped over by Smith, Whites' fourth home defeat of the season was confirmed when Swifts grabbed the winner with half an hour remaining.

The goal came via an assist that was just a nothing ball tossed up in the general direction of Whites penalty area. James Rowe made the most of half a chance, however, to get ahead of the marking to score with a lob that caught keeper Pat Mullin simply too far of his line.

Dover did get back into the game in a fashion, yet failed to gather any momentum as referee Mr Knight frustratingly ensured that the action was always going to be of the stop-start persuasion. Hapless though he unquestionably was, the match official could not be blamed for Athletic's passing that could most charitably be described as ragged. And although Smith prevented an equaliser with a very good save from Wilkins, nothing else Whites could muster was on target.

Indeed, only local youngster Sam Vallance's first team debut in central defence gave Whites fans a little cheer as the final whistle confirmed a defeat that was totally avoidable.

Dover: Mullin, Hamshare, Humphrey, Vallance, Readings, Cloke, Hickman, Carruthers (Skelton-43), Wilkins, Wright (Welford-60), Rogers. Subs not used: Smissen, Spiller, Scott.

Attendance: 511.