Shropshire Star

AFC Telford United 1 Dover Athletic 4

Non-League Day turned into a nightmare for AFC Telford United as they fell to a dire 4-1 home defeat against Dover in a game they had earmarked to win.

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Mike Phenix had even given the hosts the lead at the New Bucks Head, but home heads dropped after Tom Bonner's equaliser before half-time.

Yet the game still hung in the balance until 14 minutes to go, when former Telford man Jake Reid's strike put Dover ahead for the first time.

Substitute Ricky Miller was instrumental after his second-half introduction and netted the third, which settled matters as a competitive affair.

Reid added a fourth in the last minute to further compound Telford's misery, as they remain win-less with seven Conference Premier games gone.

Phenix broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, after he bundled home from close range after a scramble in the penalty area.

The home side then increased the pressure after the goal with debutant Josh O'Keefe coming close with a headed effort, after reacting quickest to a loose ball in the box.

Phenix should have doubled his tally when he was played in by Gray, but he lashed his shot over the crossbar.

But, with 38 minutes on the clock , Dover levelled things up in the most peculiar fashion after Telford goalkeeper Jonathan Hedge flapped at a long-range free-kick from Craig Stone, only for the ball to drop over him and into the net.

Telford began quickly after the restart when Sean Clancy spurned an excellent opportunity as he failed to connect with the ball from a few yards out.

Hedge, who struggled all afternoon, denied Connor Essam's effort on the 50 minute mark before Phenix played through Gray on the break but his effort was saved by Walker.

Dover had a couple of chances shortly after, when substitute Reid snuck the ball under Hedge but his effort was cleared.

And the visitor's second half pressure eventually paid off when good work from Miller on the right-hand side set up Richard Orlu, whose shot was parried by Hedge but Reid was on hand to make it 2-1 in the 76th minute.

Miller could have made it three with a left-footed strike which was pushed away by Hedge, but the substitute eventually got his goal after converting Tyrone Sterling's cross to make it 3-1 after 87 minutes

Reid rounded it off deep into injury time when he fired the ball past Hedges after getting onto the end of a through ball by Solomon Taiwo.