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Dover Athletic 4 Welling United 0 - Vanarama Conference match report

Dover Athletic brushed aside Kent rivals Welling United in the Boxing Day derby in Vanarama Conference at Crabble on Friday.

Whites rose to 13th in the table and are now 11 games unbeaten in all competitions after humbling a Wings side who rarely threatened to prevent Dover keeping an eighth clean sheet in nine home games infront of a crowd of 1,509.

Stefan Payne put the hosts ahead with his 11th goal of the season 20 minutes in, keeping his cool to slot under keeper Benji Buchel after a through-ball split some static Wings defence which won't have gone down well with new manager Jody Brown in his first game in charge of United.

The game was all-but up when Tom Murphy curled a superb second from the corner of the penalty area into the top corner eight minutes before the break after the Welling defence backed-off, allowing him time to pick his spot for a spectacular strike.

The third arrived two minutes after the break as Murphy glanced in a cross from Payne who had turned a defender inside out before firing into the middle.

Defender Sean Raggett saw a header from an acute angle cleared off the line while with the confidence flowing, Payne saw an ambitious effort from long range easily saved by Buchel on the hour.

Sub James Poole went close to a fourth, turning a cross from Murphy against the post after replacing Nick Deverdics.

Murphy’s hopes of a hat-trick were ended as he was withdrawn with six minutes to go but there was still time for Whites to add a fourth.

Poole burst through and was brought down by last-man Buchel in stoppage-time, earning the keeper a red card, and picked himself up to fire the resulting spot-kick past Wings defender Chris Bush who had taken over the gloves as the visitors had used all three subs.

Welling lie 18th after a first defeat in four, though remain nine points clear of Dartford in the final relegation spot.

Tom Murphy. Picture: Ady Kerry.
Tom Murphy. Picture: Ady Kerry.
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