Worcester City 5 Dover Athletic 1

ADAM WEBSTER snatched a hat-trick for Worcester as they inflicted a heavy blow to Dover’s hopes of qualifying for the new Conference South next season.

Dover were the better side for most of the first half, with the defence looking tight.

Craig Wilkins hit the home crossbar with a header after 15 minutes, and Dover missed other chances before they went ahead on 36 minutes. Top-scorer Wilkins again headed against the bar, but this time left-back Darren Davies was on hand to tuck the rebound away from six yards.

At this stage it was looking good for Dover, but a few minutes before the break City were gifted a goal when Danny Chapman headed back past Paul Hyde, and former Dover man Leon Kelly scrambled the ball home after it had come back off a post.

Worcester then had a purple patch at the start of the second half and Webster put them ahead with a close range header after Hyde had parried a corner.

Four minutes later, the usually reliable Tony Browne gave the ball away in his own penalty area and John Snape blasted home the opportunity.

Dover’s defence was again found wanting nine minutes later when Webster lobbed home from a narrow angle, and soon after he completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot, following a foul on Kelly by Chapman.

Dover then came back into the game and home defender Paul Carty gave away a penalty for handball, but Danny McDonnell saved Jamie Day’s well-struck kick at the foot of a post.

All in all it was another very disappointing away for Whites fans. Dover more than held their own for half of the game, but were found wanting at the back when Worcester eventually put their game together.

Dover Athletic: Hyde, Browne, Davies (Millar 73), Bone, Arnott, Chapman, Day, Spiller, Wilkins (Skelton 85), Cloke, Carruthers (Awuah 73).

Attendance: 1,001,