Dover’s winless run extended to 10 matches with a narrow National League South defeat to Chelmsford on Tuesday night.

Taylor Clark got the only goal in the second period as it finished 1-0 at Crabble.

It means the Clarets are now level on points with 13th-placed Dover - who haven’t won since a 2-1 triumph against Farnborough on September 6 - but Chelmsford have three fixtures in hand on them.

The visitors nearly gifted Dover a perfect start inside 30 seconds but Alfie Matthews shot over after Clarets keeper Chris Haigh was almost sold short by an attempted back-pass.

Both managers were forced to make a substitution in the first five minutes. In-form striker Decarrey Sheriff hobbled off for the hosts as Chelmsford defender Joe Grimwood also was unable to continue.

Eight minutes later, referee Tommy Breen dismissed optimistic Dover penalty appeals when midfielder Bivesh Gurung went down, attempting to reach a left-wing Matthews delivery in a largely physical and hard-fought half.

Forward Luke Baptiste cut in off the left flank nicely midway through the first period before he saw his drive hit the side-netting for the hosts.

While the Essex outfit were eager to get the ball quickly forward to experienced striker Lyle Taylor, formerly of Charlton, they struggled to seriously threaten Whites goalkeeper and captain Mitch Walker in the first 30 minutes.

But Chelmsford did first seriously threaten when Walker denied Clark and the influential Taylor with consecutive opportunities inside a matter of seconds with 35 minutes played.

Away substitute Shiloh Remy ballooned an effort wide in four minutes of first-half stoppage time before defender Ben Tompkins could perhaps consider himself slightly fortunate to have only been cautioned for a last-man foul on George Nikaj.

Matthews fired the resultant set-piece straight at former Ebbsfleet goalkeeper Haigh.

Six minutes after the break, the Clarets really should have scored.

Big defender Jalen Jones lost possession from a Walker roll-out from the back but the England C international made two excellent saves to thwart Remy and 34-year-old Taylor.

Dover didn’t learn their lesson, however, and conceded as they failed to play out from the back again in the 57th minute.

Young midfielder Clark was at the near post to convert from a Taylor right-wing delivery.

It almost got better for Chelmsford midway through the half, only for Walker and right-back Roman Charles-Cook to combine to just about stab Taylor’s free-kick away. With visiting tails up, captain Dominic Odusanya headed over the resultant Taylor corner.

Walker again had to be alert on 70 minutes to make another save from Taylor after Matthews’ mistake in midfield.

Three minutes later at the other end, Clark made an important block on Gurung’s goal-bound shot from a lay-off by Dover substitute Francis Mampolo.

Substitute Kenny Coker blazed over Mampolo’s through ball with an 85th-minute effort as the hosts continued to push for an equaliser.

There were five minutes of stoppage time, albeit the best opportunity Whites could muster in that spell saw Mampolo fire a free-kick well over.

Home manager Jake Leberl had made one switch from last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Worthing, which saw midfielder Matthews come in for winger Mampolo.

There was a new face on Whites’ substitutes bench as teenage former Crystal Palace defender Finley Marjoram joined after a short spell at his local club, Folkestone, and featured in the latter stages. On-loan Dover midfielder Siju Odelusi missed out because of an injury.

Whites will be at Horsham on Tuesday after a fixture-free weekend.

Dover Athletic: Walker, Charles-Cook (Majoram 77mins), Jones, Cocoracchio, Baptiste (Mampolo 65mins), Matthews (Wilkinson 74mins), Nikaj, Sheriff (Coker 5mins), Sodje, Gurung, Mensah (Beadle 74mins). Subs not used: Gillmore, Sesay.

Chelmsford City: Haigh, Ronan, Barbrook, Grimwood (Remy 5mins, Castiglione 82mins), Longe-King, Odusanya, Clark, Tompkins, Tamplin (Adigun 65mins), Taylor (Corbett 77mins), McDonagh-Kudiabor. Subs not used: Eastwood, Holmes.

Referee: Tommy Breen.

Attendance: 774.