Both Dover and Chichester came into this encounter having won 22, drawn 7 and lost 12 in the 2024-25 campaign but with the Kent side on a much superior goal difference. Athletic topped the Isthmian premier division pretty much through October until January before dropping down to fifth place as the wheels seemingly came off on their automatic promotion push.
So, a victory, or even a draw, would be enough for Dover to clinch that last remaining play-off place against sixth spot Chi, the in-form team in the league with eight wins, including five clean sheets, in their previous ten.
Miles Rutherford, Dabba, Danny Potter & Co went with the same starting XI that beat Whitehawk 1-0 on Easter Monday. Kieran Magee lined up in goal behind skipper Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson at left and right back, alongside Curtis Da Costa and Ben Pashley in the centre of the back four. Emmett Dunn partnered Mo Jammeh, Joe Clarke, Isaac Bello and Lloyd Rowlatt in midfield with Lewis Rustell leading the line instead of the injured Jimmy Wild once again.
The visitors beat Chichester 5-2, when they were scoring goals for fun, back in August thanks to a Ruben Soares-Junior hattrick and a brace from George Nikaj.
Here, it began a bit cagey needless to say.
The hosts tested the away team in the opening two minutes, although Mitch Walker back in the Dover goal claimed easily enough a couple of times, and at the Tennis Club end Fuad Sesay skipped past Rowlatt to tee Alfie Matthews up only for Da Costa to intercept the final pass.
A lino spotted Soares-Junior’s foul on Pashley and flagged to let referee Daniel D’Urso know before Pashley was well-up moments later against the same player and cleared convincingly.
Clarke then headed away and Nikaj had a shot on the turn which Dunn eventually chested back to Magee.
Next, Pashley tidied up as the visitors pressed after a move involving Hutchings and Rustell broke down.
Clarke made another header and Pashley shepherded the loose ball out for a Chi goal kick.
Nine minutes in and Magee thumped it out for a Roman Charles-Cook throw before either Soares-Junior or Luke Baptiste got flagged offside.
First Jammeh and then Bello had shots that finally went out for a Dover goal kick and Charlie Bennett replaced Da Costa on 13 as the shoulder he dislocated on Monday flared up again.
Clarke did well to deny a slick move involving Matthews and Baptiste, and then Hutchings played a free-kick to the Chi holding player for a header that went out for a goal kick at the Archery End.
At the mid-point of the half Bennett won a first corner of the match which Hutchings delivered deep to Dunn beyond the far post and the ball was crossed by Bellow for Rustell to break the deadlock with a stunning overhead kick and send the majority of the biggest crowd at Oaklands this campaign into raptures.
A Bello bomb was smuggled away to Rowlatt who after a neat piece of skill lifted an effort over the bar and at the other end Baptiste beat the offside trap but was denied by a Pashley block.
Clarke was given the game’s first yellow card on 34 but Magee claimed the resulting free-kick without any trouble and then Davidson and Jammeh linked up although Walker made it to the loose ball.
Baptiste, a threat all game, did Bennett 10 minutes before the break who did finally hold him off and get it back to his custodian.
Jammeh was nicely up as Joe Tennent and Luca Cocoracchio threatened and a poor Hutchings’ back pass went out for Dover’s first corner.
Baptiste took this and Man of the Match Nikaj ghosted in to head home the leveller at the near stick on 37.
Dunn then hooked away and Bello misplaced a pass before Clarke had to head Charles-Cook’s throw out for a corner.
The two Dover players again tried to combine but it wasn’t to be this time and Chichester picked up a couple of free-kicks as we headed towards half time.
A Davidson mistake was almost capitalised on by Baptiste who won a corner which the No7 took and Rustell cleared, and a chance went begging for Chi when Bello and Rowlatt linked up but the midfielder couldn’t get round his shot.
Jammeh and Hutchings cleared easily enough in time added on before Mr D’Urso brought the first period to a close.
Another Bello long throw was met by Dunn who headed into Walker’s gloves early on in the second half and the Athletic keeper claimed another throw moments later.
Ryan Hanson hit one high and wide at the Archery End and Tennent denied Bellow effectively as Chi applied a bit of pressure.
Hanson was then cautioned for a foul on Bello and Hutchings delivered the subsequent set-piece which Dover successfully cleared before Hutchings probed down the left flank and earned the hosts a free-kick that Walker punched away.
Next, a lovely touch from Clarke set up an opportunity he fired over before Bennett fizzed an inviting cross in but no one was there.
A decent Chichester spell saw Dunn and Hutchings exchange passes for another delivery which was cleared, and Rustell up against Dover captain Jacob Mensah gave away a free-kick.
The away side forced three corners in quick succession although Magee gathered the final one and Dunn hit an effort low and hard as Chi forged another chance only for Athletic to clear.
Bennett won the hosts a throw-in just after the hour mark and Ethan Prichard replaced Rustell on 64.
Next, Nikaj blasted an attempt over the woodwork and nice stuff from Jammeh and Bello earned the Sussex side a throw which was sent in too close to Walker.
Prichard caught Matthews before clever play from Nikaj presented Soares-Junior with a simple tap-in to put Dover 2-1 up with 20 minutes of normal time to go.
Josh Clack replaced Jammeh and another Bello bomb went out for a goal kick after a couple of touches.
Hutchings broke once more down the College Lane wing and was fouled for a Prichard set-piece that Walker punched smartly away before Baptiste and Nikaj linked up to win a dead-ball situation for Baptiste which was struck too deep.
Magee saved brilliantly to deny Soares-Junior’s bicycle-kick and Bello pulled a shot just wide 11 minutes before the end of normal time.
Clarke made way for Olly Munt and Bennett’s header was no trouble for Walker in the Dover goal.
Nice feet by Matthews looking for the influential Nikaj almost set the forward up and an exchange between Hutchings, Clack, Dunn and Bennett ended in a Bello indiscretion.
Then Matthews volleyed but off target; Joe Moore, who’d replaced Rowlatt earlier, had an effort saved by Walker for a corner which came to Bennett for a clear chance although he headed over.
Nikaj also spurned an opportunity at the other end that Magee stopped and his counterpart claimed Pashley’s acrobatic effort as we headed towards time added on.
Prichard had a go but couldn’t beat Walker and a super tackle from Hutchings prevented substitute Francis Mampolo from getting in.
Next, Davidson’s shot was saved by Walker as things swung this way and that before Pashley was adjudged to have impeded Mampolo in the penalty area and Baptiste tucked his spot kick beyond Magee in the 98th minute to make the final score 3-1 and send Dover into the play-offs.
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Clarke, Da Costa, Pashley, Bello, Dunn, Rustell, Rowlatt, Jammeh. (Munt, Bennett, Moore, Prichard, Clack)
