The New Year bragging rights and three points headed back to the Crabble as Dover completed an emphatic 4-1 victory at the Gallagher Stadium over Maidstone United. 
The result doesn’t reflect fully Maidstone’s part in a thrilling game, but the clinical nature of the
Dover front three was crucial in the visitor’s victory, which lifts Dover up to fourth place in the Vanarama National table, and leaves
Maidstone looking over their shoulder as the teams in the relegation zone close the gap.
Moses Emmanuel opened the scoring on 29, then added a second on 55, both times benefitting from good play by fellow forwards Ricky Miller and Ross Lafayette respectively. Vas Karagiannis gave Maidstone some hope with what turned out to be a consolation on 61, but Lafayette’s thumping finish on 74 was added to in stoppage time by Miller’s 24th of the season
Both teams came into the game on a run of one win in their last four league games but were looking to press forward at every opportunity.
Maidstone were looking to exploit space in behind the Dover wing-backs, and Jamar Loza released a through-ball that allowed Alex Flisher to chase into the Dover area. Flisher’s pull-back into the path of Jack Paxman was well met by the Stones’ midfielder, but blocked by a
combination of Tyrone Sterling and Jamie Grimes.
Dover’s front three are always a threat with their pace, and Moses Emmanuel drove down the left wing into the corner before laying a ball
into the run of Aswad Thomas to cross. Jamie Coyle glanced a header away from the approaching Ross Lafayette and Ricky Miller, but the
clearance fell to Sam Magri who blasted his first time shot over from 25 yards.
Maidstone were certainly looking lively in the opening exchanges and Yemi Odubade was allowed to pick up the ball in the Dover half and push forward to the right side of the area. Odubade sent a pass into the path of Vas Karagiannis, whose curling shot was pushed away well by
Steve Arnold for a corner. Dover struggled to clear the initial corner from Karagiannis, with the ball eventually breaking to Flisher, whose
whipped cross was inches away from connecting with Kevin Lokko’s run.
Tom Mills played a ball forward from left-back into the run of Paxman. The Maidstone midfielder held off one challenge and played a one-two with Odubade before slipping a short pass back to the forward. Odubade’s shot was blocked well by Arnold, who was quickly off his line
to narrow the angle.
Dover looked to respond as Sammy Moore played a pass into Miller on the right side of the area. Miller held the ball up well looking for
support, which came from Magri ghosting in behind Flisher, but Maltese-international Magri could only sweep his shot across the face of
goal.
An end-to-end game continued with Coyle playing a hopeful ball forward to the right side of the area, where Thomas tried to head clear. The
ball dropped to Karagiannis, whose powerful left foot shot was well held by Arnold above his left shoulder.
As on Boxing Day, Dover took the lead, this time just shy of the half-hour. A ball into the area by Miller was perfect for Emmanuel to
swivel and fire a shot that Lee Worgan did well to push out low to his right. But the rebound was close enough to Emmanuel to pick his spot
and place his second shot high into the top left corner.
Maidstone responded well to going behind with Callum Driver getting a cross in from the right corner. Sterling’s sliced clearance ran to
Loza, who shot through a crowd of players, with Arnold gathering the skimming ball well low to his left.
Once again, Emmanuel showed determination to latch on to a hopeful punt forward from Richard Orlu that dropped into the left corner. The winger took on Driver and drove into the area, but his shot was lashed wildly out of the ground with teammates in good supporting positions.
Dover almost extended their lead two minutes into the second half as Orlu powered through Paxman’s challenge in midfield. The central
defender slipped a pass through the Maidstone defence for Emmanuel, who had to take a touch before unleashing a shot that Worgan did well to parry initially, before claiming the rebound.
Maidstone also started brightly, moving the ball quickly in the Dover half, with Loza and Odubade combining to create a shooting chance for Karagiannis’ left foot, but the shot was sliced horribly wide. Loza also had an opportunity to run at Orlu, taking the ball deep into the
area, but his shot from an acute angle only found the side netting.
Just as it looked as though Maidstone were working their way back into the game, Dover scored their second ten minutes into the second half. There seemed to be little danger as Lafayette played a ball into the Maidstone box from the right corner of the area, with four Maidstone defenders present, but Emmanuel had pulled wide of Driver to run in unchallenged and thunder a left-foot shot into the roof of the net.
It was almost three as a hopeful lofted ball back into the Stones’ area by Magri was met by a towering header by Lafayette. Coyle threw himself across the line of the ball and Worgan did well to reach behind his dive to rescue the ball.
This appeared to reinvigorate the home side, and Loza’s run into the right side of the area allowed the forward to find a cross to the back
post. Flisher had time to bring the ball down and fired low shot past Arnold, but Grimes had recovered onto the line to clear.
On 62 though, Maidstone did find a way back into the game. Driver picked up the ball inside the Dover half and was allowed to stroll
forward. Driver slipped a pass into the path of Odubade who drilled a low cross into the 6-yard box, where Karagiannis was sliding in to
convert his first goal since his return from a loan spell at Dulwich Hamlet.
Dover almost caught out a rejuvenated home side, with the Stones appealing for a foul on Loza on halfway, but the visitors were allowed
to break. Emmanuel pushed into the Maidstone area before rolling a pass to the prolific Miller, whose left foot shot was pushed away by the
diving Worgan.
Back to the Town End and the referee, Mr Hatzidakis, waved away vehement appeals from Maidstone players and supporters. Driver refused to give up on a ball into the right corner, and slid to hook a low cross into the near post. Arnold advanced from his goal and appeared to clip Odubade as the forward nipped in to win the ball.
Dover made the first change of the game, with Jim Stevenson replacing former Maidstone midfielder Jack Parkinson, and within seconds, the visitors had extended their lead back to two. Once again, the strength of Orlu won the ball for Dover and slipped a ball through a vacant
defence for Lafayette to thump a shot across Worgan into the right side of the goal.
Dover continued to push forward and had three quick chances. Lafayette had another shot parried by Worgan, with the ball dropping to Moore. His shot deflected off Lokko back to Lafayette, whose second effort was blocked by Coyle.
Try as they might, Maidstone couldn’t really fashion a clear chance. Loza and Joseph N’Guessan created a shooting chance for Karagiannis,
with Thomas throwing himself across the shot to deflect it wide. Mills tried a long-range shot that eventually fell to Flisher, whose left-foot
volley didn’t threaten the goal. Flisher did better with a cross from the left that N’Guessan connect with, but Magri was on hand to take the
sting out of the shot.
Dover though applied the sting in the tail of an entertaining game, as Miller added his name to the scoresheet in stoppage time. With
Maidstone short of numbers at the back, Lafayette played in Miller, who kept the chasing Lokko at bay, and showed the composure that has brought him 19 goals in his last 14 games to round off the scoring.
MAIDSTONE UNITED: 1- Lee Worgan; 2- Callum Driver (16- Bobby-Joe Taylor 86), 4- Jamie Coyle, 5- Kevin Lokko, 3- Tom Mills; 7- Vas Karagiannis, 6- James Rogers (17- Ben Greenhalgh 81), 10- Jack Paxman, 11- Alex Flisher; 25- Jamar Loza, 23- Yemi Odubade (20- Joseph N’Guessan 77).
Subs not used: 12- Jack Evans, 15- Anthony Acheampong.
Goal: Vas Karagiannis 61
Cautions: Alex Flisher 36, Jamar Loza 63, Kevin Lokko 78
DOVER ATHLETIC: 18- Steve Arnold; 2- Sam Magri, 15- Jamie Grimes, 6- Richard Orlu, 16- Tyrone Sterling, 3- Aswad Thomas; 23- Jack Parkinson (8- Jim Stevenson 72), 21- Sammy Moore; 9- Ricky Miller (4- Chris Kinnear jr 90+3), 25- Ross Lafayette, 17- Moses Emmanuel (11- Mitch Pinnock 85).
Subs not used: 7- Ricky Modeste, 10- Tyrone Marsh.
Goals: Moses Emmanuel 29 & 55, Ross Lafayette 74, Ricky Miller 90+1
Caution: Sammy Moore 89
Attendance: 2,257 (208 away)
Referee: Mr Constantine Hatzidakis
Assistants: Mr Oliver Jackson and Mr Samuel Ogles
Fourth Official: Mr Carl Brook