Captain Fantastic! De Havilland brace seals Maidenhead United win at Dover

Will de Havilland celebrates his winning goal. Photo: MUFC

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Dover Athletic 1, Maidenhead United 2

Maidenhead United secured their second straight win in the National League South with a 2-1 victory at Dover Athletic on Saturday, captain Will de Havilland netting both goals at the Crabble Athletic Ground.

United took the lead after only 10 minutes on the south coast, De Havilland reacting quickest to fire home after Dover failed to adequately clear their lines from a corner kick.

That’s the way the score remained until three minutes after the interval when Dover’s George Nikaj got clear of the Magpies’ defence and curled a shot beyond Jordi Van Stappershoef from a narrow angle.

United had the better of the play and the chances, however, with Josh Umerah’s deflected free kick having struck the crossbar in the first half. And they restored their lead in the 72nd minute when Remy Clerima floated a cross to centre back partner De Havilland who headed the ball past a despairing Mitchell Walker.

Dover failed to really stretch the Magpies backline in the closing stages, but there was one moment of danger, when a lofted free kick in the 78th minute was headed back across the six-yard area but no one in black and white was able to get a telling touch.

For the Magpies, there was a late debut for new signing Kai Yearn, who’s joined the club on a short-term loan from Coventry City, while the visitors might have made the final score look a little more convincing had Liam Dulson not stung the palms of Walker with an injury-time strike.

The result lifts Maidenhead to 14th in the table, level on eight points with a clutch of teams above them. Dover remain above them in 11th place on nine points.