FIVE-STAR HATTERS SO SPECIAL FOR BOSS DAVE
STOCKPORT COUNTY’S interim manager Dave Conlon hailed a special day for him and the club after guiding the Hatters to a thumping win.
Conlon was handed the reins after Simon Rusk’s dismissal on Wednesday and, despite the hosts battling back to make it 2-2 with under 30 minutes to play, County ran riot in the closing stages at Crabble to move up to ninth, four points below the play-offs.
Conlon admitted: “It’s been a whirlwind. We had to try and focus and prepare ourselves for today but it’s been a tough couple of days.
“Dover have had some good results – there’s no easy game in this league. You can’t just turn up and expect to win.
“It was tough and competitive but we showed our quality and kept going and pushing for more goals, which was nice to see. We said we wanted to keep going and go for the jugular and in the end the fitness and the quality showed.”
Scott Quigley broke the deadlock at Crabble on 23 minutes when he cut inside and fired in a shot which deflected agonisingly past the diving Adam Parkes.
Dover levelled just after the half-hour when Ryan Hanson was fouled in the box by Ethan Pye, allowing Ben Williamson the chance to slot his first Whites goal home from the spot.
Danny Collinge saw a goalbound header blocked on the line as the hosts pushed for a second but three minutes before the break Paddy Madden swept home at the far post to restore County’s lead after Dover failed to clear a corner.
A thunderous 25-yard strike by Antoni Sarcevic came back off the underside of the bar in added time but it took just five minutes for Dover to draw level after the turnaround as the lively Kobi Arthur lashed a technically superb volley into the corner past the stunned Ethan Ross.
John Rooney beat the scrambling Parkes but thudded the crossbar with an audacious 50-yard lob soon after but, after Travis Gregory was denied by Ross, Dover hearts were broken as their defence parted allowing Crankshaw to slot in the loose ball after a Parkes parry on 67 minutes.
The wind left Dover’s sails with more than 20 minutes remaining and Liam Hogan rose to nod home a far-post header to make it 4-2 and sub Ben Whitfield tapped-in a stoppage-time fifth after unselfish play from Quigley.
The defeat left basement-boys Dover 17 points from safety with a game in hand and 32 fixtures remaining.
Glum boss Andy Hessenthaler said: “It’s the same old story. We had a great chance at 2-2 when we needed the rub of the green, we didn’t get it and a few minutes later they go and get their third.
“I think the scoreline is harsh on the boys, we had a good go.”