Hampton & Richmond Borough 1 Dover Athletic 4

A hat-trick from centre half Ollie Schulz strengthened Whites’ position in the Blue Square South play-off places after this emphatic win on Tuesday night.

The win lifted Dover to third in the table on 65 points, six clear of sixth placed Welling United, where Whites travel on Easter Monday. It was Dover’s fifth win on the trot and their fourth successive away victory.

Heavy rain had saturated the Hampton pitch, which was not declared playable until 90 minutes before kick-off. But Whites adapted to the soggy conditions much better than their hosts, languishing 17th in the table, and played impressive passing football, with Nicky Southall, Jon Wallis, Joseph Tabiri, Adam Birchall and the tireless Shaun Welford outstanding.

They took the lead on 19 minutes. Hampton’s defenders failed to clear a long Welford throw-in and the ball was picked up by Wallis, who moved forward, cut inside and fired home from just inside the penalty area.

It was 2-0 on the stroke of half-time. Dover had just had a scare, with Hampton forward Ian Hodges missing from close range, but they counter attacked and forced a corner. Southall took it and Schulz headed home.

After the break Whites continued to play their neat passing football but, against the run of play, Hampton pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute. Substitute Louis-Rae Beadle picked up the ball on the left and cut in to smash a fine shot past Whites’ keeper Ross Flitney from outside the penalty area.

Nine minutes later Whites made the game safe, with a carbon copy of their second goal, when another Southall corner was met by another bullet header from Schulz.

The defender completed his hat-trick a minute from time. Southall took yet another corner and the ball was met by substitute Craig Cloke, who had come on for Sammy Moore. Cloke’s looping header almost went over the line but Schulz was there to stab the ball home from two yards.

Schulz received the match ball and the Whites’ supporters - who had comprised at least a third of the crowd of 380 - went home very happy.

Dover: Flitney, Fish, Rogers, Leach, Schulz, Tabiri, Southall, Moore (sub Cloke 85 mins), Welford, Birchall, Wallis (sub Marsh 78 mins).