Bates rescues Dover from his own saved penalty ahead of cup rematch

Monday 12 October 2026 · By Neville Capel

Jack Bates turned disappointment into relief for Dover Athletic on Saturday. With the clock past 90 minutes and Dover trailing Dorking Wanderers 1–0, Bates saw his penalty saved, but he reacted first to the rebound and fired home to earn a 1–1 draw at Crabble.

Dorking had taken the lead through Alfie Rutherford on 58 minutes, and for a long time it looked as though that would be enough. Jake Leberl tried to change the game with a triple substitution on 64 minutes, bringing on Andrews, Jones and Hassan, and Dover kept pushing until the end. Their persistence was rewarded in stoppage time, in front of a crowd of 985.

The draw means Dover are unbeaten in six games in all competitions. They are seventh in the Enterprise National League South on 18 points from 11 games, level with sixth-placed Weston-super-Mare and four points behind leaders Maidstone United. They have won five, drawn three and lost three, and have scored 18 goals and conceded 17. Their last five league results read lost, won, won, won, drawn.

Dover and Dorking will not have to wait long to renew their rivalry. The two sides meet again at Crabble on Saturday 17 October, this time in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round, kick-off 3pm. It is a rare situation, with the same two teams meeting at the same ground just seven days apart, and both managers will have learned plenty from Saturday’s game.

There is a lot at stake. The winners will go into the first round proper, with the chance of a tie against a Football League club and the prize money that comes with it. Winners in the fourth qualifying round receive £9,375, and losers £3,125, so the tie matters off the pitch as well as on it.

Dover will draw confidence from the way they finished Saturday’s match. Dorking are among the hardest teams in the division to beat, having drawn four of their last five league games, and Leberl’s side showed they can keep going until the very end. Bates, in particular, will be keen to make amends for his saved penalty.

Because of the cup tie, Dover’s scheduled league game at Walton & Hersham on 17 October has been postponed.

After the cup tie, Dover travel to second-placed Salisbury on Saturday 24 October, in what will be a test of their promotion credentials. They then host Chelmsford City on Tuesday 27 October and Farnham Town on Saturday 31 October.

Leberl’s substitutes changed the game, and the pressure Dover applied in the closing stages eventually told. That will give them confidence going into the rematch.

Saturday’s late equaliser kept Dover’s unbeaten run alive and gave them a lift ahead of the cup tie. With home advantage again and the knowledge that they can come from behind against this opponent, Leberl’s side will go into the rematch believing they can reach the first round proper.