UNLUCKY Hampton & Richmond Borough dominated Dover last night by had to make do with a share of the spoils after conceding a late equaliser.
Mark Harper's side took the game to their visitors from the off, with a pull back from the excellent Nathan Collier just nicked off Dave Tarpey's toe, Tarpey firing just wide from a superb Reece Jones through-ball, and Dean Inman having a shot scrambled away in the Dover area.
But the Beavers got the breakthrough they deserved on 17 minutes when Jones picked up the ball 40 yards out, left a Dover defender for dead with a neat chip and brilliantly fired the ball into the top corner of the net on the half volley.
Tarpey then hammered home a knock-down from Charlie Moone before the goal was chalked off for offside, but there was nothing wrong with Inman's back post header from Neil Jenkins' corner which doubled Hampton's lead on 29 minutes.
Josh Huggins just failed to connect with a centre from Moone, while Tarpey was inches wide on the turn from a Collier flick, as the hosts looked to extend their lead. But instead it was Dover who pulled one back before the break as Ian Simpemba was left free to head home Barry Cogan's free kick.
Tarpey and Jones were unplayable for Hampton, and after the break, the latter set up the former, but the Dover keeper saved at Tarpey's feet, before the same player saw an effort from the edge of the area saved.
In a rare chance for Dover, Craig Ross saved brilliantly from George Purcell, but Hampton were straight back on the attack, with Tarpey having another effort saved at his feet, seeing another cleared off the line, and firing wide from the edge of the area.
The warning signs were there, however, when Ross was forced into another fine save from James Walker, and with just minutes remaining, Hampton were made to pay for not taking their chances when Ross dropped the ball at the feet of Billy Bricknell, who needed no second invitation.
