Dover Athletic 4 Hemel Hempstead Town 0 match report: Goals from Jake Goodman, Jordan Higgs, Noah Carney and Luke Baptiste earn Whites National League South win

Dover responded after back-to-back defeats as they comfortably beat Hemel Hempstead Town on Saturday in National League South.

Goals from centre-back Jake Goodman and midfielder Jordan Higgs put them 2-0 in front at half-time, with Alfie Pavey also failing to convert a penalty in the first period.

Hemel looked to hit back after the restart but late efforts from substitute Noah Carney and the impressive Luke Baptiste sealed their victory.

Whites had the first opportunity with four minutes played at Crabble, Pavey latched on to a Goodman header forward from the back but he sent the ball well over.

There was another half-chance for the hosts on 13 minutes when a clever flick by winger Luke Wanadio found skipper Lee Martin who was thwarted by Hemel goalkeeper Craig King, formerly of Dartford.

Soon after at the other end, on-loan Dover keeper Ryan Sandford had to be alive to get down low to deny Michael Dada on his way to a clean sheet.

But Andy Hessenthaler’s team drew first blood in the 16th minute. Myles Judd stood up a cross from the right and Pavey headed down to Goodman. With his back to goal, the big defender produced an overhead kick from around six yards out to find the net.

The impressive Dada was looking like Hemel’s greatest threat, though, and he tried his luck on 19 minutes but he missed the target as Mark Jones’ side tried to hit back.

Nine minutes later, Whites won a penalty. Alfie Paxman’s long throw from the left found its way to Pavey at the far post and he was adjudged to have been fouled by Hemel’s top scorer Jordan Greenidge by referee Harry Wager but Pavey struck the spot-kick straight at King who made the save.

The visitors made an early substitution just after the half-hour mark, as Bradley Webb came