Basingstoke Town 3 : Dover Athletic 2
Two games in four days for the Dragons saw them secure six points with a 4-1 home thrashing of Staines on Tuesday last week and a 3-2 home win over high flying Dover on Saturday.
The afternoon at the Camrose saw the worst possible start with Callum Reynolds taken ill prior to kick-off.
And just three minutes into the game, Dover hot-shot Adam Birchall gave the visitors a dream start, having been found by Jon Wallis.
The league’s top scorer beat Matt Finlay and coolly slotted home past Simon Locke.
Birchall and his team mates threatened to take control as the Dragons made a nervous start to a blustery afternoon in Basingstoke.
On 25 minutes, the game changed and a long kick from Locke on the wind caught the Dover defence off guard and found Draper on the right who executed a fine lob over keeper Ross Flitney from an acute angle.
It was the New Zealand striker’s goal, but Locke will claim the assist.
Town were now dominating the game. Nathan Smart picked out Draper, who got behind the defence and calmly put his side into the lead. Three minutes later, the Town striker completed his hat-trick in a 15-minute spell that had silenced the travelling support from Kent.
The visitors’ defence allowed Rob Rice’s throw to go over the top of them at the near post and Draper was on hand to finish.
The visitors looked shell-shocked but held out until half time in the knowledge that they would have the advantage of the strong wind in the second half and a two-goal deficit could be turned round.
Dover took just a minute to reduce the arrears in the second half, with Birchall again the scorer. The home defence failed to clear their lines and the Dover striker was on hand to smash the ball home.
Dover were using the conditions and Birchall was again causing mayhem on 51 minutes when he produced a save from Locke. Donovan Simmonds and Hunt both had chances for the opposition and Delano Sam-Yorke wasted an opportunity when he had options around him.
On the hour, Nathan Smart headed off the line from a corner and 10 minutes later Locke palmed a cross from Tom Wynter over the bar as it appeared to be dipping under.
An equaliser had looked inevitable for the visitors in the second half, using the blustery wind conditions, but the Town defence stood dogged and as time ran out Dover ran out of ideas.
Hat-trick hero Draper was replaced 15 minutes from time by David Pratt returning from injury. Pratt looked lively and ran at the Dover defence and had a couple of half-chances.
In the final minute, a mistimed punch from Locke set up a goal mouth scramble, but Town hacked the ball clear.
In the final minute substitute Harry Baker shot wide for the Kent side and Town held on for a big three points.
