VICTOR RENNER had scored only once in 21 games before the visit of Salisbury City - in 18th place and 11 points better off the Dover Athletic - so when he scored two goals for the struggling Kent side it was a welcomed boost for him and for the Whites' slim but possible survival hopes.
With Whites fans learning to cope with the expected drop into the graveyard of football - the first division of the Ryman League - which still has clubs like Bromley, Dulwich Hamlet and Tooting & Mitcham United buried - the majority of the superb crowd of 659 were thinking, "maybe, just maybe we can get out of this? after Renner's welcomed return of remembering the art of goalscoring.
Dover Athletic, although they have played more games than their relegation rivals above them - 31 - they are only TEN points from safety - and with ELEVEN games to go - including games against Harrow Borough (away, next Saturday), Folkestone Invicta (home, 28th March) and at Tonbridge Angels (third last game of the season) they are still very much in with a chance to maintain their Premier League status.
To be fair, Dover Athletic are too big to go to the likes of Molesey, Banstead Athletic and Corinthian Casuals fighting for league points, with their fantastic stadium and tremendous support.
Clive Walker has now collected nine points from their last four league games but they had to come from behind to beat Salisbury City - who took the lead after only 174 seconds.
Dover goalkeeper Kevin Readings brought down Steve Strong just a yard inside the penalty box after the City striker latched onto a through ball from Robert Matthews in midfield and raced past a static home defence.
Craig Davis fired the resulting penalty into the bottom right hand corner to send their small but noisy support wild.
The goal stunned the home fans into silence and things almost got worse for Dover after 16 minutes when Strong crashed a 16-yard shot wide of the near post after he beat the offside flag on the left hand.
It was pretty dire stuff and it took Dover 27 minutes to have their first real chance on goal. The fans urged "come on you Whites" as Daniel Braithwaite whipped in a corner from the far side, the ball was headed out by the City defence to Mr Dover himself, Craig Cloke, who planted a looping header wide of the target over a crowded penalty area.
However, with eleven minutes before the interval, Dover almost drew level when Braithwaite's header was headed off the line by Glenn Howes.
As the rain clouds gathered over the stadium, Renner turned and shot over from 20-yards to put to an end a very poor first half of football.
Fed up with what he had witnessed, Whites' boss Walker replaced Stuart Maynard for Chris Wright and the visiting handful of supporters taunted the stunned home faithful "your in the shadow of the Folkestone".
However, they were made to eat their words as Dover picked up a little in the final half an hour of this "must-win" relegation clash.
Jude Stirling launched many rocket propelled throws into the danger area on more than one occasion during this dour contest and in the 60th minute, his throw was flicked on and Renner's header was clawed out by Salisbury's tubby goalkeeper Kevin Sawyer.
The goalkeeper was clearly time wasting at every opportunity - he was to be punished later on.
A move involving Matthews, Shaun Hale and goalscorer Davis, saw the latter test Readings with a low shot, which was comfortably saved by the stopper, standing in for the experienced number one Paul Hyde, who cut his head open in a Folkestone gym last Tuesday.
The Hoverspeed erupted when the home side equalised in the 65th minute. Matt Carruthers headed the ball up field, which Renner chased and as three City defenders held off him, the player wearing the number nine shirt for the first time this season, unleashed a fierce drive from around 30-yards, which flew past Sawyer and into the roof of the net.
Where did that come from? Dover fans were asking. They were very shocked when the thunderbolt came from Renner as he doubled his tally for the season.
Six minutes later, Renner, from inside the D, fired over the crossbar but you sensed as their visitors were getting tired, if Dover could apply the pressure they would be rewarded.
North Londoner, striker, Walid Matata replaced Wright for the final 15 minutes as Dover turned the screw in search of that all important winner.
Carruthers went for goal from his 30-yard free kick, which flew over, as did an effort from midfielder Anthony Hogg - returning to the club, having signed from Tonbridge Angels - in the last ten minutes and Matata fired wide and City cleared a low shot off the line.
Renner was awarded the Man of the Match award by match sponsors and from Braithwaite's corner, giant defender Stirling planted a header over from close range. His reaction, and the reaction from the home fans, was to hold their heads in their hands.
Pressing and pressing, they were finally awarded, scoring the winner four minutes into stoppage time, which was won due to the blatant time wasting by the visiting goalkeeper.
Stirling launched another long missile into the penalty area, Cloke flicked it on, Braithwaite's effort clipped the far post but Renner made no mistake from six-yards thumping home the winner into the roof of the net.
The great escape anyone?
Dover Athletic: Kevin Readings, Sam Vallance, Daniel Braithwaite, Dean Readings, Craig Cloke (Capt), Jude Stirling, Tom Hickman, Stuart Maynard (Chris Wright 46, Walid Matata 75) Victor Renner, Anthony Hogg, Matt Carruthers. Subs: James Rogers, Dale Skelton, Paul Rogers (GK)
Salisbury City: Kevin Sawyer, Michael Cooper (Joshua Thomas 47), Scott Bartlett, Aaron Cook (Capt), Matthew Davies, Glen Howes, Wayne Turk, Craig Davis, Robert Matthews (Adam Wallace 67), Steve Strong (Leigh Phillips 90), Shaun Hale. Subs: Matthew Holmes, Simon Arthur (GK)
Attendance: 659
Referee: David Buck
Assistants: Paul Harris & James O'Cock
