The visitors were first to show when Carlo Foster’s run into the area was blocked by Dean Hill, Stephen Reed’s corner being cleared.

However visiting keeper Michael Neish was called into action – as he was to be for much of the game – in the fifth minute when stood up well to deny Adam Birchall, but his next touch was to pick the ball out of the net when Nicky Southall blasted home a ninth minute free-kick.

As the first half developed the Terras found it almost impossible to clear their lines and put any pressure on a nervous looking Kent side.

Simon Radcliffe blocked a shot from Southall and Neish did well to turn Birchall’s effort onto the upright.

When Neish was caught out, following a poor back pass by Rob Nicholls, Radcliffe and Jamie Frampton were on hand to snuff out the danger.

Sammy Moore saw his shot well saved by Neish, after Shaun Welford had carved out an opening, before Reed picked up a loose ball and shot from distance, only for Ross Flitney to save.

Shane Evans was then denied by a joint effort from Olly Schulz and Joseph Tabiri, but this was Weymouth’s last chance of the half.

At the other end Birchall was put clear by Southall, but his shot rebounded off an upright.

Neish then beat out a fierce effort from Danny Wilder and then held on to the rebound off Ollie Tribe and Radcliffe cleared Schulz’s header from the goal-line before the interval gave the visitors some welcome respite.

The second half saw the home side continue to look to make the running, forcing Weymouth deep into their own half. Tribe slicing a clearance just over his own crossbar after James Rogers had found room to fire in a cross within minutes of the restart.

From the resulting corner – taken by Birchall – a moment of pure farce developed as Reed caught the ball well inside his own penalty area.

After consultation with his assistant the referee restarted play with a drop ball, leaving everybody pondering what exactly had happened.

Carl Foster then reacted first to Nicholl’s through ball, but his shot was blocked allowing Dover to clear their lines.

The hosts were beginning to look ragged, wasting chance after chance – Walder sent a shot high – bringing down part of the sign from the stand roof – Birchall was wide from six yards, with the goal beckoning, and then saw Neish save his next effort.

A rare Weymouth attack saw Flitney miskick, the ball falling to Reed, but the Terras’ midfielder was unable to direct his lob over the stranded keeper’s head.

Within seconds Scott Dixon produced a cross which Reed headed into the path of Evans, but the youngster shot over from eight yards.

The woodwork saved Weymouth, again, in the 80th minute when Craig Cloke rose to head Birchall’s flick on, before it was Welford’s turn to look on as Neish made yet another smart save.

When Weymouth broke, in the 83rd minute, it was Cameron Mawer who found himself in foreign territory, but his shot was comfortably held.

Shortly after Flitney was called to save at the feet of Reed as Wey-mouth searched for an unlikely equaliser.

Dover had a chance to make the game safe when Birchall played a great ball into the path of Welford, but man of the match Neish was on hand to save the Terras again.

The Terras’ defence was then beaten, only for Cloke to head Wel-ford’s corner against an upright, Much to the relief of the majority in the 1,022 crowd Dover finally made the game safe in added time.

Walder made ground before sending a low cross into the penalty area and Moore was on hand to flick the ball past Neish.