ALFRETON Town slipped to a Vanarama Conference Premier defeat at a fog-shrouded Impact Arena despite holding the lead over Dover Athletic at half-time.
Tom Shaw broke the deadlock in bizarre fashion after 40 minutes with the first of two goals for the midfielder. His corner curled straight into the net with Dover defender Stefan Payne lifting his leg to allow the ball to creep in at the near post.
Payne went on to make amends for his error by scoring Dover's decisive third goal after former Reds' midfielder Nicky Deverdics heralded his return with the visitors' opening two goals.
Shaw scored again for Alfreton in added time after Dover had been reduced to 10 men and even then there was still time for Athletic goalkeeper Andrew Rafferty to thwart Jake Sheridan with a save that denied the Reds a late equaliser.
Manager Nicky Law opted for Carl Lamb up front alongside Paul Clayton with Massiah McDonald reverting to the bench but both strikers were guilty of glaring misses in the seventh and 28th minutes respectively.
First Clayton's flick beat Richard Orlu and Tom Bonner to leave Lamb in the clear but his disappointing shot from just inside the area was comfortably saved by Rafferty.
Then, 21 minutes later, Clayton uncharacteristically failed from close range after Bonner hit a sloppy clearance from a Lathaniel Rowe-Turner cross straight to the striker.
Bradley Wood needed to tackle back with precision as Solomon Tiawo played Tom Murphy through in the sixth minute, then Reds keeper Cameron Dawson, on the eve of his scheduled return to Sheffield Wednesday, slid to the edge of his area to clear from Payne as Luke Graham's back header fell short.
Lamb drew another save from Rafferty as the errors mounted in the difficult conditions.
It was Wood to the rescue again as Murphy was given a clear sight of goal in the 17th minute.
Tom Davies blocked from Payne on the edge of the area after 30 minutes, with Nathan Hicks tamely finding the side-netting after taking a return pass from Rowe-Turner five minutes before Shaw's opener.
Dover were level eight minutes after the break when Deverdics raced on to a Murphy pass to smash the ball home from a suspiciously offside position.
Three minutes later, Payne flashed his shot beyond the back post after Rowe-Turner became the latest player to make an error.
Dover led 2-1 after 65 minutes when Dawson completely misjudged Deverdics' deep free-kick from wide on the right and could only help the ball into the net.
The young keeper did make some degree of atonement seven minutes later with a defiant save from Murphy following a Tiawo delivery into the box.
Moments later, though, the issue seemed to have been put beyond doubt when Payne volleyed home a Murphy cross from 12 yards.
Dover successfully held Alfreton at arm's length until stoppage time, when Tyrone Sterling was sent off for a second yellow card after foolishly preventing the hosts from taking a quick throw-in.
Shaw deserved his second goal when he stabbed home a Sheridan pass from a long Wood throw but Rafferty had the last word with that late save from Sheridan.
