Crawley's defensive frailties were ruthlessly exposed when they slumped to their second defeat of the season at home to Dover.

The Kent side beat the Reds 2-1 last month and they completed an early double in the Dr Martens League premier division at the Broadfield Stadium.

Three second half goals from set-pieces stunned the home team and boss Billy Smith was fuming afterwards.

He said: "When the lads came in at half time I had a go at them for not working hard enough.

"All their goals came from set-pieces and that means Dover worked harder then us to get on the end of them."

Former player Danny Hockton, named in the starting line-up at the expense of Warren Bagnall, had Crawley's best scoring opportunity in the first half.

Hockton seized upon a loose defensive header in the 30th minute and cracked in a right foot volley from 25 yards which Paul Hyde in the visitors' goal did well to push over.

Dover, who were relegated from the Conference last season, shocked highly-flying Crawley by taking the lead in the 50th minute when Nicky Humphrey met Lee Spiller's left wing corner with a thumping header at the back post.

Incredibly Dover doubled their lead with the same routine five minutes later only this time it was captain Andy Arnott who beat Andy Little with a firm downward header from Spiller's set-piece.

Smith responded by sending on ex-Wimbledon ace Peter Fear and another former Dover player Neil Le Bihan but Dover still managed to increase their lead.

Steve Norman swung over a free-kick ten minutes from time on the right touchline and Arnott scrambled the ball in at the back post.

The defeat ended Crawley's unbeaten six-match run, and with keeper Little out of Saturday's trip to Halesowen due to work commitments, Crawley's misery could continue.

Crawley: Little, Judge, Cooksey, Hooper, Pullan, Hemsley, Holmes, Harkin, McDonnell (Fear 60), Stevens, Hockton (Le Bihan 60). subs not used: McKoy, Bagnall Dover: Hyde, Browne, Norman, Readings, Arnott, Chapman, Dyer, Spiller, Kristian, Glover, Humphrey. Subs not used: Davies, Sykes, Godden, Williams.

Attendance: 956