Jack Bates scores twice as Dover Athletic beat Wealdstone in FA Cup

Dover Athletic are through to the second round of the FA Cup after a 2-0 win over Wealdstone at Crabble Athletic Ground. Jack Bates scored both goals, and they were enough.

The FA Cup is a straight knockout. Win and you move on. Lose and your run is over, with no league table to fall back on. Dover play in the National League South, one level below the National League, where Wealdstone compete. This was a tie between two non-league clubs, and it gave Dover another step in a run that has already brought them some tough away-from-home nights.

Bates is a midfielder, the player who works between defence and attack, winning the ball and moving it forward. Both of his goals came in the first half, the first in the 14th minute and the second in the 42nd. BBC Sport put the crowd at 1,913.

Dover had already come through a 3-2 win over Dorking Wanderers in October to reach the first round. Dover Athletic had reported that result, and this one is the next step on the same road.

For the club and its supporters, this is a result that keeps the cup run alive. It is also a reminder of how quickly a single afternoon can change a season. Wealdstone leave with nothing, and Dover have a place in the next round to look forward to.