 Dover Athletic narrowly missed out on an immediate return to the Premier Division in the 2005 – 06 season , reaching the play @-@ offs for promotion but losing out to <unk> Angels . The following season Dover again reached the play @-@ offs but lost in the semi @-@ final to Hastings United , after which Walker did not have his contract renewed and was replaced by former Gillingham manager Andy <unk> . In his first season in charge he led the club to the Division One South championship and promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division . The following season Dover won a second consecutive championship and thus gained promotion to Conference South . In the 2009 – 10 season , Dover reached the play @-@ offs for promotion to the Conference National , but lost at the semi @-@ final stage to <unk> . The following season the club reached the third round of the FA Cup for the first time after wins over Kent rivals Gillingham in the first round and another League Two club , Aldershot Town , in the second round . In the 2012 – 13 season the club again reached the play @-@ offs , but this time lost in the final to Salisbury City . The following season the team reached the second round of the FA Cup , losing 1 – 0 to Milton Keynes Dons , The last 16 of the FA Trophy , narrowly losing 3 – 2 to <unk> and made the play @-@ offs once more . A 4 – 1 aggregate victory over Sutton United in the semi @-@ final set up a match with fellow Kent team Ebbsfleet United in the final . On 10 May 2014 , Dover beat Ebbsfleet 1 – 0 at <unk> Road with a goal from Nathan Elder enough to seal the club 's return to the top flight of non @-@ league football for the first time since 2002 . In the 2014 – 15 season Dover went on another FA Cup run , beating Morecambe 1 – 0 in the first round , then Cheltenham Town 1 – 0 in the second round to reach the third round proper for only the second time ever , but lost 4 – 0 at home to Premier League side Crystal Palace . The following season the team qualified for the play @-@ offs for promotion to League Two . 
