ALTRINCHAM returned empty-handed from a 550-mile trip to Dover on Tuesday night after a 2-1 loss.

On a cold and misty night, Dover took an 11th-minute lead when Nicky Deverdics drove a low shot from left of goal into the far corner of Dave Parton’s net from outside the box.

Lee Sinnott’s side thought they had picked up a point when stand-in skipper Gianluca Havern poked the ball home from a corner.

But they paid for defensive hesitation seven minutes later as Deverdics doubled his tally for the evening.

It was further disappointment for Alty who saw skipper Shaun Densmore injured during an emphatic 4-1 loss at the hands of FA Trophy finalists, Wrexham.

The Welsh visitors started the brighter of the two sides and they took a deserved lead in the eighth minute when Kieron Morris shot past goalkeeper Stuart Coburn.

The injured Densmore was replaced by midfielder Sean Williams with Alty revamping their formation as the experienced Peter Cavanagh dropped back to cover at right- back.

But two pieces of poor defending from corners left Lee Sinnott’s men with a mountain to climb as Wrexham struck twice in five minutes.

From a right-wing corner, an initial Wrexham header fell to Ross White who had time to pick his spot as he nodded the ball home in the 40th minute. And four minutes later another corner dropped for Louis Moult to score with another unchallenged header from close range.

To their credit, Altrincham did raise their game after the interval.

Good work by James Lawrie ended with the attacker slotting home a left-footed shot in the 51st minute.

But, despite more attacking pressure, Alty could not get another goal and the visitors began to reassert their superiority midway through the half.

Wrexham finished matters off five minutes from time when Connor Jennings rounded Coburn to score.