Notts County need just one point from their remaining two National League games to secure a play-off place after recording a second win in a week over relegated Dover Athletic.
Ruben Rodrigues’ 20th goal of the season saw the Magpies bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Aldershot on Saturday to stay in fifth place, which would ensure a home game in the play-off quarter-finals.
They are now three points clear of Grimsby, who did not play today, and Chesterfield, who lost at home to league leaders Stockport County.
Dagenham and Redbridge drew with Torquay and Bromley lost at Solihull Moors to leave Notts within that single point of the play-offs, but third place is now beyond their reach after Halifax Town won at Eastleigh.
Head coach Ian Burchnall made eight changes to the side which so badly underperformed at the EBB Stadium, with only Connell Rawlinson, Matty Palmer and Rodrigues retaining their places.
Cal Roberts and Ed Francis were among the substitutes, which included a welcome return for defender Richard Brindley after recovering from a broken arm, but the rest of Saturday’s starters did not make the match-day squad.
In last week’s match at Dover the home side did not register a shot on target and they were immediately on the back foot again as Notts went in search of a vital three points while looking to improve their goal difference at the same time, an early chance falling to leading scorer Kyle Wootton in the area before he was crowded out.
Eli Sam then made a marauding run down the right but his final touch sent the ball out for a goal kick.
Notts should have been ahead in the ninth minute when Harry Arter found Sam on the right but his cross just evaded Wootton at the far post.
Rodrigues was next to flash in a cross from the right which was cleared for a corner, which came to nothing.
Dover were playing on the break and Notts had to be alert, with Michael Gyasi looking lively, but the home side continued to have the majority of possession without being able to find a telling final pass.
However, the breakthrough came in the 17th minute when Jim O’Brien fed in Richardson and he slid the ball across goal for Rodrigues to tap in his 20th goal of the season.
Sam was next to have a chance as Notts broke forward quickly, but he scooped Wootton’s low cross over the bar. Sam was then guilty of giving the ball away but Notts easily snuffed out the danger as Gyasi sprinted goalwards.
A second goal seemed inevitable and it should have arrived in the 28th minute when brilliant approach play involving Palmer and Wootton set up O’Brien but he fired over the bar.
A minute later a dreadful back header from Harrison Byford saw Sam in on goal but goalkeeper Alexis Andre blocked his effort.
More excellent passing released Rodrigues for a shot on goal from 20 yards, which was easily saved by Andre, then a corner from Palmer was headed back across goal by Rawlinson and nodded over by Wootton from close range.
Arter was next to try his luck, curling a left-foot shot from 20 yards which was easily grasped by Andre, then Rodrigues latched on to a pass on the left of the box but fired over.
Sam had the final shot of the half but, despite their dominance, Notts had to settle for a single-goal lead at the interval after one minute of added time.
Normal service was resumed immediately after the break as Joel Taylor fired in an excellent cross from the left but no Notts player could get on the end of it.
Andre needed two attempts to collect another Taylor cross as Notts piled forward but, as in the first half, their final ball was not good enough, the lack of urgency causing frustration among the home fans.
A Rodrigues shot from a Palmer corner was diverted for another corner but Sam’s header went wide.
O’Brien’s curling cross just evaded Rodrigues, then Arter latched on to Rodrigues’ backheel but dragged his shot wide.
With Dover showing no ambition and Notts unable to unlock a packed defence the game was drifting aimlessly when Roberts was introduced to the proceedings in place of Arter, who had failed to impact the game at all.
Richardson had a great chance to pull the ball back for his waiting teammates after being released into the box by Roberts but chose to shoot and Andre made the save.
Roberts had injected some pace into the game and his wicked cross from the left just evaded Lacey’s lunge at the far post.
O’Brien was next to have a go, Andre turning his long-range shot around the post for a corner.
Notts had the ball in the net in the 72nd minute when Wootton and Sam had several efforts before the ball crossed the line but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside.
The hard-working O’Brien was replaced by Ed Francis in the 77th minute but it was Dover who nearly equalised when Nelson’s downward header was saved at the second attempt by Sam Slocombe.
The crowd were woken from their slumbers when Rodrigues fired a shot into the ground and it was bouncing into the net when Andre tipped it over.
And Roberts also had the fans off their seats when he went on a rampaging run down the right, beating two men before sending his left-foot shot just wide of the far post.
However, it was Dover who finished the stronger, winning two corners, but Notts survived to take a vital three points.
Notts County: Slocombe, Richardson, Lacey, Rawlinson, Taylor, Arter (Roberts 64),
Palmer, O’Brien (Francis 77), Rodrigues, Sam, Wootton.
Unused subs: Brindley, Mitchell, Vincent.
Dover Athletic: Andre, Byford, Goodman, Hanson, Collinge, Ransom, Krasniqi,
Woods, Wilkinson (Nelson 73), Baptiste (Agbebi 84), Gyasi (Nikaj).
Unused subs: Bexon, Wratten.
