Dover Athletic 0 Bath City 0 match report: New Whites boss Jake Leberl sees team go bottom of National League South despite first shut-out this season

New manager Jake Leberl watched Dover keep a first clean sheet this season as they played out a goalless draw with play-off chasing Bath in National League South on Saturday.

The impressive Charlie Naylor went closest, hitting the crossbar in the first half, but the result wasn’t enough to prevent Whites from falling to the foot of National League South.

The hosts nearly made a dream start under Leberl at Crabble in front of a crowd of 506. George Nikaj cut off the right flank as part of a three-strong frontline and fired over the crossbar in the second minute.

Six minutes later, striker Cody Cooke headed over a corner at the other end.

But Dover had a couple of huge chances in the 12th minute.

Defender Naylor lifted the ball over the top for Zidan Sutherland, only for the forward to be thwarted by on-rushing Romans keeper Will Buse. Naylor then nodded against the crossbar from recalled midfielder George Wilkinson’s corner, clashing heads with Luke Russe as he did so, although both were fit to continue.

Bath, coming into the game on the back of a four-match winless run, should have taken the lead midway through the first period.

A right-wing cross looked destined to be slammed in by winger Ewan Clark but a fine last-gasp block by Dover defender John Oyenuga denied him.

Nikaj headed narrowly wide for the home side from a 30th-minute corner by left-back Bailey Akehurst.

Whites - starting with what looked like a somewhat unusual 5-2-3 formation - had a goal ruled out for offside with 41 minutes played. Sutherland fired home after an intricate pass by Wilkinson, although he had his celebrations cut short by the linesman’s flag.

But right on the stroke of the interval, the visitors almost went in front. Clark couldn’t quite