Dover Athletic boss Jake Leberl expects festive period to be vital in Isthmian Premier promotion bid as Whites prepare to come up against ex-winger Luke Wanadio

Jake Leberl expects the festive period to be critical in Dover’s Isthmian Premier promotion push.

Whites remain five points clear, having extended their unbeaten league run to 10 games with a 2-2 draw in a dramatic top-of-the-table home fixture with second-placed Cray Valley last weekend.

But Dover have seven league matches to play before Sunday, January 5 and manager Leberl knows everything can change quickly when the fixtures start to come thick and fast.

He said: “Let’s see how we go over the Christmas period.

“The Christmas period is normally the teller when you have five games in quick succession and we are a little bit light on numbers.

“But if we can keep everyone fit, there’s no reason why we can’t carry on picking up points.

“Obviously, there will be more setbacks. We’re going to have some good days, we’re going to have some average days and we’re going to have some disappointing days.

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“But we’re 10 undefeated in the league and I don’t see us having a massive dip anytime soon.”

Leberl is happy to see the club on the up once more.

Leberl, who played former Cray Wanderers and Horsham keeper Claudio Boakye-Sarfo against Cray Valley with Mitch Walker (knee) sidelined, saw his side pegged back by a goal in stoppage time - seconds after netting what Dover thought was the winning goal.

He said: “I wasn’t overly-ecstatic on Saturday night but, in general, how can we not be happy?

“When you look at where the club has come from - those hard times - to have a really good group of young footballers who are desperate to do well and, obviously so far, they are [doing well] because we’re top