Dover Athletic manager Jake Leberl accepts National League South basement boys’ mentality must change if they are to stand any chance of survival this season

Manager Jake Leberl concedes he has to change Dover’s mentality if they are to stand any chance of avoiding relegation this season.

Basement boys Whites started 2024 with a 2-0 defeat at home to Truro City, as the in-form visitors scored twice inside five second-half minutes last weekend.

Dover had collected five points from Leberl’s first three National League South matches in charge - but, after ending last year with a last-gasp 2-1 loss at Aveley, back-to-back defeats have now left them 12 points adrift.

“I’ve got to change the mentality,” said Leberl, trying to save the club from a second relegation in three seasons.

“We cannot go a goal down and then throw in the towel.

“That’s the way I felt it went - and that’s the first time since I’ve been here that I’ve seen that. It’s just not acceptable.

“You’ve got to have belief. I know it’s hard, I know we’re down there, and I know the club has been losing for a few seasons - but someone has got to change it.

“I’ve said to the boys that you just have to stick together and be a team. I’m not having defenders moaning at forwards for missing and forwards moaning at defenders.”

Leberl was disappointed with Dover’s response after conceding a controversial first goal against Truro - some home players indicating they felt the ball had already gone out of play before forward Andrew Neal stabbed home.

Just four minutes later, defender Ed Palmer added a second.

“That’s the first time I have seen it,” he said. “It’s a losing mentality, isn’t it?

“The club has been on a losing streak for several seasons. But since we have been in, we have got a few results and a win here last time.

“I just felt, at 1-0, we could have had a go at them and thrown another one up top.

“But we didn’t get