Dover Athletic manager Jake Leberl reacts to 2-2 Isthmian Premier home draw against Cray Valley PM

Boss Jake Leberl always felt Dover would have to be at full tilt until the very end of their top-of-the-table Isthmian Premier match against Cray Valley on Saturday.

A frantic finish ensured it ended honours even at 2-2 between the division’s top two teams as home defender Roman Charles-Cook and Millers captain Mohammed-Idris Oshilaja both scored in stoppage time.

Substitute Matthew Vigor had netted to cancel out stand-in Dover skipper Ruben Soares-Junior's goal, either side of a missed second-half penalty by 12-goal Cray Valley top scorer Freddie Parker.

Leberl reflected: “Believe it or not, I said to the boys before that this game will go to the last kick of the game - but, obviously, I didn’t mean it that literally!

“I meant that Cray would keep going. They have had a fantastic season, they’re used to winning, and they were brilliant away from home last season, as well.

“To win it in stoppage time, and then to get pegged back, that’s so disappointing.

“But it was probably the fair result.”

Report: Dover 2-2 Cray Valley

Charles-Cook’s first goal this season, as he swept a low cross from Soares-Junior past Cray Valley goalkeeper Max Ovenden, looked to have won it at Crabble.

But Oshilaja had other ideas and netted the game’s fourth goal when he smartly sent home a cross by substitute Adam Coombes in the remaining moments before the defender got a second caution off referee Peter Conn for his goal celebration.

Asked if it felt like two points dropped for Whites, Leberl replied: “Of course, it does.

“We had seemingly won it so late so it does. But the bigger picture is that’s 10 undefeated in the league.

“We could have been 2-0 or 3-0 up at half-time against the team that are second. We just couldn’t take our chances