Dover Athletic manager Jake Leberl says his side lacked confidence in their 1-0 Kent derby defeat at Maidstone United on Boxing Day

Jake Leberl believes Dover lacked confidence in their Boxing Day defeat at Maidstone.

Whites arrived at the Gallagher Stadium on the back of 4-1 and 5-2 defeats by Hornchurch and Eastbourne in the FA Trophy and National League South respectively.

And manager Leberl felt those results knocked his young side going into a tough Kent derby that was settled by a second-half header from Stones skipper Sam Corne.

“It’s a difficult place to come, against a strong, physical side,” said Leberl, following the 1-0 defeat.

“I didn’t think it was a great game of football, it came down to small margins, and Maidstone got their goal.

“I’m really disappointed with the goal, one of the smallest boys on the pitch, if not the smallest, has scored a free header from six yards.

“I don’t necessarily believe we deserved anything out of the game but late on we had a couple of chances.

“We kept going, we kept pushing.

“We come away disappointed but not many people come here and pick up anything.

“I think the last couple of results have knocked a little bit of confidence. I could see it in their eyes today.

“After conceding four against Hornchurch in the FA Trophy and then letting in five, you come into the next one a little bit wary.

“There’s been a little bit of negativity around, which we can’t have, because at the end of the day we’ve come into it as the underdogs and we’ve got to show that spirit and turn up and run and scrap, and we’ve just come off that a little bit.”

Dover had won four league games in a row before the Eastbourne defeat and have enjoyed a strong first season back in National League South following promotion.

There’s no need for any negativity as they hold their own in a strong division, sitting 14th, just five points off