Dover Athletic manager Jake Leberl says it would be bitterly disappointing if side fail to make the Isthmian Premier play-offs; Whites knocked out of Kent Senior Cup at Welling United on penalties

Boss Jake Leberl concedes it would be bitterly disappointing if Dover failed to make the Isthmian Premier play-offs.

Whites remain within the top five in the table for now, but a run of seven points from nine matches has left any remaining title hopes slim.

While they are five points clear of the pack chasing a top-five finish, it’s a gap which could swiftly disappear, unless results improve soon.

On trying to finish in the play-off places, Leberl said: “That’s the aim.

"Obviously, it would be really disappointing after the great start we’ve had to throw it away.

“We have got to regroup. We have got to look at ourselves, each player has got to look at themselves, we have got to get our heads down and just try and get that win to get a bit more confidence.”

But Whites’ management staff have a fine balancing act if they are to get their youthful players to resurrect their red-hot early-season form.

Report: Dover 0-2 Whitehawk

Leberl: ‘It felt like people couldn’t wait to be negative again’

“It’s very difficult,” said Leberl after the 2-0 loss to Whitehawk. “It’s similar to winning.

“Earlier on in the season, everyone just thought we had to turn up to win - and, a lot of the time, that was what was happening.

"Obviously now, we’re in a bit of a rut and confidence is a bit low.

“But it’s the same old story, isn’t it? You have just got to keep at it and keep working as hard as you can.

“I gave them a bit of a rollicking at half-time on Saturday because I felt, in the first half, we were very disappointing. But in the second half, it’s very difficult to be too critical.

“We have had so much of the ball, there were some good interchanges, we played some good football and did pretty much everything but put the ball in