Manager Jake Leberl would like to keep ‘quite a few’ of Dover Athletic’s players next season if he remains in charge - despite club’s inevitable relegation from National League South

Jake Leberl would like to keep “quite a few” of Dover’s players next season if he remains in charge - despite the club’s inevitable relegation from National League South.

Whites were held to a goalless draw at home to second-bottom side Havant on Saturday - failing to maximise a numerical advantage in the closing stages – after last Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at third-bottom Eastbourne.

Dover could have relegation confirmed this Saturday when they host Farnborough, dependent on midweek results.

Leberl is still eager to have a big finish to the season, however, and build some momentum after a miserable couple of campaigns at Crabble.

“It’s massive,” he said. “Football is all about momentum.

“Obviously, we don’t know where we are going to be in terms of who’s going to stay and who’s going to go.

“We would like to keep quite a few of the boys, if I’m honest, and try to build a spine around them.

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“Whether that will happen or not, we don’t know [yet] for obvious reasons.”

Leberl would like to start planning for next term, although doing so is easier said than done.

“You try - but it’s difficult,” he said. “A lot of the boys have got agents and want to see what happens with other clubs.

“We can just say that we would like to keep them and, hopefully, we can.”

Asked if he’d had any discussions with chairman Jim Parmenter about his own future, Leberl replied: “We’re both quite relaxed about it.

“Like I’ve said to Jim, I’ve come back to do the best that I can. But Jim will make a decision over what he does, moving forward and what will be, will be.”

Dover looked the more likely to win against Havant, and maybe should have done so after away