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Dover Athletic manager Chris Kinnear previews National League game at Sutton United

Chris Kinnear says he has no problem playing on artificial pitches and is looking forward to the challenge of Sutton United away on Tuesday night.

Whites returned to the top of the National League with Saturday’s 1-0 home win over Solihul Moors, and face a Sutton side who are just one point and two places below them.

Whites have a decent record on artificial pitches - they won 6-0 at Gander Green Lane last November -and boss Kinnear says as far as he’s concerned it’s just another game.

Chris Kinnear Picture: Tony Flashman
Chris Kinnear Picture: Tony Flashman

He said: “You’ve just got to get on with it, there's no point whingeing about it.

“Yes it is a home advantage (having an artificial pitch) but then coming to Dover should be a home advantage, you make the most of it.

"Teams with artificial pitches, if they’re saying it’s not a home advantage then they’re not doing their job right are they?

“We’re not frightened of it, but it won’t be easy because Sutton are a good side with lots of good players, three of them they signed from us (Ross Lafayette, Aswad Thomas and Moses Emmanuel, who scored a hat-trick in Dover's 6-0 win last season).

"They went for whatever their reasons, that’s fair enough, and to be fair they’re nice lads who did a good job for Dover in their time.

“But again we can’t worry about them, we’ve got to to worry about ourselves and make the best of what we’ve got.”

Kinnear says no-one at Crabble is getting carried away by the club’s promising start, adding that the only time being top matters is in May.

He added: “I’ve been at the top quite a few times in the past and that’s not trying to be big time.

“It’s nice for young lads to be at the top and know the feeling. Maybe it focuses them a little bit more, maybe they will look after themselves a little bit more and have that little bit more drive.

“You’ve got to overcome any obstacle and at the moment the boys are doing that.

"They’ve got potential but potential’s got to realise itself to achieve something so that’s why we’re not getting too carried away.”

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