Dover manager Chris Kinnear is keen to return to league action this weekend and get his side’s play-off chase back on track.

Whites have only completed two Vanarama National League games since December 28 and one in the past five weeks – the 2-1 defeat to Cheltenham – which has seen them slip to eighth, their lowest position in the table since mid-September.

Despite falling out of the play-off places, they remain only a point behind fifth-placed Eastleigh and now have games in hand on some of the sides above them.

Kinnear said: “It’s been stop-start the past few weeks. It seems like ages since we last played a league game but I suppose it’s the same for other teams.

“Sides haven’t got away from us in the past couple of weeks. We still have a couple of games in hand but all we can do is take it a game at a time. Personally, I’d like to have the points in the bag rather than the games to play.”

He added: “The league games will come. Maybe we won’t catch the top sides but we’re looking to make the play-offs, if possible, although we’ll have to play a bit better than we did on Saturday (in the FA Trophy draw against Guiseley).”

Gateshead, in 10th place, travel to Crabble on Saturday just a point behind Whites and Kinnear said: “They have picked up of late, there are no easy games in this league, they are another full-time side.”

He is set to welcome back striker Stefan Payne, sent-off against Bromley on December 28 but whose suspension has reached nearly seven weeks due to a number of postponements.

Kinnear described Monday’s FA Trophy draw as ‘irrelevant’ – despite Whites being handed a quarter-final tie against lower league opposition if they get through their replay against Guiseley next Tuesday (7.45pm).

That replay was due to be played on Tuesday night but was washed out.

If Dover overcome Guiseley, they will face a trip to Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division sides Nantwich or Stourbridge.

Should Stourbridge go through it would set up a repeat of the FA Cup first round tie at Crabble in November but Kinnear said: “There’s no point even thinking about who we might face until the replay is out of the way.”

Kinnear admitted the outlook for Aswad Thomas’ knee injury did not look good and said he was looking for defensive cover.