Chris Kinnear admits Dover’s three-game losing blip will serve to temper rising expectations around Crabble but the Whites boss insists his side will continue to punch above their weight.

Athletic’s victory at Tranmere less than a fortnight ago took Dover within touching distance of top spot in Vanarama National League and led to excitement among fans about a second promotion-push in three seasons.

However, the FA Cup exit to Stourbridge, followed by last week’s home loss to Eastleigh and Saturday’s 3-1 reverse at Forest Green, saw Dover slip out of the play-off places.

Kinnear insisted: “We are still doing really well. We have just lost two games against sides in the top three. Plenty of teams lose games like that in the course of the season, we’ve just happened to have them back-to-back. It’s not worth getting down about.

“Every team has little blips like this during the course of a season. I’m sure if in June you offered anyone our current position (sixth), they’d have snapped your hand off.”

He added: “I’m not saying you shouldn’t have ambition – I have never gone into a season not wanting to get something out of it – but sometimes you have to be realistic. There are clubs in this division throwing a lot of money at it.

“You can’t get too carried away with going through the leagues, especially when you see the finances that you’re competing against.

“We are the fifth biggest payers in Kent, let alone a national division. We are not in a position to buy our way out so we have to do what we’ve been doing – do it through teamwork.

“No team has a divine right to get promoted, no matter how much money they spend. I’m happy with how it’s been going. We’ve done really well so far.”

Kinnear said Dover’s second season at this level would stand his squad in good stead in future campaigns, adding: “We are probably the youngest and least experienced team in this league.

"This is our second year and we’re up against a lot of big clubs who have played in the Football League and been trying to get out of this division for years.”