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Dover Athletic manager Chris Kinnear on 2-1 home defeat to Bromley

Chris Kinnear remained philosophical despite seeing Dover go down 2-1 in their home opener in the National League against Bromley on Tuesday night.

Dover dominated the game for long periods and won a succession of corners and sent numerous dangerous crosses into the Bromley area, however they were stung on the break in either half and despite getting back in the game through an own-goal from hero keeper David Gregory, they lost their opening game at Crabble.

Manager Kinnear admitted: "We're disappointed really, but their goalkeeper had one of those days and they caught us on the sucker-punch a couple of times.

Chris Kinnear. Picture: Mark Fletcher
Chris Kinnear. Picture: Mark Fletcher

"We looked lively and goodness knows how the keeper saved them two or three times. If you have 18-odd corners you hope to score from one but it wasn't to be."

New-look Dover, fresh from a 1-0 win at title-chasing Hartlepool on Saturday, handed out nine home debuts to outfield players but as in previous campaigns were unable to break down visitors who defended stoically and always looked dangerous on the counter.

Kinnear claimed: "That's fair enough, that's their prerogative. A new bunch of lads have got to learn that's what happens when you play for a club like us - you've got to be prepared for the other side to do everything in their power to try and stop you.

"People are going to try to slow the game down and make it difficult because it is us. They're used to seeing us up there.

"A lot of these young lads have not been in that position so they've got to learn that. You can't knock them for the way they gave everything.

"Both goals were really poor in our eyes, both times we were getting forward trying to score and the second one they've cleared it off the line and gone straight up the other end and scored which is disappointing."

Looking for positives, Kinnear added: "With all the chances we had we could have won two games, but that's football.

"If you're not creating chances you've got a problem, we created loads of chances and on another day we scored two or three.

"It still doesn't take away that everyone's obviously disappointed, but we'll move on."

Dover host promotion chasing Wrexham back at Crabble on Saturday (3pm).

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