Chris Kinnear saw Dover’s draw against Maidstone as a missed opportunity after three of the top five lost.

Whites, with other results going their way, would have climbed into the National League play-off places with a win over their Kent rivals on Boxing Day.

They led at Crabble through Ricky Miller’s first-half penalty but remain sixth following Jamar Loza’s second-half equaliser for United.

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Tranmere are the new leaders after beating Macclesfield, while Lincoln, Forest Green and Dagenham lost and Barrow only drew.

Dover boss Kinnear said: “I think it was probably a fair result. We’re obviously disappointed because all the top sides (apart from Tranmere and Barrow) lost, so it’s a funny time, Christmas and new year, you get some funny results.

“Today we’re disappointed but we’re a point better off than the other top sides.”

Maidstone were unhappy with the penalty award – keeper Lee Worgan booked for his protests after Miller went down under challenge from Tom Mills.

But Kinnear said: “They didn’t complain about it when it was given, did they? No one made a big fuss. It was a penalty, so it’s not even worth discussing that.”

Maidstone made a strong start to the second half with home keeper Steve Arnold making several good saves before being beaten by Loza’s lob.

Kinnear said: “When you’re 1-0 down you come out and you just throw people forward. They do play for long throws, don’t they?

“The poor lad keeps going from side to side, Alex Flisher, and that does put you under a lot of pressure. That’s the way they play, that’s up to them.

“They worked hard, Maidstone, and did OK but we can only worry about ourselves and we’re disappointed to not win at home.”

Kinnear felt Dover just needed to weather the early second-half pressure to come out on top.

He added: “That is going to happen in games but if you get through that, with our forwards, you fancy yourselves to score but it’s that time of the year, they had nothing to lose and throw people forward. Fair enough.

“We’ve just got to now move on and look forward to the game on New Year’s Day.”

Read the match report from Dover's 1-1 draw against Maidstone