Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler believes football should put on a united front during its latest battle against Covid-19.

In Kent, Gillingham’s scheduled game against Crewe this weekend was postponed due to an outbreak at the Priestfield club while Maidstone progressed in the FA Trophy as planned opponents Maidenhead withdrew from the competition due to “a number of Covid-19 cases” on Wednesday.

Dover’s FA Trophy tie did go ahead despite several cases in their squad - as the Omicron variant took hold - with Whites losing 1-0 to National League rivals Bromley at Crabble as Khale Da Costa put through his own net.

Among the Whites players affected were on-loan Maidstone frontman Alfie Pavey, Travis Gregory, Will Moses, Danny Collinge and keeper Alexis Andre Jr. Striker Ben Williamson is also struggling with illness but, so far, hasn’t returned a positive Covid test.

Bottom side Whites are due to host Dagenham & Redbridge in the league on Boxing Day, visit Woking two days later and then travel to Dagenham on January 2.

When asked if he was surprised some matches still went ahead despite the increase in cases, Dover’s manager replied: “A little bit.

“At the top level, there were five games off (on Saturday).

“To be honest, I listen to a lot of managers in the Premier League and a lot of them have said we either play the games - or none of us play. I actually agree with that. It’s either one or the other, really.

“So I am surprised there’s so many games on but, I’ll be honest, I’m nervous.

“It doesn’t look great in terms of how people are picking up Covid, and it’s getting worse.

"Could that affect the Christmas programme? It could well do.”

Da Costa, who recently returned from a one-month loan at Braintree, had started well before inadvertently putting a corner past his own keeper Josh Bexon.

“I thought he started the game really well and he was causing their young left-sided centre-half a few problems,” Hessenthaler admitted.

“I think the goal that he scored was unfortunate but you have got to defend the near post better. That knocked the confidence out of him a little bit.

“He also, perhaps, is not fit enough at the moment. He has been out on loan but, when you are part-time, it’s about trying to get that fitness.

“I feel for him because he had a go in fairness.

“He was causing them problems early on in the game but, unfortunately, the goal disrupted everyone’s confidence.”

Dover rarely threatened to get back into the third-round tie, although they did manage to bring on 17-year-old Noah Carney - who is on England Schoolboy under-18 trials today - alongside fellow Academy players George Wilkinson and Luke Baptiste in the second half.

Hessenthaler reflected: “The only positive to come out of it was we managed to get some kids on the pitch, which was nice because we have got some really good Academy boys.

“So it was nice to see them out on the pitch. But it was another frustrating afternoon.

“It was another sloppy goal.

"First half, we had enough opportunities to score. Second half, we huffed and puffed. But after conceding the goal, confidence dropped out of us unfortunately.

“Yeah, we were disrupted - just like they (Bromley) were as well. They had a lot of young boys out there.

“We were disrupted, as well, with five boys out with Covid and, obviously, the injuries that we have got.

“But it’s still another game we have not been good enough in.”

Hessenthaler also insisted his team had taken their Trophy match against Bromley seriously as their search for a sorely-needed first win this season continued.

He said: "I think it was important because we just want to get that win and get some confidence.

"We knew it was going to be disrupted because of the amount of Covid cases we have got and that could continue.

"Hopefully that’s not the case because, if we start getting any more Covid cases, they are going to miss the Boxing Day game and Woking game as well.

"So it (the Trophy) was important. It was an opportunity to get some of the young ones involved as well, which I was always going to do even without the problems we had.

"So for me, it was important because we needed to get a bit of confidence after the King’s Lynn game where we weren’t good enough."

• FA Trophy match report: Dover 0 Bromley 1