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Dover Athletic boss Jake Leberl on role sidelined keeper Mitch Walker still has to play this season and Luke Baptiste’s work ethic as he converts two penalties in as many matches

Popular Dover goalkeeper Mitch Walker still has a key role to play this season - despite being sidelined.

Walker hasn’t featured for the Isthmian Premier leaders since late November due to a recurring knee injury.

Mitch Walker - still has a key role to play at Dover despite being sidelined. Picture: Stuart Watson
Mitch Walker - still has a key role to play at Dover despite being sidelined. Picture: Stuart Watson

It appears the 33-year-old will be out for most of - if not all - of the campaign, with Jordan Gillmore having since come in.

But Walker’s influence is expected to still be felt at Crabble.

“Mitch is a huge loss,” said boss Jake Leberl, who re-signed Walker last summer.

“If he’s not out for the season, he will be out for near-enough that period of time.

“His experience and presence would massively help us. But he will still be with us and part of the coaching staff.

Luke Baptiste - has converted two penalties in as many Dover games but they were pegged back in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Lewes, having beaten Bognor Regis 2-1 last weekend. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Luke Baptiste - has converted two penalties in as many Dover games but they were pegged back in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Lewes, having beaten Bognor Regis 2-1 last weekend. Picture: Barry Goodwin

“He’s been unbelievably professional - that’s why we brought him back.

“We knew what we were bringing in and that’s just the way he has always been.

“Fitness-wise, he’s still one of the best and he’s gutted not to play a part on the pitch.

“But he’s still a massive influence at the club.”

Dover moved back top last weekend as they battled to a 2-1 victory at basement boys Bognor Regis.

Trailing to an early goal, forward Ruben Soares-Junior made it 1-1 before attacking midfielder Luke Baptiste held his nerve with a last-gasp penalty.

Leberl said: “We’d had them watched a couple of times.

“They have new management and a few new players so we knew that they were better than the league table suggests and that it was a potential banana skin for us. A little bit like when we came in last year, they were not the team that were bottom of the league - and we started really poorly.

“We had no excuses for it but, for some reason, some of the boys just weren’t up to speed. But we did grow into the game and got a good equaliser.

“I did then feel there was another goal in the game. We finished very dominant, although we weren’t creating loads of chances.

“But I was delighted when we got the penalty after [Francis] Mampolo made a really good run.

“There were a few issues where the ball wasn’t on the spot and all that sort of thing, but Baps did really well to keep calm.

"It was a really important win.”

Victory at Bognor came after a run of four defeats in the last seven matches.

“When you have a bad result, it’s easy to have another bad result,” said Leberl. “Winning - and losing - can become a habit.

“I do feel a few of the boys are exhausted. They have played a lot of games this season. I think, mentally, some of them maybe need to come out a little bit.

“It was the boys on the bench that got us over the line on Saturday.

“The players that are not starting are very unfortunate not to start. I don’t think our players on the bench weaken us in any way and that’s a really good place to be in.

“We have got 16 or 17 players that can all play but, equally, these players have got us into this position and I don’t want to kill their confidence.”

Baptiste’s dramatic winning penalty was his 13th goal this campaign.

He had netted a late leveller in a 1-1 draw at Carshalton and the only goal during their 1-0 derby victory at Folkestone already this campaign.

Leberl said: “There’s a saying in football ‘The harder you work, the luckier you get’ - and no one works harder than Baptiste. He’s working with Mike [Sandmann] in the Academy.

“He always gets in early and does his extras.

“Full credit to him. It’s been a tough couple of years where he made his debut - and then he’s found himself in and out of the side.

"I’m just happy that he’s getting the credit he deserves.”

Three of Dover’s recent losses have come at home - but they can rectify that when Carshalton visit on Saturday.

Leberl insisted: “We do feel we have been unlucky.

“Personally, I don’t think we have deserved to lose any of our three home games recently. But we have let in a couple of sloppy goals and then there was a bit of a freak goal.

“I just feel we got a bit of luck earlier in the season but that evens itself out and we’ve not been getting that recently.

“People are talking about our home form, but I genuinely don’t feel concerned.”

Dover conceded in the 90th minute as they drew 1-1 in their rearranged home match against Lewes, Baptiste scoring the opener with a second penalty in as many matches during the first half on Tuesday.

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