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Dover Athletic manager Chris Kinnear admits it hurts him to see Whites bottom of the National League table

Chris Kinnear admits there’s nothing positive about Dover’s plight and that he is hurting every bit as much as the fans.

Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Solihull Moors sent Whites to the foot of the National League table just 12 months after a 4-0 home win over Chester had moved them up to second.

Kinnear admits it’s not a position Dover expected to be in, adding that it’s as tough a period as he’s experienced in his time as manager at Crabble.

Dover manager Chris Kinnear Picture: Andy Payton
Dover manager Chris Kinnear Picture: Andy Payton

He said: “None of us want to be where we are but the fans don’t feel it any more than me, we all feel it the same.

“Thirty two years ago I first started here, so why would they feel it more than me?

“It hurts, I don’t want this club to be in this position but we’ve just got to try and move on.

“It’s not easy down at the bottom but that just means you have to work a little bit harder.

“It’s not positive at all, in any shape or form but there are reasons why we’re in this situation.

“We lost players, you’ve got to replace them but everyone’s got to do that. We’ve all just got to work together and try to move forward.”

Whites are without a win in seven games since beating Havant & Waterlooville 4-3 on August 14 and Kinnear feels individual errors are continuing to cost his side.

He also conceded after Saturday’s defeat that Whites might need an injection of fresh blood to stop their slide.

He added: “The boys are all disappointed, of course they are but they should not be feeling down because no one has run them

down.

“The supporters have been good. They appreciate everyone is giving 100% but quality wins you games and it’s just finding that quality

“We do have to do something different, because obviously it’s not going right at the moment. We’ve just got to find ways out.

“We do need to add (players), have a little bit of a shake-up there’s no doubt at that.

“In all the games we’ve not been far away. It’s not like we’re getting smashed or being outplayed by everybody. We’re that close, it is just about having the right personnel, scoring goals and not letting them in.

“I know they’re the two main things in football but maybe we do have to freshen it up a little.”

Kinnear hopes to make signings before Saturday’s trip to Aldershot but also hinted that he might have to let someone else go to do that.

He will be hoping that defender Josh Passley and top scorer Jamie Allen – both of whom missed the Solihull game due a hamstring injuries – can return while centre-half Kevin Lokko continues to manage a groin issue.

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