Prevailing in the ‘ugly’ side of the game was key to Dover’s 1-0 win at Ebbsfleet on Monday, says Stuart Lewis.

Whites came through testing periods at the beginning of both halves to end their fellow Kent outfit’s National League play-off hopes.

A physical contest was decided in the 52nd minute thanks to Alfie Pavey’s tap-in at the far post following a terrific run from Anthony Jeffrey.

Listen: Dover manager Andy Hessenthaler reacts to his side's win at Ebbsfleet

Lewis said: “I think we knew with Ebbsfleet going for the final play-off spot they’d come out the traps. For about 10 or 15 minutes they threw everything they had at us and we stood strong. You always have to do that when you’re away from home.

“We rode it out and then I thought we were probably the better team for the other 60-70 minutes of the game. It was another really good performance from us, another win and it makes for a really good Easter weekend for us following the euphoric day at Barrow.

“I think we’ve done that for a while now, when you come away in this league you have to dig in and do the ugly part of the game.

“You have to win your tackles, your headers and those little scraps. It was a real collective performance and you need that away from home at a tough place like this.

“You look at their players, they’ve got some real good players at this level. I thought we showed a real grit, which every good team needs. (Ole Gunnar) Solskjær said it about Manchester United – you have to do the ugly side of the game.

“We’ve got a core of players here that do that so I’m sure the manager will want to carry that on next year because that’s what he believes in.”

Dover's tremendous eight-game unbeaten run means they now have the chance to reach a once unimaginable 60 points if they can overcome Sutton United in their final game of the season on Saturday.

Lewis added: "I think we're in a little zone where we all know our jobs and we all know what we're doing. We've just kept it rolling, we all work hard and dig in for each other and we're just in that mindset now. I think we probably have got that little target of getting to 60 points, I think that would be a huge achievement from where we was in October time.

"I think about what the manager has done and what we've achieved, to turn it around like we have and to change momentum is just as hard as keeping momentum.

"I remember a Tuesday night at home to Dagenham, I think it was my first home game, there was a real low crowd, it was flat and we lost 2-0 on the night. To turn up on Saturday with 57 points, I think if somebody had told me that I'd have told them to get out of here.

"It will be really good to enjoy it with the families because everybody pushes through it and we've taken it home with us."

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