Assistant manager Mike Sandmann has explained why he thinks Dover have developed a habit of being a better second-half team in recent matches.

The Isthmian Premier leaders extended their seven-game unbeaten league streak with a sixth victory in that run after last weekend’s 3-2 home victory over Canvey Island.

But Dover twice had to come from behind in front of a crowd of 911.

It has become a bit of a theme of late - Whites fell behind in their 1-1 derby draw at Chatham while boss Jake Leberl was also unhappy at their first-half display during the 1-0 victory at Folkestone earlier this month.

“I feel like a lot of the time in the first half that it’s tight,” said Sandmann.

“There’s a lot of second balls and it’s about winning the battle and sometimes, with a young team that doesn’t have as much experience of doing the ugly side of the game, we tend to have to play our way in.

“But I always feel, with the athleticism we have got throughout the team, we’re only going to get stronger as the game goes on.

“We have got good energy, good legs and good pace and power in forward areas, and that’s really important later on in games. You can see we’re getting our rewards in the later stages of matches.

“But of course, we don’t want to be a team that’s always poor in the first half. It’s not for a lack of trying.

“Saturday, we were disappointed to concede two goals but, equally, we have still come away with three points.”

As well as being Leberl’s No.2, Sandmann heads up Dover’s successful Academy, based at the Abbey School in Faversham.

He’s thrilled to see a host of their youth-team products getting regular first-team minutes and thriving as they play Step 3 football.

UEFA A Licence coach Sandmann said: “It’s a pleasure to work with these boys and see them grow as young men.

“We’ve given them the opportunity to flourish and, obviously, they have trust in me, knowing that I know their best attributes.

“You can see so many of them out there that have come through the Academy, which is pleasing from the Academy’s point of view. But as a first-team project and our new DNA, we want these young, local boys to be coming through.

“We want them to be playing first-team football - no matter what their age.”

A quickfire second-half double from 15-goal top scorer George Nikaj and midfielder Alfie Matthews ensured Whites saw off Canvey at Crabble after forward Ruben Soares-Junior had got them level slightly against the run of play at the end of the first period.

But it’s about more than just Dover’s league-leading status for Leberl and Sandmann.

“We’re not getting blinded by the top-of-the-league status,” said Sandmann.

“It’s fantastic and the boys are buzzing, and I don’t want to take that away because this club hasn’t been used to it for a good few years.

“I certainly don’t want to take anything away from that and we’re really enjoying it. But, at the end of the day, we’re 15 league games in so it doesn’t mean too much right at this moment.

“What’s really important is that we’re getting young children through the gate, waving the flags of Dover Athletic, getting the supporters back onside and they’re enjoying watching their club play.

“At the moment, that’s the most important thing.”

Whites travel to struggling Bowers & Pitsea in the league this Saturday.

“Every game is going to be really competitive,” said Sandmann, with one-time Arsenal player Matthews set to be suspended due to an accumulation of bookings.

“You can see in this division that everybody can beat everybody.

“Being in the position we’re in, we do give ourselves a little bit of a target on our backs because we’re the team to beat.

“As you could see on Saturday, teams will make it really difficult for us. They came with a game-plan and fair play to them.

“We have got to be at our best and now, obviously, we have got a weeks’ worth of training to prepare for this Saturday.”

Defender Tamas Amgbaduba (ankle) remains an injury doubt after a late decision was made for him to pull out ahead of the match against Canvey Island.