Andy Hessenthaler wants Dover to build on their opening-day point as they aim to attract supporters back to Crabble.

Whites started their National League South season last weekend with a 1-1 draw at Worthing in front of a big crowd of 1,506.

Lee Martin levelled for Dover at Woodside Road after Jake Robinson had given the Rebels an early advantage, while Worthing’s Ollie Pearce fired wide from the penalty spot early in the second period.

Having been relegated from the National League last term, with just two wins, Whites boss Hessenthaler is targeting a victorious return to Crabble this Saturday when they play host to Hungerford.

Hessenthaler said: “Winning games will bring them [the fans] back.

"We were well-represented on Saturday, I have got to say, although there were some idiots as well.

“But hopefully, most of these fans support us again. I have been in the game long enough to know that, if you are winning games, they will come back. If not, they get bored of it.

"Any sport can be a fickle world.

“There’s a hardcore of real supporters and fans who want to see you winning football games and it’s our job to do that.”

The result came after a tough pre-season for Dover but former Gillingham boss Hessenthaler, who served the first of a two-game touchline ban at Worthing, always knew not to read too much into their pre-season results.

He said: “I never read too much into pre-season, I have been doing it for too long.

“The starting 11 on Saturday had 10 new players in it from last season. We had a four or five-week pre-season of getting players together, so they don’t know each other that well. But there was a meaning to the game.

“I woke up on Saturday morning excited that the league was starting.

"I got the statistics back on Sunday and it was exactly what I wanted - as a group of players, there was maximum effort.

“For me, it was probably the hardest fixture we could have had. They were coming up and there was us coming down, and a big crowd backing them.

"A draw was probably a fair result.”

Dover enjoyed some good fortune when Pearce missed the target from the spot, although the away side nearly won it themselves when Tyrone Sterling - partnered in defence by player-assistant Mitch Brundle with Jake Goodman on the bench - was denied by Rebels goalkeeper Harrison Male.

“I think we have earned a little bit of luck over the last 18 months as a club and, sometimes, you need that,” said Hessenthaler, whose team played a behind-closed-doors game on Tuesday.

“Was it a penalty? There’s no contact, but their forward has been clever and done what most strikers do.

“After that penalty, we could have even won it at the end. Their keeper made a wonderful save from Tyrone.

“The result gives us something to build on going into this week.”

There were Whites first-team bows for Millwall loanee goalkeeper Ryan Sandford - signed on a one-month loan - and frontman Chike Kandi at Worthing, while young defender Alex Green has earned a professional contract, too.

Hessenthaler, who intends to use the full month to allow injured first-choice keeper Stuart Nelson (hamstring) to get up-to-speed, said: “I knew of Ryan before and I have got a close relationship with Millwall.

“We nearly got him in on loan before. We were pleased with him on Saturday.

“Kandi, I tried taking him on loan as well from Dagenham but, at the time, [then-Daggers boss] Peter Taylor could not let him out. He gives us something different.

“Greeny is a good back-up for Tyrone Sterling, being a left-footed centre-back.”

Weekend opponents Hungerford lost 1-0 at home to Concord in their opening fixture.

“I don’t know too much about them because I haven’t been back at this level for a while but we have done our homework on them,” Hessenthaler explained.

“They lost their first game but were pretty unlucky. We know what to expect.

“There’s a few boys that played against them last year who I have spoken to.

“They will enjoy Crabble because it’s a really nice, big pitch, and we have got good facilities.

“We have got to be able to handle that and, hopefully, get a result on Saturday.”

Dover host Tonbridge at Crabble on Tuesday.