Chris Kinnear says it’s time for Dover to stop feeling inferior to big, ex-league teams, claiming they need to get used to rubbing shoulders in elite company.

Whites are in the midst of a run of games against Dagenham, York, Lincoln and Chester, producing an eye-catching 1-0 win at Bootham Crescent on Saturday and Kinnear believes it’s time for Dover to acknowledge they are one of the teams that make the division as strong as it is.

He said: “Just two or three years ago if we were playing the Yorks, Dagenhams or Tranmeres it would probably have been in a sold-out cup game and it would be considered an amazing day for our club.

“Now we are playing these sides week-in, week-out and going to these nice, big grounds but we are picking up wins.

"The only thing that really separates them from us is their resources.” Kinnear sought to play down Saturday’s hotly-anticipated visit of Lincoln as ‘just another game.’

The Imps are third, three points ahead of Dover but their manager Danny Cowley has irked Kinnear with his public admiration for Whites striker Ricky Miller.

Kinnear and Cowley have history going back to Cowley’s Concord Rangers and Braintree days and Kinnear claimed: “He can’t help the fact he’s got a big mouth. I just think it’s disrespectful for people to be talking about other people’s players.”

Dover are still keen to add defensive cover as Richard Orlu (hamstring) is set to miss several more weeks.