Dover boss Chris Kinnear has called for cool heads as the Vanarama National League promotion race enters the final straight.

Without a game last Saturday, Dover slipped outside the play-off places with Gateshead taking over fifth spot but surprise losses for Aldershot and Barrow mean the Whites remain handily placed in their challenge for a return to the top five, despite Tuesday night's shock 5-0 loss at Boreham Wood.

There will be just just nine games to come after Saturday’s visit of Bromley to Crabble (3pm) as Dover look to bounce back to winning ways.

Kinnear said: “This week will not decide if we win promotion or miss out. We won’t get too extreme whatever happens.

“The results went for us last weekend but you can’t afford to worry about what anyone else does.

“It’s the time of the season for us to get our heads down and worry about ourselves. I know it’s an old cliché but we have to look at one game at a time.”

He added: “I’m sure we’ll probably lose a game again before the end of the season but other teams will, too.

“All that matters is whether we end up with more points than they do at the end of April.”

Dover will host Bromley three days earlier than originally scheduled to fill the void left by the postponement of their home game against Macclesfield, who are in two-legged FA Trophy semi-final action against last week’s scheduled hosts Tranmere.

Kinnear said: “At this stage of the season you want to get some momentum going, so I’m glad we’ve got a game.

“It won’t be easy, though. They get some results and have some good players. It’s a derby game but they are a club we get on with, there is no animosity there.”

With Ricky Miller serving the second and final game of his suspension, Moses Emmanuel is set to figure against the club he left to join Dover last summer.

Kinnear said: “It would be nice for him to get a goal, though he’s scored a few this season. Hopefully, he’ll do so well that we’ll have a decision to make the following week.”

After five games back at Crabble on a month’s loan from Hartlepool, Nicky Deverdics was recalled to his parent club by boss Dave Jones last week and got half an hour playing at left-back as Pools lost 2-1 at Notts County in League 2 on Saturday.

Kinnear, however, said: “The door is not closed on seeing him back here but it’s not up to us, it’s up to them. It’s open. There are no problems there.

“Dave Jones just wanted to have a look at him. He was happy enough here but they pay his wages and can decide what they want to do.”