Chris Kinnear has urged Dover fans not to overreact, despite two defeats in four days.

Kinnear named an unchanged team for the FA Trophy quarter-final exit at lowly Nantwich on Saturday and the 2-1 defeat to Southport at Crabble on Tuesday, which saw Whites fall five points below the play-offs, albeit with games in hand.

Kinnear said: “We can’t get too emotional. It’s great when things are going well but you mustn’t get too down when things are not.

“These are the same players that got us unbelievable wins. To be where we are in the Conference, we’re lucky, the players have done well.

“They’ve had two bad games but that happens at Man City, Real Madrid, everywhere. Let’s not overreact.

“We lost a game in which we had loads of chances – although we still didn’t play well.
“It becomes a downward spiral if people get upset about it and we want to avoid that.

"People get carried away. We are Dover, we have got to realistic. We shouldn’t be able to compete with Grimsby and Tranmere with their crowds but we are.”

Kinnear admitted the hangover from Saturday had probably affected his players but said he hoped the disappointment would kick-start their top-five push.

He added: “Maybe there was a lack of confidence after Saturday. Every time we’ve gone out of a cup competition, we have gone on to lose the next game.

“We try to make an issue of it with them but this is what happens when you have got a young side. We’ve still got 14 games to go, hopefully they can turn it around.

It’s no good feeling sorry for yourself, we have got to try and push on and pick up points. Hopefully, it kickstarts us and gets everyone’s head right.”

Dover travel to Woking on Saturday with Jamie Grimes and Aswad Thomas still sidelined.