Assistant manager Jake Leberl says Dover are under no illusions ahead of their FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at Eastbourne Borough.

Whites travel to the National League South side’s Priory Lane on Saturday, October 24, just like they did a year ago.

That game ended 0-0 before Nicky Deverdics’s first-half header, his first goal for Dover, proved enough to win the replay at Crabble.

That signalled the start of a memorable FA Cup run for Whites, which ended with a 4-0 defeat against Premier League Crystal Palace in the third round at Crabble.

But the campaign started with what Leberl described as a poor first outing at Eastbourne, something he hopes not to see this time around.

He said: “Well, I’d certainly like to think I won’t. That was probably the poorest we played all season – it wasn’t very good at all.

“We were lucky to come away with a draw, so hopefully we won’t go down that route again.

“But we are under no illusions about going there. It will be tough – it is a potential banana skin for us, without any doubt.

“We’ve just got to focus on what we have been doing, play to our capabilities, and if we do, it is a very good chance for us to progress in the competition.”

There is an added dimension to the tie with former Dover captains Ian Simpemba and Craig Stone now plying their trade at Eastbourne.

Read the full story in Thursday's Mercury