Assistant boss Jake Leberl praised the professionalism of Dover’s forgotten heroes who came out of the shadows to get them back to winning ways.

Whites bounced back from the surprise 5-0 humbling at Chester on Saturday to record a battling 3-1 win over Sutton United at Crabble on Tuesday night.

Despite taking the lead only to be reduced to 10-men – just as they did in the 4-1 home defeat to Boreham Wood in August –there was no repeat as Dover worked hard to see the game out, with recalled keeper Mitch Walker earning the plaudits for a late penalty save in his first appearance of the season.

Leberl admitted: “I think it’s a big three points. It was hard work, coming off the back of the Chester game. It was important to bounce back because if you don’t you can go on a bit of a sticky run.

“At the time it felt a bit like the Boreham Wood game again so obviously we were delighted with the result. We can do better, but it was all about getting the win on the night.”

Walker was handed his first National League start of the season with Steve Arnold sidelined by an injury sustained during Saturday’s game.

Leberl said: “Tyrone Sterling was very unlucky not to start the season but he’s come in at York and been outstanding every since.

“Mitch was really unlucky not to start the season after having such a great last season. Obviously when we make decisions about bringing people in we have to think about what’s best for the club and Steve Arnold became available.

“It was harsh on Mitch not to start the season but what an unbelievable professional he is, as Tyrone has been. When you work hard with a great attitude like that you get out what you put in.”

Leberl admitted he and boss Chris Kinnear had ‘not overly’ considered making changes in the wake of the Chester defeat.

He said: “The result on Saturday was very out of character, I think you had to put it down to a bad day at the office and move on.

“We’re not the type of people to chop and change just for the sake of it.

“The lads did very well in the previous games and we gave them another chance and they gave it their best effort to get the result.”