Mitch Brundle says Dover need to go back to the basics to kickstart their National League season.

Whites have struggled in the first seven games and find themselves 22nd in the table.

They have also conceded the most goals in the league with 17, a stark contrast from last season where they had the second best defensive record.

Captain Brundle said: “The quicker we get a clean sheet the better. We have to be hard to play against.

“We have to go back to the basics. It is something we did well last year. We have to make sure, first of all, we don’t concede.

“You can’t start moping around and feeling sorry for yourself. We are seven games in. It would be different if we were 42 or 43 in and a short amount of games to come.

“We have to take responsibility for mistakes and go back to the basics.”

Dover lost their third match in a row after their 3-0 loss at Leyton Orient on Monday.

They were level at half-time but fell apart after conceding early in the second half.

Brundle said: “It’s disappointing. After the first half we felt we were still in the game. We came out and they scored in two minutes and that’s not good enough from our point of view.

“We all know in the dressing room what mistakes are happening. We need nullifying where these mistakes are coming from.

“We have been a team of either the first half or second half. You can’t do that in this league.

“In that second half we just gave away costly goals. That’s what hurts the most – the fact we were in it for so long. Then the goals were soft and that’s what has been happening this year.”

Brundle believes it is too early in the season to panic about results and backs his team to turn things around.

He added: “We’ve had two games in three days and we have to not get too carried away with how results are going as it is still August.

“Things can change and Tranmere showed it last year. We are big enough and old enough to deal with that pressure that comes.

“We know we can beat any team that comes up against us but at the moment it’s not falling for us.”