Chris Kinnear said Dover’s inexperience showed in their defeat to Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night.

Whites’ play-off hopes suffered another blow after they were beaten by 1-0 at Crabble against the second place side.

Kinnear’s side dropped down to ninth after Ebbsfleet picked up another win to lift themselves into the final play-off spot.

He said: “We are disappointed. I thought after the first 20 minutes, where they did look the best side in the league, I think once we got round that we were much the better side.

“That bit of experience where they kept falling down and making it difficult and getting all the decisions and being able to slow the game down and drag it out.

“They are the best side and we equipped ourselves well. We gave a silly goal away and just couldn’t get one ourselves.

“They’ve lost one in their last 26 and should have won this league by far but they had a slow start.”

Andy Cook scored the only goal of the game five minutes before half-time to keep the National League title race alive.

Chris Kinnear has not given up hope that they can still sneak in to that last play-off spot.

He said: “Anything is possible. We have to try and win the next two games. It’s about going out there and showing we can win games.

“With such an inexperienced side, this is the first season a lot of these players have played at this level and been in the play-off situation.

“It’s about using this experience and keeping the side together and push on. Whereas last year it was very difficult.

“They’ve not been at this level or situation before. It’s just disappointing that it was in their hands but that’s football.”

Kinnear was still proud of how far his team has come this year after being written off at the beginning of the season.

He added: “It’s amazing being at the start of the season that we have been in and around the play-offs all season, which is phenomenal really.

“We were the red hot favourites to get relegated because we didn’t have a team. Everyone was saying we would go down and you have to take your hats off to the lads.

“You have to look at all the teams above us and they’ve kept their sides together from last season.”