Chris Kinnear says Dover are more than happy to play catch-up in the race for the Vanarama National League play-off places.

Whites have been in the top six since October and in the play-off places since New Year’s Day as they seek a return to the top-five and a play-off berth for the second straight season.

They are, however, without a game on Saturday due to scheduled hosts Tranmere’s FA Trophy commitments but with the teams below them all playing, Dover could slip as low as eighth by the time they travel to Boreham Wood on Tuesday night (7.45pm).

Boss Kinnear was unfazed and said: “It’s probably a little easier if you’re chasing rather than being up there to be shot at.

“If you’re one of the top sides, then other teams can come and put men behind the ball and make it hard for you. If you’re lower down, they might come and be a bit more expansive.”

Kinnear maintained that Dover are in good shape and added: “Eastleigh are a good benchmark for us. They came up at the same time as us but look where they are now and where we are – and we have had nowhere near the outlay they have had.

“We’re not doing too badly. There’s a long way to go, 11 games, 33 points available. We’re going to try and win every game, we may not, it’s going to be difficult but we’ll give it a good go.”

Kinnear hopes to have Nicky Deverdics for the trip to Boreham Wood, and beyond, as they seek to extend his one-month loan deal from League 2 Hartlepool, adding: “We want him for as long as we can, the rest of the season, but it’s not up to us.”

Ricky Miller will miss the Wood game and the fixture against Bromley, which could be brought forward from Tuesday, March 21, to Saturday, March 18, if scheduled opponents Macclesfield are in Trophy action themselves.

Miller played 90 minutes but Moses Emmanuel, Bondz N’Gala and James Caton scored the goals as Dover beat Folkestone Invicta 3-0 at Crabble on Monday night to reach the Kent Senior Cup final.

Emmanuel put Dover ahead in the first half and N’Gala netted his first Whites goal before Caton made it two goals from two appearances, both in the KSC, with a late third.

Kinnear said: “It was good to win. The supporters were desperate to beat Folkestone so we took it seriously. We owed it to the supporters to get them the bragging rights.”

Dover will face either Charlton, or the winner of the Welling v Bromley quarter-final, in the final, with Kinnear adding: “I don’t mind who we get, although I’m sure the lads would like to play Charlton at the Valley.”

Dover have handed a two-year deal to young centre-back George Essuman who played against them for VCD in the previous round of the KSC.

Essuman has previous been in the youth ranks at Norwich, West Ham and Sheffield Wednesday and Kinnear said: “He’s a lad with a lot of potential.”