Jake Leberl says Dover players have a real togetherness about them as the Vanarama National League play-off race heads for the final straight.

Sixth-placed Whites have five games remaining to book a top-five spot and assistant boss Leberl says the players have a steely edge about them right now, which was illustrated by Saturday’s last-gasp 2-1 win at bogey ground Braintree.

Top scorer Ricky Miller snatched the winner – his 35th league goal of the campaign – and Leberl says confidence within the whole squad is high.

He added: “When you’ve got someone like Ricky in your side, you’ve always got a chance.

“There is a real focus, a real togetherness about the squad at the moment and not just among the players who are starting.

“Everyone is tuned into what we trying to do and they all believe we can achieve something here this season which is being shown by the way the boys are playing."

Whites face a crucial Easter, hosting bottom club Southport on Good Friday before travelling to fellow play-off hopefuls Aldershot on Monday.

After that come home games against relegation-threatened Torquay (April 22) and ninth-placed Macclesfield (April 25) before Chris Kinnear’s men finish the season at Barrow, presently seventh (April 29).

Dover trail Aldershot only on goal difference but crucially have a game in hand and Leberl says he would not be surprised if the play-off battle goes to the final weekend.

Whites reached the play-offs with 80 points last season and Leberl says a similar tally would probably be good enough again.

He added: “The league’s been brilliant this season and to get to this stage with the title, the play-offs and relegation all undecided, shows how tight it has been.

“We want to win our home games but know Southport won’t be easy. We’ve had some competitive games with them and every team, even those at the bottom have good players who can hurt you.

“Aldershot is another big game but we know even if we get a negative result (at any stage of the run-in) we are good enough to bounce back.”