Assistant manager at Dover Athletic, Jake Leberl, has admitted their poor start to the season has been tough to endure at the club, as Barrow AFC look to prolong their already lengthy run without a win.

Under manager Chris Kinnear, Dover had become known for repeatedly punching above their weight in the National League, despite their part-time status.

This includes reaching the play-offs two seasons ago and they only just missed out on repeating that feat in the last campaign.

However, things have been much tougher for the Whites this season, with their only victory of the campaign so far coming nine games ago, when they defeated Havant & Waterlooville 4-3.

They go into tomorrow’s game at the Crabble Athletic Ground with some confidence restored, though, after Tim Schmoll’s late equaliser salvaged a 2-2 at Sutton United on Tuesday to lift Dover off the bottom of the table, despite them having a man sent off.

Leberl told Dover’s club website: “It’s been an horrendous start and it’s been really hard.

“I’ve never had a spell like this, on the management side [of things] – obviously I was here when the club first got relegated from the Conference, all those years ago.

“I don’t feel like the dressing room has gone, or anything like that, but it’s been really difficult and it’s been difficult to get the balance of the side right.

“It’s been difficult to bring players in, so yeah I’ll be honest, it’s been tough, but it’s been good having someone like Chris here alongside us because of his experience.

“I think, if it wasn’t for him, it could have got a lot worse a lot quicker.

“We had a couple of half-decent results against Ebbsleet and Chesterfield, but we lost a few to injury in the game after and we had a struggle against Solihull.

“We’re back at the Crabble on Saturday, against Barrow, and we really know that we’ve got to get something out of that.”