Dover Athletic boss Chris Kinnear is backing his side to bounce back against Ebbsfleet United for a place in the Skrill Premier.

The Whites boss watched on as his inexperienced side were beaten 4-0 by Fleet at Priestfield on Monday afternoon.

However, it will be a different game altogether when the two sides meet for a promotion place at Stonebridge Road on Saturday.

After the game on Monday, Kinnear admitted his side were second best, “We’d had two really hard games against Sutton United last week on top of a couple in the last weeks of the season – and in all fairness the side we put out were the boys that had got us to the Final and helped us beat Dartford and Bromley along the way.”

“After all the young lads did well to get us here and to be fair the others that had got us to where we are in the League probably needed the rest, although of course that’s no guarantee that we’ll win on Saturday.”

“It just meant that they were a lot more experienced than us, but isn’t that the idea of Academys to blood the youngsters in the First Team like this?”

“As I said, they were the bulk of the players who got us here and deserved their medals. We got a lot out of the game and I enjoyed it in that respect, to get another decent chance to see the boys before we decide what we’re going to do with them next year!”

The game also enabled Kinnear to give some of his squad some much needed minutes before the weekend’s Play Off Final at Stonebridge Road.

“We gave a couple of players some minutes today who haven’t played for the last few weeks, but I don’t think that today will mean anything come the weekend.”

“Of course we’re disappointed at the result today as we as a club have done well in the competition and I’ve got a good record too, so yes I really am very disappointed not to have won today.”

“We know that Saturday will of course be so much different and we’ll just have to make sure that we’re firing at 100 per cent and if we do, hopefully the best side will win.”

“The players want to play in the big games and I enjoy them too, especially now we’re at the end of the season – you don’t win anything at Christmas or at Easter – it really is the business end of the season now and this is where we are now.”

Kinnear also believes his side are more than ready for the step up:

“Hopefully we’ll do well at the weekend as the club hasn’t played at that level for a while. The club’s definitely ready for a return to the Conference as it’s where they’ve been trying to get back to, so they know what it takes.”

“The Chairman of course was with me in the Margate days and he knows what it’s like and what to do, but at the end of the day it’ll be down to the players on the day.”

“Momentum is a great thing and the way we got into the Play Offs and then beat a very good Sutton United side and let’s hope that can carry on – I think it’s something like two defeats in eighteen games.”

“The boys were absolutely brilliant against Sutton and now I’m hoping that we can repeat that sort of performance – it’ll be a long week but we’ll be ready come Saturday!”

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