Dover manager Andy Hessenthaler admits his side must learn to deal with the high expectations on their shoulders this season.

Whites still find themselves in the play-off spots despite drawing two and losing one of their last three National League games.

Home form remains a focus for Hessenthaler’s men, who have won just once at Crabble so far this campaign, a 2-1 victory over Wrexham.

Hessenthaler said: “We’ve got to be able to handle those expectation levels a bit.

“My expectation levels from the start of the season are that our requirement is to try and get into the top seven, seventh gets you into the play-offs. That’s the chairman’s requirement.

“He’s not come and told me before the start of the season that you’ve got to go and win the league, he’s saying ‘let’s go and have a crack at the play-offs’, that’s the aim and the expectation levels.

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“We’re in there at the moment, but the problem is that we’ve put ourselves in a real good position but we could be so much higher if we’d have carried that on.

“That’s the frustrating part of it, we started off well, we’ve lost some sloppy games and haven’t really got going at home. We have to address the home form.

“We’ve got to get going again otherwise we’ll start sliding and put ourselves in a tough position. I believe we’ve got enough in the dressing room to get back on track.

“They (the players) have got to stay confident. If you start being too critical they lose confidence and that’s not good management.”

Dover are set to be boosted by the return of Kurtis Cumberbatch at Hartlepool on Saturday, the midfielder having missed the last four games due to suspension following his red card against Woking.

Hessenthaler added: “He’ll be fresh, he’ll drive forward. He’s got to learn the game.

“He can’t be getting sent off like he did and giving away silly fouls like he did.

“It will give us that freshness and that drive, sometimes you need that at home.

“We’ve told him, I think he knows. I doubt he’ll do it again. If he does, he’ll know what’s coming.”

Captain Kevin Lokko could be back in action after missing Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Chorley due to injury, although it is Bobby-Joe Taylor who appears more likely to make his comeback.

“Hopefully Kev will be fit, it might be another week for him,” said Hessenthaler.

“Bobby was close this week. He looked 70% in training and didn’t look happy. At one stage on Thursday we thought he was going to be playing but it didn’t happen.”

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Summer signing Bilel Hinchiri is meanwhile still in the process of adapting to English football, with the Frenchman having made just three appearances in the league so far.

“I'll have a chat with Bilel,” explained Hessenthaler.

“He's just finding it difficult to come to terms with this level.

“Not with the ball, I watch him in training and he's fantastic. He works so hard.

“It's just learning this game out of possession with the way this league is. The English barrier is tough for him as well.”

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