WHITES midfield ace Stuart Maynard says he is still hurting after Saturday’s defeat at Eastleigh – but insists: “We’ll climb out of the relegation zone.”

Maynard, one of the new players that Steve Browne has brought to Dover since becoming manager, believes the team has enough quality to be fighting towards the top end of the table.

He said: “Losing ruined my weekend. It was so gutting because we played well and dominated the match. We are just being let down in the final third at the moment, plus we’re not getting much luck, which always seems to be the way when you’re down near the bottom.

“But we played some good football and dominated against one of the top sides. At least, that is something to build on and we know that if we keep playing the way we are, results will come.

“We certainly have the players to get us right up the table and are very confident that we’re going to achieve it. Hopefully, we can get some more wins under our belts, now we’ve got some home matches coming up.”

Maynard is enjoying his time on the south-east coast and believes Dover Athletic are the biggest club in the Ryman League Premier Division in terms of stadium, fanbase and set-up. He cannot believe that Whites are even at this level but understands it has been a tough few seasons for the club.

He said: “Dover is a Conference club, when you look at the ground and fanbase. It’s all geared for the Football League to be honest. But of course we’re a Ryman side and have to get the club back to that level again.

“It’s great to be at a club that wants to go places. I can see that there is a lot of ambition at Dover and, as a player, that is great to see.

“I am really enjoying being at Dover. The journey down is a long one but it’s well worth it when you get to play infront of crowds not far off 1,000. Let’s hope the fans keep coming through the turnstiles. We are playing good football and believe we are going to get the results that see Dover climb up this table.

“Morale is high in the camp. Although we’ve been losing, we’ve been playing well and that has kept everyone’s spirits up.”