Dover Athletic manager Nicky Forster rues lack of goals

Nicky Forster's Dover are two points off the play offs

Dover Athletic manager Nicky Forster cursed his side's wastefulness in front of goal as the main reason behind their current Blue Square Bet South position.

The Whites sit seventh in the table and could miss the play-offs if Basingstoke win at Hampton & Richmond on Tuesday.

"If we don't get into the play-offs, it's because we haven't put the ball in the net," Forster told BBC Radio Kent.

"We've always been mid-table and below in terms of scoring goals. It's the old adage that goals win games."

He added: "Our defensive record, up until late, has been very good over the period that we've been here but our problem has always been converting chances that we create."

Dover have just the tenth best record in the league in front of goal, scoring 61 times in 41 games, the same number as Havant and Waterlooville in 19th.

When Forster took over in September, Dover Athletic were 12th in the Blue Square Bet South yet despite losing just once between December and March, the Whites appear to be falling just short of the play-off zone.

The former Brentford boss urged the expectant Dover supporters to bear with him as he tries to impart his stamp on the club.

"It's a club with big expectations and rightly so," said Forster. "It's my job to move the club forward.

"I'm still, to a point, playing with a hand that's been dealt to me. I'm looking forward to trying to move on next season.

"The one thing that people did say to me was that fans were expectant of the Conference.

"That's where they want to be and that mirrors my ambition. We've all got to be a little bit patient."