Striker George Nikaj insists Dover will surprise a lot of people in National League South this season.

Many have predicted Whites to go straight back down on their return to playing Step 2 football.

An opening-day 3-2 National League South loss to fellow newly-promoted team AFC Totton last Saturday - failing to recover from an awful first 45 minutes despite 22-year-old Albanian Nikaj’s second-half brace - is unlikely to change many minds on how the Crabble club will fare this campaign.

But the Academy graduate pointed out few thought Jake Leberl’s men would be in the promotion mix last term, either, as play-off glory ensured their Isthmian League return proved to be a brief one.

“Last year, they wrote us off and we got promoted so they can carry on writing us off,” Nikaj said. “I think we will surprise a lot of teams.

“Saturday, when you look at our performance, especially in the second half, yes we were 3-0 down, but we were good at times.

“We just have got to move on from the first half because the first half wasn’t good enough. I don’t think we will play like that again this season.

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“I think we’ll do all right this season. We’ll surprise a lot of people.”

Nikaj admitted Whites were well below-par in the first 45 minutes of the campaign as they found themselves 3-0 down at Crabble.

He then struck twice after the restart, converting substitute Francis Mampolo’s left-wing delivery before a close-range stoppage-time header after good right-wing play by Roman Charles-Cook and Decarrey Sheriff, but it wasn’t quite enough to complete a memorable comeback.

Nikaj reflected: “First half, we were nowhere near the standards we set for ourselves.

“We went in disappointed, fuming, and we knew we had to come out with a reaction. But credit to the boys that came on because they changed the game for us.

“Francis set me up for the first and, Decarrey, there was good work from him (for the second). A good shot from him, the keeper parries it and I’m there again.

“It’s a disappointing day but there are some positives, especially in the second half.”

Whites’ youthful squad were dominated by an AFC Totton team, who looked far stronger than them in the first period.

But Nikaj said: “We’re going to come across physical sides and we’re going to have to adapt.

“Last year, we had to play against teams that just didn’t play so we’ll just have to adapt. Yeah, it’s physical but we have got to be men out there.

“We cannot be boys.”

His goals do mean left-footed Nikaj, Dover’s top scorer with 25 goals last campaign as they went up, is already up and running for the new season.

He said: “I just want to keep scoring and keep the momentum going.

“I had a good season last season but that’s in the past. Now, I’m just focused on this season.

“Hopefully, I can carry on from where I left off.”

Dover’s first away trip is a lengthy one as they take on the 400-mile round journey to Bath City this weekend.

“It’s a tough place to go,” Nikaj noted. “I’ve been there a few times.

“They’re going to be a tough side. They drew on Saturday (1-1 at Worthing) so we’re going to go there with the mentality that we have to win, especially after Saturday.

“We have to come back with a reaction - and I think we will.”