Mitch Brundle is planning big changes at Dover after the relief of avoiding relegation on the final day of the season.

Whites lost 2-0 to Weymouth but stayed up on goal difference at Dulwich Hamlet’s expense.

News of Hamlet’s 1-0 defeat by Chippenham filtered through, shortly before the final whistle at Crabble.

Weymouth started the day in the bottom four but a third straight win secured their safety, with Whites stumbling over the line after taking only four points from their final 11 games.

Staying up was ultimately all that mattered but boss Brundle said: “They’ve done a great escape and ours is not a great escape - it’s just a disappointing end to the season.

“We didn’t do it. That’s got to be clarified. We didn’t stay up - Chippenham did us a favour because we didn’t win our game.

“We could have won this game and then it’s down to us.

“We didn’t have that in us but it’s irrelevant.

“It’s relief, not happiness, because I’m still disappointed we got into this position in the first place.

“But we’ve done what we set out to do when I took the job.

“It was just about staying in the league because we weren’t fighting for anything at the top.

“We didn’t have a big enough, or good enough, personnel but I’m delighted for all those players because no matter whether they can do it on the pitch, I’ve still got a soft spot for all of them.

“I still love them all to bits, they’re my players that I took over with, that I played with.

“I’m friends with a lot of them, so I’m delighted they haven’t got a relegation on their CV, especially these young kids.

“It’s hard to come back from a relegation as a player. Some mangers will take it, some won’t but it’s tough out there.

“The football world is dog eat dog, there’s a lot of players who are going to be available.”

Brundle confirmed he had spoken to chairman Jim Parmenter about next season, adding it was “going to be a very busy summer”.

Every Dover player is out of contract and it appears wholesale changes are on the cards.

Asked how many of the current would still be at Crabble next season, Brundle said: “Not many.

“I don’t want to disclose actual figures and numbers - I don’t think it’s fair on the players.

“It’s very disrespectful and I’m not that type of person but some of them haven’t performed, they’ve not had their levels, and some have performed well and can hold their heads high.

“But it’s irrelevant now. Today’s just about dealing with knowing the fact we’re still in this league.

“My biggest achievement so far to date in my football career is keeping this club in the National League South.

“I know people will say you should already have been safe.

“Yes, but we weren’t, and we went down to the wire.

“The final points that we won actually mean a lot, the unbeaten run we went on (at the start of Brundle’s reign) meant a lot.

“You look back at the season as a whole.”

Dover trailed 2-0 inside half an hour and it could have been worse as Weymouth, needing to win to survive, dominated at Crabble

Luke Wanadio hit the bar before half-time but Whites, playing in front of their biggest home crowd of the season of 1,509, were well beaten.

Brundle said: “We didn’t manage the situation, the game plan.

“Some players, the nerves got the better of them and we know that.

“They’re young kids, some of them.

“I tried to be very calm and say don’t play the occasion, play the game.

“We created chances, we hit the crossbar and had a couple cleared off the line.

“I just felt like it was going to be one of those days again because we haven’t had clinical finishers and that’ll be first on my shopping list.”