Burman losing sleep with "red bus syndrome"

After going 13 league games without losing a Southern League Division One East game at Stonebridge Road, Dartford manager Tony Burman has admitted he’s losing sleep - as he's suffering from the “red bus syndrome”.

This is the second time this syndrome has appeared in Kent this season.  Ashford Town fans had to wait until the beginning of this month for an away win – and two came at once, winning 1-0 at Banstead Athletic and 4-2 at Kingstonian in the space of three days.

Two goals in the first 18 minutes helped Uxbridge to a 2-1 win last Tuesday night, with Darts winger Dave Martin netting his seventh goal of the season before the former Slade Green player missed a penalty late on.

But a header from Alan Almond early in the second half was enough to give Rothwell Town all three points on Saturday.

“Well, the last week has been very long especially after losing two consecutive home games.

Having failed to pick up any points in their last two games, other teams below them in the table have managed to close the gap.  Wivenhoe Town, in sixth place, are now four points behind, with a game in hand.

“I have tried to divert any pressure that may have got through to the players but I have to say that the way they have played in the last two games maybe it has,” admitted the Darts stalwart who takes his side to second from bottom Berkhamsted Town on Saturday.

“I feel they have stopped doing the easy things well and believe me I do not ask them to crash the ball straight down the middle, but when the nerves kick in these things tend to happen, especially with younger players and the harder they try the worse it gets.

”I do not think there is any point in me or anybody else slating any individual player as right from the start of the season I have stressed that we win, draw and lose as a team and at this stage of the season we must all stick together.

“Ok, yes, we have had two bad results.  Yes, I do pull my hair out and yes, I do have sleepless nights but to put me back on track I think to myself at the start of the season if someone had said to me you will be fifth in the table during the second week of February I would have taken it.

“But I want more so the work starts again tonight in training to put things right.”

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