Burman: The ball is in our court

Monday 20th February 2006

Dartford manager Tony Burman admitted losing their third successive game was a “bitter pill to swallow.”

Since losing their unbeaten home record on 7^th February, going down 2-1 to ten-man Uxbridge, the Darts have also lost at home to Rothwell Town (0-1) and on Saturday they crashed to a 3-1 defeat at relegation threatened side Berkhamsted Town.

Burman told www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk: he wants his players to buck up their ideas, especially as the club attracts good support wherever they play.

He raged: “On Saturday we were on the end of another disappointing result away from home – also our third league defeat in a row.

“This poor run of results has been a bitter pill to swallow for everybody involved with the club.

“I accept that frustration has crept into all of us as we are in a position that we have not been in for so many seasons and we all want the best for the team and the club.”

Reflecting on their defeat at Broadwater, Burman, who handed Brad Potter his first start of the season, said: “I felt we played very well for the first thirty minutes and could have been one if not two up with the chances we created.”

The Darts stalwart, however, bemoaned his players lack of confidence, having not recovered from going a goal behind just past the half-hour mark.

Fifth placed Dartford (47 points) are nine points adrift of the team above them, but Wivenhoe Town (44), Waltham Forest (44), Barking & East Ham United (43) and Chatham Town (42) are closing the gap.

“Amazingly after this poor run of results we are still in fifth position with eleven games to go the ball is in our court and I am going to do my best to make sure if stays there for our run in,” he said.

Burman reflected: “I look back at the three games we have lost. We have had chances to take the lead in all of them.

“Also three individuals who have been excellent all season made three poor defensive errors with two of them coming inside five minutes to put us 2-0 down from being in a comfortable position before the break.”

“Two of these errors have happened in our previous two games, so these are areas we have got to improve.

“Another bad habit that we have got into is that when we go a goal down our heads drop too quickly and we think the game is lost, which I have to say probably hurts me the most, especially when we have got seventy or so fans, who have made the effort to come and support the team to try and get us through this poor spell.

“So I have some problems to solve and believe me I will do my best to solve these problems.”

Burman takes his side to Barking & East Ham United on Saturday. The Essex side came away from Chatham Town with a point on Saturday, scoring a late equaliser after Steve Best gave the Kent side the lead on the half-hour mark.

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