It's out of our hands, admits Burman

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman is in a mixed mind as to whether his men will sneak into the Ryman Premier League play-off’s, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Darts can mathematically sneak into the Ryman Premier League play-off zone in their last three games - but they need results to go their way.

But Burman, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk tonight, believes Sutton United and Carshalton Athletic - who occupy the last two available places - and one other, will not slip up in the last seven days of the league campaign.

“We’ve still got to win all three of our games and we’ve got to rely on three teams losing their games,” said Burman.

“For us to win three games is very possible, but I feel one of the teams might not win their games, but I can’t see all t here of them losing their games.

“Our chances are now very, very slim.”

But Dartford - seven points adrift of fifth-placed Carshalton Athletic, enjoyed a reasonable Easter, having held Wealdstone to a goal-less draw before crushing Canvey Island 4-0 at Princes Park on Easter Monday.

“It was a reasonable Easter,” said the boss. “Obviously, we would have liked to have won both games and won six points, but unfortunately we only got four points from the two games, which has seen us not get into the play-off positions.”

Burman revealed he wants to keep striker Bradley Woods-Garness at Princes Park next season and will try to negotiate a deal with his parent club Billericay Town.

The striker has scored once in six games whilst on loan at the club, and Burman said, “He’s under contract with Billericay and we will take with Billericay and Bradley at the end of the season.

“He’s been with us for a few weeks and he’s come in to see what it’s like at our place. I think he’s keen and we are and we will talk to him at the end of the season.”

Expectations will be high again next season, especially as adversaries Dover Athletic have romped to the title this season.

“From our point of view we feel the division is so much better than the South and the North,” said Burman.

“We are playing a good standard of football and probably the best this club has played for in the last fifteen years.

“You can lose to the teams that are around the bottom - there’s just no easy games."

Speaking about this season, their first at this level for many years, Burman said, “It’s been a learning curve, that’s for sure. I feel we have improved the squad and we’ve improved the performances, which has enabled us to be in touch with the play-off teams, especially after the start we had.

“We’ve improved this year as a squad and the quality of player that we’ve brought in has improved the team and next year we’ll be driving to do that again.

“We feel each year we have improved and we will endeavour to do that against next year.

“Every manager at the start of the season wants to win the league and we’re no different to that. We wanted to try to win the league this year, but it wasn’t to be.

“We’ve done very well to keep in that play-off contention with three or four games to go until the end of the season.

“Unfortunately we hit a poor spell with injuries to crucial players but this is football, it happens, and you have to get on with it.

“We weren’t winning - we were losing and drawing - and it hurt us.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game against already relegated Ramsgate, Burman reacted to this morning’s news that Rams assistant Danny Ward will be leaving the Thanet club to search for a first-team manager’s job.

“We should all remember Ramsgate were not the most fashionable club and I don’t mean that disgracefully,” said Burman.

“Jim and Danny have taken them from the Kent League and the play-off’s in the Ryman Premier last year and it’s a fantastic achievement.

“Sometimes football can be a cruel game and it’s not gone right for them but in this league you need a lot of points to avoid relegation.

“They know their destiny now and they will come to our place with nothing to lose and it will be a tough game.”

Meanwhile, Dartford’s last home game, against Ashford Town (Middlesex) on Tuesday, 21^st April, will be the second game that will be FREE ADMISSION for supporters that hold season tickets for clubs that play in the top four division’s of English football.

Fans that take up the Kent club’s offer should go to gate number four with the relevant documents.

Visit Dartford’s websites: www.dartfordfc.co.uk & www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk

Dartford v Ramsgate
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 18^th April 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Princes Park Stadium, Grassbanks, Darenth Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1RT