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Dartford FC boss Tony Burman admitted his players lacked confidence in the FA Cup tie against Uxbridge

Tony Burman was left to rue more wastefulness in front of goal after Dartford's FA Cup humbling by Uxbridge on Saturday.

Burman paired Andy Pugh with George Sykes in attack but it wasn't a combination which clicked as the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 Central side pinched a 1-0 win at Princes Park.

"If you don’t score goals, you don’t go through in cup games," Burman said.

Dartford manager Tony Burman Picture: Andy Payton
Dartford manager Tony Burman Picture: Andy Payton

"We had enough chances to put the game to bed and then we find ourselves 1-0 down and in the second half, we find ourselves down to 10 men.

"At the end of it, what did we do wrong? We’ve just not put the ball in the back of the net, it’s as simple as that.

"In that last third, you’ve got to have that desire and commitment to will the ball in.

"We got behind them enough times but we had a lot of people looking for a pass backwards rather than a pass going across the goal.

"It’s obviously confidence, especially after the last couple of games. They’ve done everything they should have done but we haven’t put the ball in the back of the net and that’s why we’re in the position now that we are.

"It doesn’t matter who puts the ball in the back of the net, someone has to. Someone has to take the bull by the horns - and it hasn’t happened."

George Sykes in action against Uxbridge Picture: Andy Payton
George Sykes in action against Uxbridge Picture: Andy Payton

Burman admitted it was embarrassing to lose to a team 44 places lower down the football pyramid.

"I have to say there’s a little bit of that," he said.

"I can’t say that we didn’t have enough opportunities. On another day, if we’d spoken about three or four goals, that’s what it could have been. We needed to score early and at the end, we’re chasing a draw with 10 men.

"Is it embarrassing? Possibly, because we’ve been knocked out by a team in a lower division, so that side of it hurts.

"I think that’s the first time it’s happened to us, being knocked out by a team in a lower division in the FA Cup.

"I think we’ve always gone out to teams either at the same level or maybe one down, I don’t know.

"It’s not a very nice feeling obviously. It’s a bitter pill for everyone to swallow, on and off the field, we know that. It’s a massive blow for the club."

Defeat cost Dartford, who reached the second round proper last season, £4,500 in prize money.

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