Dartford are determined to prove their doubters wrong for the second year running when The Skrill Premier season kicks off on Saturday.

The Darts finished last season as the top-ranked part-time side in England and they open the 2013/14 programme at home to Alfreton Town.

Despite the competency of that campaign, some pundits expect Dartford to find life tougher this time around and have tipped them as relegation candidates. Manager Tony Burman disagrees and will use those gloomy predictions as motivation.

He said: “We stayed in the league on merit and I still don’t think we’ve been given the credit we deserve. I don’t buy into the ‘second season syndrome’. It’s an excuse.

“We say things in the changing room that we feel will encourage the players, to get them going a little bit, sure. We use it to our benefit.

“It’s not important (what people think) outside Dartford. People in Dartford know what happened last year and the effort everyone put in.”

Dartford had mixed fortunes against Saturday’s opponents last season. They lost 3-2 in Derbyshire, having beaten Alfreton 5-1 at Princes Park.