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Dartford FC boss Tony Burman admits some of his players need to man up

Tony Burman has urged his Dartford players to use their heads if they are going to win promotion this season.

Darts conceded two goals in the last four minutes to lose at home to Chelmsford on Saturday.

It left boss Burman furious with his players – who lost their discipline when it seemed that the three points were in the bag.

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

“My concern is I’ve got some experienced players who should know better how to see a game out,” said Burman.

“It didn’t matter who they brought on – that didn’t bother me – but you’ve got to be able to manage games, not chase after the referee for 50 yards once the deed has been done.

“You have to be careful and it’s be professional. In the last 10 minutes, I thought there were a few players of mine who weren’t professional enough.

“I don’t want the players to be like that but we’re getting into the nitty gritty now and there’s a lot of pressure on them. Some of them can take it and some of them can’t. A lot of them didn’t take it against Chelmsford.

“They’ve got to be able to do that. Some of the experienced players have been in big occasions. Some of the younger ones, if they want to go further, have to man up and try to manage the game.”

Burman even admitted he would look to bring someone in to help with his squad’s mentality – if he thought it was the right thing to do – such was the alarming nature that his team lost their way.

He said: “You can work on (the mental side) but whether I’ve got enough time, I don’t know. If we have to get someone in, then I’ll try.

“The guys have been brilliant but they’re getting close to the line. They are all good players but it’s the ones who want to be the bravest that win something.

“I’m desperate to get this club back into the league above. We’ve had two bad results but we’ve got to recover.”

Dartford’s recovery starts at Wealdstone on Saturday. They still lead National League South but Havant, in third, are now just three points behind with three games in hand.

“That last five minutes has cost us and (some) around us will be all doom and gloom,” added Burman. “But we’ve got to lift ourselves up and go again on Saturday.

“If we perform well for 80 minutes and one of the chances go in, then fine. But we’ve got to play for 90-plus minutes.”

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