Boss Steve McKimm felt let down by his Tonbridge team as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at Dartford.

Goals from Darren McQueen, Elliott Romain and substitute Charlie Sheringham earned Steve King’s team the points from their National League South contest at Princes Park on Saturday.

It means Angels end 2019 in the relegation zone, albeit only two points away from safety.

McKimm, whose side had not played on Boxing Day after their match against Maidstone was called off, said: “I thought we were awful.

"We looked like we were the team that had played on Boxing Day and they were the ones that had, had a rest.

"My last words before they went out were ‘be on the front foot, be first to the first and second balls and you should be fresher’ but it went against us. In the first half, we were awful.

"In a Kent derby, for us to put in that performance wasn’t good enough. They could have been 3-0 or 4-0 up at half-time but they were not, so that gave us a bit of hope.

"We rallied them at half-time, and in the first 20 minutes of the second half, I thought we did well and we put them under pressure. It was just that final ball that let us down.

"Then, we tried to change a few things, especially after they got their second goal. But I felt they deserved their win."

McKimm revealed Tonbridge had only had 12 fit first-team players for the game.

But he added: “I’m not going to hide behind that.

“The starting XI was one that I could have picked for any one occasion because they are part of the squad.

• Report: Dartford 3 Tonbridge 0
• Reaction from Dartford boss Steve King

“The young kids on the bench came for the experience, but also, I wouldn’t be frightened to put them on. But I’m not putting them on when we are 2-0 or 3-0 down.

“All in all, Dartford deserved their win. I’m not hiding the fact that our squad was depleted in terms of numbers - we had 11 out there, plus Khale (Da Costa) who, I believe, can compete.

“But we didn’t compete and they have let themselves down, they have let me down and they have let the club down (by) not showing up in another Kent derby.”

McKimm did, however, feel Tonbridge should have been awarded a penalty as Dartford defender Josh Hill was sent off with his team 2-0 up at that time following an off-the-ball incident in the Dartford penalty box.

“What the referee has told Barry (Moore, McKimm’s assistant) is he gave the foul to them for the original incident on the goalkeeper (Alhaji Sesay). But from our view, the referee hadn’t given anything,” he said.

"He let play continue and, as their goalkeeper went to distribute the ball, that’s when the melee happened. I didn’t see it, so I’m not going to say their bloke (Hill) deserved to be sent off.

"But the melee ensued and the referee pulled out the red card.

"He hadn’t given a free-kick before that so it was in free play and, when he (the referee) watches the video back, he will see that he hasn’t given a free-kick and all he had done is stop play when their player retaliated to whatever had gone on, and that’s the red card.

"And that should be the penalty."

Tonbridge welcome back on-loan Ben Greenhalgh, who was not allowed to play against his parent club Dartford, when they travel to Maidstone on New Year's Day.

Read more: All the latest sports news in Kent