This season has just been a little bit too long for my players, says Dartford boss Tony Burman

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman has explained why his club’s supporters must give his side encouragement during the big Kent derby against play-off chasing Dover Athletic on Easter Monday afternoon, writes Stephen McCartney.

Fatigued Dartford suffered a disappointing 4-1 defeat at Bromley on Good Friday and many travelling supporters streamed out of Hayes Lane before the final whistle.

Bitter rivals Dover Athletic visit Princes Park on Monday and they are just one place and one point adrift of the play-off berths and Burman is a worried man.

With his side safe in eleventh place, he said, “The players’ are running on empty and I hope we get ourselves together and we don’t finish on three losses.

”At the moment they need a hell of a lot of help because they’re running on empty that’s for sure.”

But Burman insists he will lift his battle wary troops in time for the big game against Martin Hayes’ play-off chasers.

He insisted: “They’ll be raised.  At the start of the game they’re fine but they’ve given their all.  We shouldn’t knock them too much because their all has kept us in this division and it’s just this season has been a little bit too long for them.”

Burman added, “They’ll be right for the game on Monday.  Listen, I’ve got no doubt, the crowd, some of them will understand what I’m saying, but I’ve got to ask them they need as much help as they can get at the moment, the players.

”They’ll be right for the start of the game but we need a couple of things to go right for us.”

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

Dartford  v  Dover Athletic
Blue Square Bet South
Easter Monday 25^th April 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Princes Park Stadium, Grassbanks, Darenth Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1RT