Kentish Football 
We'll come out fighting, vows Burman
The Darts suffered their third defeat in four when Boreham Wood came away from Princes Park with a 2-1 defeat last night – and Burman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he wants his side to get back on track at Gorings Mead.
Burman’s boys have topped the Ryman Premier League table for most of the season, but recent form has caused concern.
Their lead at the top of the table has now been cut to seven points, but Dartford do have four games in hand over their nearest challengers, Kingstonian, and two over third-placed side, Sutton United.
And with 12 league games remaining, Dartford are still on course to secure automatic promotion into Blue Square South.
“We’ve got to go for the three points at Horsham. It’s one of our games in hand, hopefully we can go there and do a job,” said Burman.
“The guys in there have been absolutely fantastic for us this year. They are down at the moment and it’s my job to lift them for Thursday.
“We’ve had a chat in there and I’m sure they’ll come back and get things right. It’s very difficult at the moment with games coming thick and fast and another game on Thursday, but that should help. Nevertheless the effort is there. I’m sure they’ll come out fighting.
“We’ve got to go for the next game; the most important thing is the next three points on Thursday and we can’t look any further than that.”
Burman, whose side welcome arch-rivals Maidstone United to Princes Park on Saturday added, “We’ve given ourselves a fantastic lead and we want to keep that. Our games in hand will come up very fast and that’s when we’ve got to get things right. It hasn’t gone right for us in the last few games and the players have got to get their belief back. I’m sure they will.”
Burman is set to make changes to his side for their trip to ninth-placed Horsham – a side that ended their fourth match losing run with a 1-1 draw at Maidstone United last night.
“We’ve been fair to everyone,” said Burman. “In this run of 4 or 5 games, we’ve got to rotate, you get knocks and we want to freshen things up.
“We’re complicating our play at the moment and when they cross the line, there are all the intentions to do the right thing, but the harder they are trying, the worse it gets.
“We’re having a bad spell, no two ways about it, but we move on to Thursday, one of our games in hand, and who knows what might happen. I’m sure I’ll get a reaction.
Burman hopes James White and last night’s goalscorer Lee Burns will be fit to play having picked up knocks against Boreham Wood last night, but there was an injury concern for central defender Adam Flanagan.
“Flan’s not going to be ready,” revealed Burman. “We’ve got to be careful with him; he’s got a hamstring injury and if we bring him back too soon, he could be missing for five games.
“Nevertheless, I’ve got a squad here that’s strong enough.”
Burman added: “The players have been hurt by the two defeats. They’re good lads and I’m sure we’ll get a reaction. We might get battered on Thursday, but if we come away with a 1-0 win, the ball off someone’s backside, then so be it.
“We’ve got to go there – they are in the pack – but we can get the players’ lifted.”
Visit Dartford’s websites: www.dartfordfc.co.uk & www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk
www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering this game
Horsham v Dartford
Ryman Premier League
Thursday 18th March 2010
Kick Off 7:30pm
At Gorings Mead, Horsham RH13 5BP
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd