We want to stay in the Trohpy for as long as we can, vows Dartford boss Tony Burman

DARTFORD manager Tony Burman says his side must take advantage of their home comforts during their FA Carlsberg Trophy clash against Boston United tomorrow.

The Darts go into the second round clash sitting in fourth place in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) South table, whilst their opponents lie in eleventh place in Conference North.

The Darts reached the last sixteen of the competition last year, going out to Conference Premier outfit Gateshead in the North East and the Kent side are just one win away from replicating that feat.

“We obviously want to stay in the Trophy for as long as we can and having a home tie should hopefully give us that advantage and maybe see us through to the next round,” Burman said on the eve of the Princes Park clash.

“We’ve done our homework on them.  We’ve had them watched and I also went up there on Tuesday to see them play (Bishop’s Stortford) so we know a bit about them now.”

The Darts go into the game on a four match unbeaten run, but Burman insists he will not underestimate their mid-table opponents.

He said: “I don’t think the table doesn’t matter in the cup competitions, they’re one-off games and we want to get through to the next round and that’s what we’ll endeavour to get through.

“It’s a tough game, but hopefully we can progress to the next round.”

Two goals apiece from the influential Elliot Bradbrook and Danny Harris sealed a 4-1 away win at Havant & Waterlooville last Saturday and confidence is high going into tomorrow’s Trophy tie.

Burman said:  “We need to continue in the vein of form we’ve been in the last few weeks, especially last week against Havant, when we were excellent and if we continue to play like that we’ve got a good chance of winning tomorrow and not  only that, keeping a good run going.”

Burman does not want to return to York Street for a midweek replay – especially as Dartford have never won in Boston in their entire history.

He said: “It’s a long way but like I’ve said all along, I don’t want to be involved in replay’s, which to be fair, we’ve only had one this season (against Eastbourne Borough in The FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round) so it’s not too bad.

“But I’m hoping we get a decent crowd tomorrow and they get behind us like they did against Welling. Let’s have a nice, positive atmosphere around the ground and that will all progress to the players’ and hopefully we can do the job that we’ve got to do.

“It’s a big game for us tomorrow, there’s money involved in the competition and that’s all we can think about.”

When asked whether the Dartford camp are talking about a Wembley Final, Burman replied, “You don’t and all you do is you just want to go as far as you can and if it ends up talking us there so be it.”

Burman, meanwhile, has extended the loan-spell of Gillingham defender Connor Essam, 19.

He said: “He’s come in.   For a nineteen-year-old lad he’s done really, really well.  Obviously being a professional football and training every day makes that little bit of difference.  He’s come in and he has done well.  He’s joined us when all of a sudden we’ve hit a good spell of form, which has been nice.”

When asked about knocks, Burman revealed: “Suspensions, we’re ok, they don’t kick in until the following Saturday.  Lee Burns has trained last night so he’ll hopefully be added to the squad tomorrow. Other than that Paul Goodacre will be two or three weeks’ out with a knee injury.”

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

Dartford  v  Boston United
FA Carlsberg Trophy Second Round
Saturday 14^th January 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Princes Park Stadium, Grassbanks, Darenth Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1RT