by Steve Tervet

Dartford manager Tony Burman is hoping to sign a striker to replace Harry Crawford before the January transfer window slams shut.

Crawford’s departure on a free transfer to Barnet last week has left the Darts short of attacking options in Blue Square Bet Premier.

With league and cup fixtures stacking up as a result of recent postponements, Burman, pictured, wants to bolster his forward line ahead of Thursday's deadline.

He said: "We do need a replacement for Harry. We need someone up front to bring the squad back up to 19.

"I’ve got to look at it as though we have players injured. We still need a strong bench. Once Thursday goes, we can still get people on loan, so it’s not the end of the world but I’d like to bring someone in."

Crawford made 30 appearances in a Darts shirt, scoring 15 goals, and his form was enough to land a three-year contract at Barnet, although Burman believes he may have left Princes Park too soon.

He said: "Harry would have benefited from staying with us for the whole season. I felt, if he did stay with us, there could have been even more clubs interested in him.

"If we were a full-time club he wouldn’t have gone, it’s as simple as that. He wanted to train full-time and that’s the reason he’s gone."