by Luke Cawdell

Dartford boss Tony Burman believes Tuesday’s heavy home defeat to AFC Telford will serve as a reality check.

The Darts have surged toward the top of Blue Square Bet Premier, despite being the pre-season odds-on favourites for relegation by experts and bookies alike.

And last weekend’s impressive win at Grimsby raised expectations further before everyone was brought back down with a bump at Princes Park following the midweek 4-1 defeat.

"That is exactly what can happen to you in a game of football," said Burman, pictured.

"We didn’t punish them in the first 20 minutes whereas we made two mistakes and got punished and there were two really good finishes as well.

"It’s strange because a couple of weeks ago we didn’t play that well against Hyde and we won. On Tuesday we played okay and lost.

"It is a heavy defeat but I am not despondent. It is a reality check without a doubt and that’s how it will be treated."