Alan Dowson is optimistic Dartford can now string a positive run of results together.

The Darts responded after two successive National League South losses with Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Welling.

It was a small step in the right direction for Dowson’s men, who twice came from behind to earn a hard-fought draw.

This Saturday, the second-placed side host third-bottom Chippenham.

Boss Dowson said: “We want to get back to winning ways.

“We have a home game against Chippenham. It’s a game we have got to win, obviously.

“They will be a hard-working side, they always are, but we will have a go.

“I’m very confident of getting a run together.”

Chippenham will be looking to do the double over Dartford after they won 2-1 in September at Hardenhuish Park.

Dowson said: “We were useless down there. Everyone blamed the pitch and all that.

"But there will be no excuses because our pitch is usually good.

“It’s important we win these games. If we can finish [the season] well, it’ll stand us in good stead.”

Second-half goals from striker Charlie Sheringham and substitute Malachi Napa ensured the points were shared at Park View Road.

Dowson reflected: “Second half, it was more like us.

“We just need to cut out silly mistakes. But it was a good game of football.

“We are not bad, they are not bad. Second half, we got back to our best and I was pleased with that.

“But the goals we are conceding are horrendous.

• Napa only getting started for Dartford

"We have got good defenders in the club, they just need to defend better.”

He was, however, pleased with the character shown by his team, with frontman Pierre Fonkeu coming close to winning it late on.

Dowson said: “It’s one of those where we’re 1-0 down and 2-1 down, and you think ‘We need something here’.

“We should have won it at the end as well.

“We absolutely gifted them goals. But it did show good character coming back and I’m pleased about that.”

The Darts are eight points adrift of frontrunners Ebbsfleet, who also have a game in hand, but the manager isn’t prepared to give up his side’s title ambitions just yet.

“It’s all right saying the championship is dead and buried, but it’s not dead and buried until it’s mathematically dead and buried,” Dowson stated.

“We have got to be up for it all the time.

"The quicker we start winning games, the better.”

Holders Dartford lost 2-1 at Ebbsfleet in the Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday.

From 2-0 down, midfielder Jack Smith finished off a flowing team move for the visitors with 17 minutes left.

The Darts nearly took the tie to penalties but Alex Wall’s stoppage-time free-kick hit the underside of the bar.