Dartford’s three-year stay in the Conference comes to an end on Saturday when they host Lincoln City.

Promoted via the Conference South play-offs in 2011-12, the Darts were ranked as England’s top-ranked part-time club the following season when they finished eighth.

Tony Burman’s side beat Mansfield, Grimsby, Wrexham, Luton and Cambridge during an incredible campaign but couldn’t sustain that form, ending last season in the bottom four.

They were reprieved from the drop in June when financial problems saw Hereford and Salisbury expelled from the Conference but that only led to more struggles.

Dartford have won just eight games all season and only Nuneaton’s three-point deduction is keeping them off the bottom of the table.

Burman said: "It’s sad and a big dent to our pride.

"But we’ve had our day in that league and, in all fairness, the sooner it’s over, the better so we can realise where we are and get things moving again."

Darts have won as many games on the road this season as they have at home but their final Conference away day ended in a 2-0 defeat at Macclesfield last weekend.

Burman said: "I can’t turn round and say the players were dreadful on Saturday, far from it.

"We’re at home this weekend and I hope they’ll go out and give it a real go, which I’m sure they will.

"We know the home form’s been disappointing but it’s a chance for some of them to put some things right and get another win after what we did against Nuneaton."