The outcome may have been the same - but Dartford manager Alan Dowson was far happier with the performance his team put in during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at St Albans.

Dowson had been furious with the Darts’ display in last Tuesday’s 2-1 home loss to Slough in National League South, vowing some of the squad won’t play for the club again under his tenure.

Their early-season struggles continued at St Albans as his injury-hit squad were again left empty-handed - despite frontmen Lewis Manor and Harvey Bradbury being among those to go close.

Dowson said: “Where I was absolutely devastated after the game against Slough, I wasn’t on Saturday.

“I thought they showed passion for the club, they ran their socks off and gave everything. If you go away from home and hit the bar three or four times, you’ve not done badly.

“That’s what we did. It’s just a disappointing end result.

“Even when we hit the underside of the bar, it’s not going in!

Duo raise Dartford’s cup spirits

“As well as hitting the bar, we had some very good chances. But we’ve just got to get on with it. Once the goals start going in, we’ll hammer somebody one day.

“At the minute, we’re struggling to score goals but, defensively, we don’t look too bad. We’re not conceding loads.

“I haven’t had many players out there on the pitch but, once we get everybody back, we’ll be okay.”

Dartford - last season’s play-off Semi-Finalists - are on a three-match losing run and have nine points from as many National League South games.

They are only clear of the relegation zone on goal difference and sit some six points away from the play-offs.

Dowson added: “It’s disappointing when you lose a few on the spin.

“But I’ve been doing this for a long time. You’ve just got to ride the storm. I get shouts here, shouts there, and I’ve got to ride the storm as well.

“We just need to keep on believing.”