Dartford coach Martin Tyler believed the introduction of loan signings George Alexander and Richard Chin added a greater energy to their side.

The Darts produced their best display of the season to beat a full-time Torquay outfit in National League South 3-0 on Saturday.

Both new recruits scored and added a real impetus to Dartford, who also kept a first clean sheet in eight games.

“We had energy and that’s the main quality, I think,” stated Tyler. “The finishing was extremely good, of course, and that was the difference between the two teams as Torquay had some good chances.

“We got onto the front foot which is very much Dowse’s way of wanting to play football and this time we made it count. To have a first half where we played well and a second half where we were resilient, it’s completed the circle, really.

“A clean sheet is not our forte so we were desperate for that, even in the last few minutes. A 3-1 scoreline would have still been a well-deserved win but the clean sheet just put the cherry on the icing on the cake.”

The quality of Dartford’s goals stood out. Chin netted his first senior goal with a stunning left-foot strike into the top corner, Alexander’s two-touch finish was sublime and Moussa Diarra volleyed in from a free-kick.

“I thought we started really well, as well as we have all season, but not got a goal to show for it,” added Tyler.

“There was a handball shout as well and then Chin did his big of magic. It’s his first senior goal and he’ll do well to get a better one!

“Not just the nature of it but the timing of it, it gave everyone a lift. We’re the same if we go a goal down, it can be difficult, and Torquay have had mixed results so they felt the same.

“George Alexander had just missed one and he then had three or four chances in the second half but he took the hardest chance - and took it with great aplomb.

“Moussa normally heads goals and we’ve had him at Hampton and Woking where he’s scored quite a few goals. We all expected it to be a header rather than a left-footed volley but it was lovely.

“To get the third goal before half-time was a bonus. It really should have been 3-1 at half-time, without pointing a finger at the player, but that’s where we’re not so rounded at the moment and can say we’ll come again. Maybe it was our day, not just in the quality of our play but in the fortunes of the run of the ball.

“The energy is what we’re trying to bring to the team. The fans love it, we love it and the players do. We won 4-1 at Chippenham when JJ from Oxford United was on loan with us, and that was the blueprint really.

“Hopefully there’s more of it and we’ve got a chance to recover our energies as we don’t play in the league for two weeks now.”

Report: Dartford 3-0 Torquay

Being able to bring in Chin and Alexander - two players Dartford have been chasing all season – was only possible thanks to the support of the Dartford board.

Their assistance was not lost on Tyler.

“I want to put it on record how grateful we are to the board for getting their support as we were having difficulties,” he stated.

“I’m as pleased for them as anybody - Dowse, obviously, as he takes the brunt of it when it’s going wrong - but I’m pleased that those who have shown faith in us, and our judgement in the signings we wanted to bring in.

“It doesn’t normally work out like that, it’s a bit of a Disney game really, and for them to see immediately why we wanted that investment. It’s made the race night social after the game a lot better than had we lost 3-0.”