Dartford are happy to provide striker Jamie Philpot with a shop window to show what he can do.

The 21-year-old was released by Millwall in the summer and spent pre-season trialling with Football League clubs in an effort to play at the highest possible level.

When a move failed to materialise, the Darts stepped in, even thought joint boss Jamie Coyle knows it could only be a short stay.

He said: “Jamie came to me at Welling last year (on loan) and scored six in his first eight games. I knew he was a real threat in the final third. He really impressed me with his attitude on his work ethic as well and so I was always keen bring him here.

“We had to be patient and wait for him to see if he had an opportunity somewhere else in a higher league. Thankfully for us it didn't quite happen. He is ambitious and he wants to move on but he has to score goals.

“Even if he has just half a season here and scores goals it will be an opportunity for him to move on. Ideally if he is doing well we want him to stay at the football club but it is nice to see players go on. He has real potential to push on and go back in the Football League and just needs to perform on a consistent basis.”

Philpot made his debut at Bath on Saturday and came agonisingly close to a goal in the 1-0 win over Chelmsford on Tuesday night, hitting the woodwork with one effort and having another ruled out for offside.

“He was unlucky but if he keeps doing what he did then the goals will come,” Coyle said.

“I would like to see the video, but I think he scored a brilliant goal. He looked like he was five or six yards on-side and he timed the run to perfection. It's a shame for him because he took it really well and lobbed the keep to put it in.

“He had another chance where it hit the crossbar and then the post and it could have crossed the line he said.”

Read the full story in Thursday's Dartford Messenger