Manager Alan Dowson has warned his Dartford players they can’t afford to give any more cheap goals away.

The Darts were on an excellent run of form before losing their last league game to Hemel Hempstead, and Dowson doesn’t want to see a repeat of their defending in that encounter.

“We can’t get back to conceding goals like that,” stated Dowson. “We’ve had a chat about it and I’ve criticised the goalkeeper and back four who have taken it on board.

“The one at the end was comical and if that doesn’t go in then we’d have stayed top of the league last week on goal difference.

“It doesn’t matter about the games in hand, I’m looking at the scrappy goals we’ve conceded including the one at Cheshunt and then that one.

“I don’t mind losing a game here and there but I’m not going back to conceding goals like we did at the start of the season.

“Now we’ve put pressure on the players and they know they can’t make a mistake or they’ll be out of the side. I’m not interested in what they’ve done for the last couple of weeks, I’m only interested in what they did last week as you’re only as good as your last game.

“We’ve put pressure on players all over the pitch now with the signings that we’ve made.”

Dartford travel to Worthing on Saturday, a team in the play-off places who have enjoyed an excellent debut season at National League South level.

“They beat us fair and square at our place, they were the last side to do that before the Hemel game,” recalled Dowson.

“They’re a good side, they work very hard, they are a good footballing side on their pitch and if we let them play then they’ll beat us.

“If we don’t let them play, and we play like we did against Ebbsfleet, then we’ll beat them.

“They are up there for a reason and play some unbelievable football but we’re a good side as well and we’ve just got to prove it again.”