Steve Watt admits a couple of his players 'had words' in the dressing room after Tuesday's defeat away to Vanarama National League South promotion hopefuls Dartford.

The division's bottom club were swept aside 4-0 by Tony Burman's men at Princes Park and Gate boss Watt admitted emotions were running high afterwards.

He explained: "I wasn't best pleased with the performance so there were a few things said between myself and the players and a couple of them had a couple of words (with each other), which I enjoyed.

"It was refreshing to see because I want people demanding the best of each other.

"It would be all too easy to sit in the dressing room counting down the games and just accepting things, but that showed they care.

"It showed those boys' mentality, that they don't want to accept lesser standards, they want to win."

Watt admitted Dartford were full value for their win, which kept them third, but he did think his side made life easy for them.

He also felt that, for the first time during his reign, the Blues did not stay competitive until the end.

He added: "Dartford were better than us in every department. I think the game showed where they are and where we are.

"When you play the really top sides your weaknesses will be exposed and that's what happened.

"We matched them for the first half an hour without creating much but then their physicality took over and the second goal (which came early in the second half) took the stuffing out of us a little bit.

"I just felt that at 2-0 to Dartford at Dartford you won't really come back and I sensed that from the players.

"It's something I don't like, I want my sides to keep on going but it (our spirit) left us a little bit. We didn't show the effort, determination and desire we have in other games."

Watt says he fully expects a positive response from his players against Eastbourne Borough at Hartsdown on Saturday.

The Sussex side beat Welling 7-3 on Tuesday and Watt, whose side remain 13 points from safety, said: "It will be tough because they'll come full of confidence but we've got a bit to prove after Tuesday.

"I don't think we're as bad a side as we showed at Dartford and the players will want to show that."

Striker Michael Thalassitis missed the Dartford game and is again unavailable for the visit of Eastbourne but Watt's squad will include new signings Dave Martin, Luis Cumbers and 28-year-old attacking midfielder Stephane Ngamvoulou, who has arrived from Oxford City.

Meanwhile forward Jerson Dos Santos has been released and teenage midfielder Alfie Foster has joined Ryman League Division 1 South side Chatham until the end of the season in an attempt to get regular game time.