Dartford academy manager Ben Greenhalgh - who has since become first-team boss at Princes Park too - reacts to club clinching under-19 National League Alliance South Division title

Ben Greenhalgh has hailed Dartford academy team’s title triumph as an incredible achievement.

Dartford Whites became under-19 National League Alliance South Division champions with a 5-2 victory at Maidenhead United last month.

The side have been led by boss Greenhalgh, who has since been appointed first-team player-manager at Princes Park ahead of the new season.

“It’s an incredible achievement, really, considering some of the teams we were up against,” said Greenhalgh.

“Southend have only just come out of the EFL and Sutton are still technically part of the EFL Scholarship status so we’re coming up against some really strong football clubs.

“We have always held our own in that division - having been in it for seven years and being at the top-end four times, being second twice and we were mid-table last season.

“It’s credit to this group because they have put all their effort into it.

“The main aim of being an academy coach, for me, isn’t to win things - it’s to develop footballers. That’s something we have been very good at over the last seven years.

“But it’s also a good habit to teach them what winning is like because, at the end of the day when you step up into first-team football, it’s all about winning games.

“They have been a really good group. There’s been a really strong connection between them.

“It’s one of the first groups we have ever coached where we set out a game-plan and they hit the nail on the head every time.

“They don’t steer away from that. They have been so effective.

“To finish ahead of some of those teams and with the run they went on - they were 19 games unbeaten and won 17 of them - was brilliant for them to end their academy football in that manner.

“But also for them to step into the real