Dartford manager Ady Pennock says side let standards slip in a rare off-day performance-wise in defeat at Burgess Hill

Dartford manager Ady Pennock admitted his team were well off the pace last weekend.

The Darts lost 2-1 at 10-man Burgess Hill in Isthmian Premier last Saturday.

“I’m obviously disappointed in the result, but I just thought that we weren’t really on it,” reflected Pennock.

“I was disappointed in the performance as well, which I haven’t said that many times this season.

“From front to back, our decision making wasn’t right. Even when they went down to 10 men, we didn’t make the right decisions at crucial times but they defended really well.

“It was just one of those games, that even if they had seven men, we were never going to score.

“It wasn’t through the lack of effort or anything like that, it was just poor decision making.”

The one shining light for Dartford was midfielder Denzelle Olopade.

He scored a terrific long-range equaliser on the stroke of half-time, his second goal in as many league games.

“It was an absolute worldie,” said Pennock. “It must have been 35 yards and it moved all over the place, a really good goal.

“In general, Denzelle has been playing really well in the last two or three months. He didn’t start the season like he finished the previous one.

“He’s been working hard and I’d say that he was one that played well because too many people were off colour.”

Even when Burgess Hill were reduced to 10 men, and Dartford introduced bodies off the bench, the visitors were unable to find a way through.

“In the last 10 minutes, we were the land of the giants,” said Pennock. “I made some substitutions and you throw the kitchen sink at it.

“We still had half-hour to play after the sending-off but we didn’t ask enough questions.

“We were land of the giants at the end but we had four or five free-kicks and