Dartford manager Alan Dowson reacts to 2-1 home defeat by Havant & Waterlooville

Dartford manager Alan Dowson admitted his team needed to be more clinical after suffering their first defeat of the season.

Dowson felt the Darts were the better team against Havant on Tuesday night but lost the game in both boxes.

“I thought we played well,” said Dowson. “We’ve got to be more clinical and do better in both boxes.

“We lost Jason Prior on the first goal, we talked about him before kick-off and I said keep him outside the six-yard box but he scored from the six-yard box.

“Defensively in those areas we weren’t great. I’m disappointed with the goals we conceded, everything else was fine. The second goal we didn’t win the first or the second header and that cannot happen.

“It doesn’t matter who we play, if they’re top of the league or bottom of the league, if we concede goals like that then we’re in trouble. The first and second contacts we’ve got to do better.

“Defensively we’d been good up until now. It’s just the two boxes - be clinical in one where you’ve got to score and the other where you have to defend for your life. We didn’t do that very well but apart from that our play was actually very good.”

Neither team were impressed by referee Kirsty Dowle and her assistants.

Dartford had a late effort ruled out for offside and the hosts also felt Billy Clifford was fortunate not to pick up a second yellow card.

“The one from the free-kick wasn’t offside, that was scandalous really,” said Dowson.

“They’ve got to look at themselves, the officials. We’ve seen the goal which is onside, which was a handball.

“We’re not allowed to criticise but they need feedback so we’ll give that. I think maybe it was a game too high for the officials tonight, that’s just my opinion but there were a lot of opinions in the ground