Dartford player-manager Ben Greenhalgh wants his team to improve their defending after three successive away defeats in Isthmian Premier

Dartford player-boss Ben Greenhalgh has admitted his team has lost their “effectiveness”.

The Darts have conceded nine goals in their last three games ahead of tonight’s (Tuesday) trip to Lewes in Isthmian Premier.

After a solid start to the campaign and an excellent September, the Darts lost their momentum in October.

“We're not quite there as a team, where we were at the start of the season,” said Greenhalgh.

“The biggest thing that's been going through my head is we weren't very good for the first three games.

“But we scored five set pieces out of the six goals and we got nine points in three games. We were effective and we were together as a group. We then built on it in September.

“I think we've now lost our effectiveness. It is losing leaders, that’s a big issue. There's no denying that. But we've lost our effectiveness and our compactness as a squad.

“We're definitely going to have to go back to that a little bit.”

While Greenhalgh won’t use the absences of defenders Sam Odaudu, Ben Swift and Joe Tennent as an excuse, they are clearly a key factor.

George Whitefield was suspended against Aveley at the weekend while Vladimir Paternoster was injured, meaning Tennent made his first league outing since August.

Reflecting on their defensive frailties in the 4-3 loss at Aveley, Greenhalgh said: “It's naivety as a team, accepting to be one-on-one when you don't want to be one-on-one, or diving in so eager to win the ball and then suddenly you've lost your man.

“There were a lot of moments like that and it is about experience, we know that.

“The boys are fighting for the cause, but probably the fight isn't quite there, or they haven't quite got the fight in them at the moment with the games we've asked them to play.

“It's