Delighted Dartford player-manager Ben Greenhalgh keeps a level head after promising start to pre-season

Dartford player-boss Ben Greenhalgh knows there will be ups and downs ahead despite an impressive start.

The Darts gave a fine account of themselves against Championship outfit Charlton and have followed that up with victory over Ebbsfleet and a draw at higher-league Folkestone.

It’s been a positive start to life in the hotseat for Greenhalgh, who took charge in early May after the departure of Ady Pennock, but he doesn’t want his players to step off the intensity shown so far in pre-season.

“It’s really positive at the moment,” said Greenhalgh, speaking before the Folkestone match. “The challenge I’ve set them is we’ve had five great training sessions, two really good performances, how do we keep doing it?

“We’ve got to keep progressing. That’s the main thing. We haven’t got the answer yet.

“The league starts on August 8 so we’ve got to just keep trying to have every session and every game as intense and positive as what they’ve been so far.

“I don't think there's ever been a club that do things that positively throughout, in terms of the whole season.

“We know we're going to have dips and spells. But for me, the dips can’t be a case of not caring and not showing the energy. We need to make sure we're still doing the right thing for the football club.

“Everyone's bought into that, and that's very hard to do at this stage. It’s very hard to show that commitment and energy in pre-season, because everyone's trying to keep fit and prove themselves in a good way.”

Greenhalgh plans to operate with a decent-sized squad this season and added: “It's going to be key to see how players react when they're not the ones starting, not the ones involved.

“But if we can build an atmosphere where everyone wants the same thing, and that