Retiring skipper Josh Hill says Dartford’s 2024/25 season was step in the right direction despite third-placed finish and Isthmian Premier play-off final defeat

Retiring skipper Josh Hill insists Dartford’s 2024/25 season was a step in the right direction.

Having competed in the top tier of English non-league a decade ago, the club found themselves playing Isthmian Premier football under Ady Pennock last time out.

They had led the table and still could have won the title on the last day of the regular season, only for Horsham to edge them out, before the Darts were defeated 2-0 at home against Dover in their play-off final.

But Hill, whose one-season stint was a third spell with Darts, said: “There’s, obviously, been a lot of disappointment that the final didn’t go our way.

“But you need to consider where the club was when I came back in July. There were only three players left from the season before and they were recovering from the relegation.

“If you had said ‘You would have a chance to win the league on the final day and then be in the play-off final’ everyone connected to the club - the fans, the players and everyone else at the club - would have bitten your hand off.

“But the expectations were raised after the 4-0 [win] against Billericay [in January] and the Dover win a few weeks ago. They raised expectations so I can understand why people might think it’s not been successful.

“Me coming back, that brought the average age up by quite a lot! It’s a shame we didn’t get the fairy-tale ending - but that’s football and that’s life.

“It’s still a good season.

"It’s definitely a step in the right direction in terms of where the club wants to go.”

Hill has had a few weeks to reflect on his retirement call.

“It feels like the right time,” he said. “The only thing that might have made me think otherwise was the [play-off final] loss.

"That kind of makes you feel like you might need