Tony Burman has not conceded defeat in the battle to avoid relegation - but he knows Dartford's chances of staying in the Vanarama Conference are now extremely slim.

Darts are 10 points from safety after being drawing 1-1 at home to Gateshead on Tuesday.

They've now only got five games left to play and it would take an extraordinary series of results for them to avoid the drop back to Conference South.

Burman said: "It’s a bitter pill to swallow. With all due respect to everyone here – volunteers, people who work here, the supporters, the directors as well – they have done their best to keep this club in this league.

"We’re still in it at the moment but we are miles away (from other clubs), with the travelling arrangements and things like that. That’s when it becomes a massive step for us.

"Only last week, my chairman had to do what another chairman at another club wouldn’t be doing, putting the kit out. He was doing that for us at the away game because other people couldn’t make the trip.

"It’s still a special club, it still has that attitude with it and it’s great but we have to move on from that sort of thing."

Burman was asked if his thoughts were already turning to next season.

He said: "If we’re thinking about that all the time, it’s going to seem like a long month – especially if we don’t pick up results.

"I’d love to think we could go to Torquay (on Saturday) and get three points to make the game on Monday (against Barnet) even more important but we just have to keep plugging away.

"I really hope that it (relegation) doesn’t happen but obviously the odds are against us at the moment.

"We needed three points on Saturday and we needed three points on Tuesday and we’ve needed three points from every game since Christmas – or even before."