Dartford manager Tony Burman revealed he almost left two-goal hero Ryan Hayes on the bench on Saturday.

Hayes twice brought Darts level after they'd fallen behind against Bristol Rovers at Princes Park. He scored direct from a corner and then smashed a brilliant free-kick into the top corner to send the home crowd wild and earn his side a 2-2 draw.

But rain and snow had turned the pitch into a mudbath before kick-off and Burman was in two minds about whether or not to play his mercurial winger from the start.

He said: "I was um-ing and ah-ing whether to play Ryan, to be perfectly honest, when we looked at the pitch. You think ‘is it going to be that sort of game?’

"Their left-back is a good player and he gets forward but he had to think about something with Ryan.

"If Ryan’s got his mind on the game, he can produce like that. In fairness to Ryan, he’s produced many a magic moment at the club over the last 10 years."

Hayes' first goal had a touch of good fortune about it but his second was quite sublime.

"He’s got that in the locker," Burman said. "He’s a big-game player.

"He’s fully-blown hit the ball and it’s a great strike. I’m pleased for him.

"He (normally) likes to curl them in and have a bit of finesse about it but he’s gone up and smashed it in the top corner.

"We did OK and Ryan produced something. We have to live with the down sides of his game but when he produces like that, you have to say well done."