Dartford’s players have been told to take the shackles off and enjoy their football for the last 11 weeks of the season.

Survival in the Vanarama Conference is a long shot, with Darts seven points from safety, but boss Tony Burman isn’t giving up hope.

Relegation is a word the Darts manager doesn’t want to hear as he looks to restore the confidence among a squad he still believes is good enough to stay up.

Burman said: "We’ve made our minds up and we’ve had a good chat with them. Let’s take the shackles off, let’s not have the burden of the big ‘R word’ keep going back at us and let’s have no regrets.

"Let’s get a bit of confidence back. There’s nothing worse than seeing players with a lack of confidence. They look poor when that happens and they’re good players.

"Hopefully, if we can get that drummed into them, then so be it. With the help of the whole club on and off the field, I’m not giving up hope.

"It’s in them. I’ve just asked them to take the shackles off and let’s start to be nice and confident and let’s start to enjoy our football again."

Read the full story in the Dartford Messenger.