Manager Alan Dowson is keeping things in perspective after successive league losses for Dartford.

Their chances of winning the National League South title are reducing after last Saturday’s 3-0 reverse at Worthing, hot on the heels of a home defeat to Hemel.

They are six points adrift of frontrunners Ebbsfleet - who have a game in hand - while third-placed Havant are also in the title shake-up and have played two league fixtures less than the Darts, sitting four points behind Dartford.

Dowson said: “We have had a little dip. But I have been a manager for 18 years - I know what I’m trying to do.

“We had the defenders in on Monday. The majority of the side has been excellent.

“It was a bad day at the office [at Worthing]. There were loads of mistakes by us in the game, but we have good players.

“If it keeps coming up, we might panic, but there’s no panic at the minute.

“The boys have shown they’re good enough.”

Dowson’s men saw their game plan quickly undone at Woodside Road in front of a crowd of nearly 1,600.

A comical Maxwell Statham own goal put the Rebels in front before Ollie Pearce made it 2-0 in the 11th minute, with loanee forward Davide Rodari, who was at Dartford earlier this season, adding a third after the restart.

To make matters worse, Darts striker Alex Wall was shown a straight red card in the 73rd minute for kicking out off the ball.

“We sort of had a plan to make them go long,” Dowson reflected.

“They did, but they hurt us! They have an unbelievable home record.

“When you go to places like Worthing, you need to stay tight for the first 10 or 15 minutes. But we were 2-0 down after 11 minutes.

“The game plan went out the window. They deserved to win. But we go back to basics.

“We have a good enough side to get promoted.

"We never really thought we could catch Ebbsfleet. But we could still have a home game in the play-offs.”

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This Saturday, Dartford visit Welling. When the teams met at Princes Park in early November, Darts won 5-1.

Dowson said: “I think they were one of the favourites at the start of the season. We will have a crack at them.

“It’s a local derby. We beat them at home and it’ll be nice to do the double over them.

“I cannot wait for the game.

"When we have had a couple of losses, you want the next one to come so you can get back on it. We’re looking forward to it.

“Local derbies are for the supporters as much as they’re for everyone else, so we have got to make sure that we are up for the game.”

None of Dartford’s new arrivals started at Worthing, albeit the returning Jernade Meade and debutant Jamar Loza both came off the bench, and Dowson expects his recruits to quickly settle.

He said: “I think it’s important you sign players who can settle.

“The lads can settle in - we know that. Hopefully, they will fit in.

"They’re nice signings. It’s not their heads on the lines, it’s mine, but I trust them to perform.”

Wall will start a three-match ban this weekend.