Dartford’s National League South survival hopes were left hanging by a thread after they let another lead slip on Tuesday night.

The Darts only had themselves to blame as play-off chasing Worthing took maximum points to leave them needing to win their final two games to have any chance of staying up.

Not surprisingly, Dartford boss Ady Pennock named an unchanged side from the team that won at Havant last Saturday.

Worthing immediately settled into their passing game although they were given an early warning after just three minutes when the alert Olly Box nipped in to win possession, he advanced to the edge of the area but his right-foot shot lacked sufficient power.

Danny Cashman was prominent for the visitors, exchanging passes with Ollie Pearce before seeing his low shot saved by the legs of Dartford keeper Rhys Byrne. Then he sent a 25-yard free-kick high and wide of the target.

Dartford’s tactics were plain to see, sitting back behind the ball, they didn’t want to leave space for Worthing to exploit with their passes. Dartford were disciplined and just lacked a touch of quality when they did win the ball back high up the pitch.

The breakthrough arrived on 27 minutes and it was no surprise that Box, the youngster playing with no shortage of heart and talent, was at the centre of it. Chasing what appeared a lost cause, he forced a mistake from the Worthing defence and was then upended in the box by Dylan Fage.

Referee Shelby Elson pointed to the spot, and skipper Luke Coulson stepped up to send keeper Oliver Wright the wrong way with his penalty.

Within a minute, Luke Allen won the ball back inside Worthing territory and Jack Smith played in Box but he opted for power over accuracy, his right-foot shot going well wide of the upright.

Pearce got his first sight of goal on 29 minutes but lacked power with a low left-foot drive before Finlay Chadwick warmed the palms of Byrne from 20 yards.

Dartford ensured they got to the break without letting their advantage slip, mainly thanks to a well-timed Jordan Wynter challenge to thwart Fage on the stroke of half-time.

It was asking a lot for Dartford to repeat such a disciplined display both physically and mentally for another 45 minutes.

Worthing enjoyed a huge slice of luck to equalise on 49 minutes. Dartford left themselves exposed but there appeared little danger with Bradley Dologhan out wide, only for his miss-hit cross to agonisingly loop over Byrne and find the far corner of the net.

Dartford were unable to get out of their half, and the pockets of space so expertly filled in the first half were left open for Worthing to find their men.

The hosts got out just before the hour mark as Coulson beat Chawick inside the box but his cross rolled along the six-yard box with no-one on hand to apply the finishing touch.

Allen went into the book for a foul on Chadwick, who himself somehow failed to find his name in the referee’s notepad despite being given two final warnings by the official.

Then excellent persistence from left-back Harrison Sodje ended with his left-foot shot being turned behind at the near post by keeper Oliver Wright.

But Dartford’s season has been a story of defensive errors and another poor piece of defending proved their undoing on 71 minutes. Joash Nembhard appeared in the perfect place to clear but somehow let the ball go through to the unmarked Kane WIlls, who was never going to miss with just Byrne to beat.

Pennock’s Dartford were not going to be beaten without a fight, however. Allen played an excellent one-two with Paul Rooney before fine defending blocked his shot and then Alex Wall shot over from the edge of the box. They were willing but there was a lack of quality and their fate could be sealed when they visit champions-elect Yeovil this weekend.

Dartford: Byrne, Wynter, Nelson, Nembhard, Sodje, Smith, Rooney, Allen (Shomotun 81mins), Coulson (Greenidge 90mins), Wall, Box. Subs not used: Miller-Rodney, Statham, Maloney.

Worthing: Wright, Colbran, Wills, Rye, Pearce, Chadwick (Spong 82mins), Fage, Felix, Dologhan (Luer 89mins), Young, Cashman (Chambers 71mins). Subs not used: Tutt, Tillman.

Referee: Shelby Elson.

Attendance: 981.