Fresh face raises Darts' spirits
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Dartford caretaker manager Tony Burman on the arrival of on-loan Kingâs Lynn defender Tom Clifford and form of young Bournemouth loanee Billy Terrell ahead of a run of home games
The arrival of local lad Tom Clifford has been welcomed by Dartford caretaker manager Tony Burman.
Left-back Clifford made his debut as they ended a five-game losing league run with a 2-1 win over National League South basement boys Dover last weekend.
Burman moved quickly to recruit the 25-year-old from Kingâs Lynn after Academy graduate Sam Odaudu sustained his latest knock in last Tuesdayâs 1-0 home loss to Chippenham.
âTommy did well on Saturday,â noted the interim manager. âHe came into training last Thursday and Iâve known about him for a while.
âAlthough we got him from Kingâs Lynn, he is actually a Dartford lad. He lives in Dartford and I love that. Heâs someone local.
âHe has got experience - and he doesnât understand what all this pressure people say weâre under is because heâs won his first game!â
The initial loan for the former Southend player - who started out at Foots Cray Lions in Sidcup - is for one month, but may be extended.
Burman: âThe pressure was really onâ
Odaudu is expected to be out until at least the end of the month with a groin injury and Burman said: âWeâll have to see what the situation is with Sam.
âIâm not 100% sure how long heâll be out for.
âBut Tommy wanted games. Kingâs Lynn wanted him to have games and, with where weâre playing Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday, it made sense.â
While Odaudu missed Dartfordâs trip to Dover, another Academy player, teenage midfielder Olly Box, made his first league start and marked it with the opening goal.
Burman noted: âIâm pleased for Olly.
âHeâs a good lad from our Academy.
âIâll give him a little tap every now and then when he hasnât been doing his work in the Academy on the education side â but the only tap Iâll give him about Saturday is a pat on the back.
âHeâs done really well. It doesnât always work but, for someone like Olly to be involved in a pressure-game, that can only be a good learning curve for him.â
Dover cancelled out Boxâs goal in the second half, only for Darts captain Luke Coulson to convert a controversial late penalty to win it in front of a crowd of 794 with his eighth goal this season.
âFor Luke to have the strength to take that penalty, that was really good,â said Burman. âIâm just delighted that itâs gone in.â
Talented young on-loan Bournemouth goalkeeper Billy Terrellâs wait for a first clean sheet this campaign continues.
The 20-year-old, ironically also on loan with Dover earlier in the season, has impressed at times despite his long wait for a shut-out.
But Burman knows making mistakes is all part of the learning curve for players like Terrell, having had Chelsea keeper Marcus Bettinelli in the early stages of his career.
On Terrell, he said: âHe has made some mistakes but, when you have a goalkeeper from a Premier League side, they want you to play them.
âYou have to realise that they may make mistakes.
âBut at least theyâre playing competitive football. As long as theyâre learning from their mistakes, itâs fine.
âWe were fortunate enough a long time ago to have Marcus Bettinelli when he was 18. He was with us for a season and he was brilliant.
âThese keepers with Premier League and Football League sides need to get games at our level.
âYou take them in and hope that they do really well, but theyâre learning all the time.â
Dartford lost 3-2 at Slough on Tuesday.
All the goals came in the first half, Box cancelling out a first-minute opener just five minutes later and making it 2-2 before the hostsâ winner a minute before the break.
To compound their woes, Joash Nembhard was sent off two minutes from time.
The Darts begin a run of three home league games when they welcome Taunton on Saturday and host play-off chasing Aveley on Tuesday.