Burman admits Woking deserve to be top (From News Shopper)

Burman admits Woking deserve to be top

9:00am Wednesday 14th December 2011 in Dartford By Mark Ritson

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman admitted his side didn't come out as focussed as Woking on Tuesday evening, with his side conceding after just four minutes from a set-play.

The manager was happier with their second-half showing, but conceded you can't give top sides that much room and space in any part of a match.

"I was so disappointed with the first-half performance to be perfectly honest," said Burman. "We didn't come out at all and we just didn't play.

"Our marking at the set-pieces was atrocious, but they've got some big lads and we warned everybody before the game - we just haven't made any effort to pick their men up.

"The players have just let them come in for their first two goals and it's disappointing. We didn't think we were brave enough and the second goal was a bad goal at the time it was.

"We seemed to come out a bit nervous and we didn't get out foot on the ball, and I just felt they wanted it more than us in the first-half.

"You can't give a decent start like that a two-lead and it's bad defending from two set-pieces.

"They are good at them and my players have been warned about it - you can't just let someone go past you, you've got to try and defend it no matter how big they are.

"If we had come in at 1-0 down, you can get the players into the changing room and have a good chat with them.

Woking currently lead the Blue Square Bet South division, and Burman gave Gary Hill's side credit for the way they came at the Darts, but he believed his sides' second-half showing was a lot better.

"Fair play to Woking, they've come and knocked the ball into good areas which is what we ask our lads to do, but we kept knocking it straight down their throats and didn't turn them at all," said the gaffer. "We just didn't get the ball down or have the confidence enough to do so.

"In the second-half I felt we did ever so well and we did get the ball down and have a go at Woking. They are a very good side with quick players and they can be a handful, but I didn't think they bothered us too much, especially in the second-half.

"We got the ball wide in the second period and had a good go at them. We got back to 2-1, and then my goalkeeper made a mistake with the clearance when he could have held on to it.

"But having said that, we came back again and who knows, I think we could have been fortunate after the 90 minutes to have got a third goal.

"I can't say we deserved to win the game because we didn't due to our first-half performance. On the 90 minutes, they deserved to win."

Burman's side stay in third place, and despite now being 15 points behind Woking at the summit, he believes the title race is far from over and nothing is won by December.

Although the manager conceded Woking just have the league to concentrate on, which makes it an even harder task - but he won't be giving up that easily on catching them.

"You never say never until it's mathematically impossible, but Woking are out of both cup competitions which is sometimes a good thing when you're in the position they're in," expressed the gaffer.

"They thoroughly deserve to be up where they are because they've been the most consistent team in the first 20-odd games, and it's up to the teams around us to not say it's over when it's December.

"A lot of things happen every week and every month in football - we'll fight as much as we can and so should Welling United.

"We've just got to keep trying to catch Woking but it's going to be tough and who knows, but they thoroughly deserve to be where they are at the moment."

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