Match Reports

Sunday, 02 December 2007

Scoring thirteen goals during their last two games has given Dartford the belief that they can clinch the Ryman League Division One North title at the first attempt, says defender Adam Flanagan, writes Stephen McCartney. The Darts have outclassed both Witham Town (7-2) and fourth placed side Enfield Town (6-1) in their last two games at Princes Park. And they remain at the top of the table on 35 points from 18 games, three points clear of Edgware Town and Maldon Town. Tony Burman’s title chasing men now have the prospect of playing Brentwood Town and Maldon Town (both away) and Canvey Island, three sides currently in the top nine this month. And it was former Folkestone Invicta skipper Flanagan that got breathtaking Dartford off to a great start, scoring a brace inside the opening eleven minutes. Enfield Town found themselves 4-0 down at half-time, courtesy of Jay May’s tenth goal of the season and winger Ryan Hayes netting from a stunning but audacious free-kick. Eddie McClements and striker Brendon Cass, who netted his 21st goal of the season, wrapped up the rout, as Dartford played some stunning football, which is not that of Ryman League Division One North standard. David Bastian netted his third goal of the season to score a 66th minute consolation for the shell-shocked north Londoners, who also had a goal from Ricci Crase ruled out for offside late on. But Flanagan believes last Tuesday’s victory over Witham Town was the catalyst for Dartford’s players to start believing in themselves - and dishing out thrashings that they’re more than capable off. “Tuesday was a pleasure, I think it gave us a lot of confidence,” Flanagan told www.kentishfootball.co.uk yesterday. “We knew if we started well (against Enfield Town), then the guys up front and individuals that we’ve got in this tem, the goals are likely. “I think after 10-15 minutes, because we were 2-0 up, I think everyone’s that little bit more confident and I think that’s what drove us on. “As the way the half ended, another two good goals, and went in at half-time 4-0 up. “We would have taken 4-0 any day of the week at full-time, so 4-0 at half-time was incredible really.” Dartford travel to ninth placed Brentwood Town next weekend, a side that scored the only goal of the game at Wingate & Finchley yesterday, in full confidence. “I think as a team we’ve got the potential to do that to a lot of teams,” warned central defender Flanagan. “I guess in general you don’t expect to do that to other teams at the top but I think these two games now we’ve got that little air of confidence and that’s mainly what we didn’t have when we had a little bit of a bad spell in the middle of the month. But hopefully now we can keep that. “We’ve got some big games coming up against teams at the top as well and I think we can go into those games knowing that we’ll create chances and everyone’s chipping in with goals at the moment.” Having climbed to the top of the table for the first time after their 7-2 win over Witham Town last Tuesday, Flanagan has challenged his team-mates to stay there. He said: “When you’re top of the league it is harder because you want to stay there and everyone wants to know you off the top spot and take your crown. “But I think as a team it’s what you want to be fair. You want to be top of the shop and you know teams are going to come here and try and do a number on you. “But its about raising your level and raising your performances and the last few games as a team we’re doing that and I’d like to think that will continue.” Boss Burman asked for a performance from his players against rivals’ Enfield Town yesterday - and boy did he get one! “I was very pleased scoring six,” he said after his side’s master-class. “To be fair to them (Enfield Town), they came out with a little bit of a tallyho style and it put us on the back foot for a little while second half, but the job was done, to be fair, in the first half. “But the attitude, we scored from free-kick’s, but some of our play was excellent. “I asked them (my players) to give us seven out of 10. I said if everyone can give me seven out of 10 then we would win the game and I felt there was a little higher than that. “I’ve been asking them to get out of third gear, and for longer spells, I think that happened as well.” Dartford were defeated 2-1 at home to Bury Town eight days ago, but Burman knew his side were more than capable of responding in style. “I think we could have scored more goals than Bury, although we lost the game,” said Burman. “It didn’t work for us that day, it didn’t work for a number of reasons as well. "We ironed out a few things in midweek. I wasn’t happy, players weren’t going where I was asking them go and If I’m honest with you, we had a little clear the air in midweek an they’ve got to go where I want them to go until it’s stops working. “Our set-pieces are good. We are very strong on set-pieces and as long as players do what they are told and go where I want them to go, and that’s happened in the last two games.” Their last two performances prove that no other team in their division can live with them - but Burman knows his side must maintain their very high standards to ensure they clinch promotion into the Ryman Premier League in four months time. “We know we’ve got some tough games coming up. We don’t get promoted in November, December but we start laying the foundations,” he explained. “If that means that we’re top, so be it. That’s the aim. “We know January and February, the winter months are going to come in, the pitches will start going to be heavy and then the games have to be adjusted again. “But we just want to get up there and stay with the leaders and if we’re top and got more points, then so be it, keep digging in there. “If I can get all the players to believe in themselves, because I know that I’ve got a quality squad and half of it is I’ve got to make sure they’ve got to believe it and I’ll do my best to make them believe it! Burman will make wholesale changes to his side for the Ryman League Cup third round tie against Whitstable Town on Tuesday night.

 

 

 

 

DARTS BLAST TO No1 SPOT

By Mike Brett-Smith             

DARTFORD 7  WITHAM TOWN     2

May 5, Cass 7, 60, Hayes (pen) 16, McClements 50, 63, Coyle 85                                                                                              

Att: 504

Darts demolished a bemused Witham Town outfit which came to Princes Park on the back of a 4-0 win at Brentwood on their last away trip.  If you can judge a team on the players sitting on the bench then look no further than the Darts – last night’s subs were Tom Bradbrook, Dave Moore, Yohance Lewis, Richard Avery and Mark Green.  Not even in the reckoning at present is the elegant John Guest!

The Darts defended the Brooklands end in the first half and, playing the now familiar two-wing attack with Eddie McClements prompting from left mid-field, soon made their intentions clear.  Five minutes gone and a Phil Williams run and left-side cross found Jay May by the far post and the latter ended his recent goal drought with a brisk shot which ended in the back of the net via Witham’s right post.  Two minutes the advantage was doubled when the same provider set up Brendon Cass who drove home via a defender’s legs.

Then a Ryan Hayes left-footer found Williams whose shot whistled past the right post.  A Hayes free-kick was punched away by Witham goalie Paul Daley followed by a May header against the bar.  At the other end David Hawes drew a smart save from Tony Kessell.  Inevitably Williams’ mercurial runs drew a rash tackle and Ryan Hayes nervelessly converted the penalty on the stroke of half time.

Four minutes into the second half a surging May run ended with a thirty-yarder scorching the post as it flashed wide of Daley.  Then Darts added the fourth when a Hayes curler was headed in by Eddie McClements on fifty minutes.  Six minutes later Witham pulled one back when Jamie Ricks converted a right-side cross and Kaan Hawes added a second from the penalty spot following a scuffle on the edge of the area.

The mini-revival lasted sixty seconds as Hayes set up Brendon Cass who shot home on the turn.  By now it was exhibition stuff with wings swapping places and the holding midfielders, Alex O’Brien and Tommy Osborne, joining McClements in the supply department.  Typical of this period was a three-man breakout which bore down on Daley’s goal but a final pass was misplaced and the danger averted.

In succession Bradbrook, Moore and Lewis replaced May, Williams and Hayes and the show went on.  The seventh goal duly arrived – on 85 minutes – when a cheeky Lewis shuffle set up Jamie Coyle to cap a splendid evening.

Dartford:     Kessell, Coyle, Norman, Flanagan, Osborne, O’Brien, Hayes Lewis 80), J May (Bradbrook 78), Cass, McClements, Williams (Moore 783).   Subs not used – Avery, Green

DARTFORD 3-0 GREAT WAKERING ROVERS
Ryman League Division One North
Tuesday 16th October 2007
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park

Dartford eased their way into the top five of the Ryman League Division One North table after eight games, after punishing some woeful first half defending from Essex side Great Wakering Rovers.Eddie McClements, who played just behind striker Brendon Cass, due to Jay May starting his three-match ban, opened the scoring after fourteen minutes, before Cass took his tally for the season to eleven goals, with a brace.

The Darts were also without striker Tom Bradbrook, who returns from his trip to America on Saturday evening, but new signing, Yohance Lewis made a nine minute cameo towards the end of tonight’s comfortable win. Debutant Lewis, whose previous clubs include Charlton Athletic, Dagenham & Redbride, Chelmsford City, St Albans City and Redbridge, arrives from divisional rivals, Maldon Town. “He doesn’t want to be called yo-yo, he just wants to be called Yo,” Darts boss Tony Burman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“He’s a lad who I spoke to in the summer, he played for Maldon. He’s come away from Maldon for certain reasons and he’s come in. “We’ll have a look at him, he’s signed for us but I’ll need to have a look at him a lot more. “He can play in midfield or out wide left. He looks good in training, he passes the ball around.” Great Wakering Rovers, a side that’s only scored four goals on their travels this season, created the first chance of the game inside the opening five minutes, but a right-footed drive from skipper Sam Clarke from thirty-yards sailed over.

But Dartford, a side that’s unbeaten at home, broke the deadlock after 13 minutes and 8 seconds. Alex O’Brien did what he’s good at, breaking up opposing attacks and hooked the ball to McClements, who then hooked the ball to Cass. Cass played the ball to winger Ryan Hayes, who burst towards the penalty area, and with his lethal left-foot, floated a cross from the edge of the penalty area. And McClements’ bullet header from 12-yards out bounced once before finding the bottom right-hand corner. Visiting goalkeeper, Louis Green, who signed from Kent club Chatham Town in August 2006, made a smart low save to deny Cass, after the striker exchanged passes with Mark Green down the left-hand side.

Another chance fell the Darts way after 25 minutes. Steve Norman cut a corner back to Hayes and his cross was flicked away by the visiting goalkeeper, who recovered to block Jamie Coyle’s right-footed eight-yard drive at his near-post. And then after cutting inside Mark Cartlidge and Joel Etienne-Clarke, Hayes unleashed a left-footed curler, which the peroxide blonde goalkeeper saved comfortably. Dartford goalkeeper, Tony Kessell, who had a relatively quiet night, made a comfortable save from a glancing header from Great Wakering striker, James Foy after 27 minutes.Dartford’s goalkeeping coach, John Macrea was quick to point out that Kessell, the former Folkestone Invicta goalkeeper, has also saved five of the seven penalties that he’s faced already this season, as well as keeping seven clean-sheets. Kessell’s opposite number, Green, meanwhile, was called into action by tipping a back-header from defender, Nikki Beale, following a floated cross from Hayes, over his own crossbar, and from Norman’s resulting corner, Adam Flanagan powered his header across goal and past the far post.

But Dartford doubled their lead after 32 minutes, with Cass punishing slack defending from the Essex side. A left-footed cross from Mark Green on the left found Cass in acres of space and the in-form striker brought the ball under control with his chest, before cracking a right-footed volley over the goalkeeper from fourteen-yards. The visitors’ could have pulled a goal back but Steve Butterworth glanced his towering header past the post. But more poor defending allowed the Darts to score their third goal in the last minute of the half - ending the game as a contest and spectacle for the lowest ever crowd to watch the Darts at Princes Park. Once again it was Green who was the provider, whipping in a cross and Cass was left unmarked and from seven-yards his bullet header flew into the net.

The Princes Park faithful expected more goals during the second half, but this didn’t materialise, upsetting Burman.He said: “I was well pleased first half, obviously to get the three goals and felt if we had carried on playing, keep it simple, instead of getting a bit flamboyant, which I felt we did.“I’m a little bit disappointed second half I must admit but having said that, we’ve won the game and that’s what we’ve got to do.“Sometimes it can be difficult after being in cup runs and things lie that and doing ever so well Saturday (losing 1-0 in the FA Cup third qualifying round at Bromley). It could have been after the Lord Mayor’s Show but we could have got punished, but we didn’t and the lads did go out with the right attitude. “But being 3-0 up at half-time in a way didn’t help us but I think we should have got more goals but we didn’t so I was a little bit disappointed with that.” He added: “It was nice to bounce back and whatever the first half or second half was, people are going to pick up the paper tomorrow and see that we’ve won
3-0!” Early in the second half, Louis Green made a comfortable low save to deny Hayes from scoring with a left-footed drive from 25-yards after the Darts broke away after Clarke, outside Dartford’s penalty box, miss-kicked the ball. And Cass should have netted his hat-trick within a minute, after skipping past Kevin Cole, but he rifled his shot straight into the goalkeeper’s arms from sixteen-yards. Another well-worked Dartford corner carved open another chance with 55 minutes on the clock. Norman cut his corner back to Junior Kadi, who had a quiet game, and his cross was met by a towering header from right-back Coyle, but he headed the ball across goal, sailing past the far post. After cutting in from the right, Hayes’ left-footed shot brought another smart save from Green, who pounced on the loose ball before Cass did. But after the hour, Dartford took their foot of the gas, and as the rain started falling from the skies above, the game ended as a spectacle. Great Wakering Rovers were forced to shoot from distance as the door was shut in front of them, with substitute David Hawes, Cole and Elliott Gresham, all seeing their long-range efforts sail over as the Essex side didn’t have the quality to force themselves back into the game. McClements, via a ricochet off Cole, and Cass, who latched onto a through ball, had chances to add to the score late on, but they had already done the damage earlier in the game.

Four players at the back, Kessell, John Guest, Flanagan and Norman, have all played many games together, especially for Folkestone Invicta, and Burman admitted Dartford are paying dividends with that continuity. He said: “That’s our seventh clean sheet in all the games so far, out of fourteen, which is good. “That’s a big improvement on last year and I think the signings was maybe criticised a little bit for, will come through. “The people we signed are 42 game a season players and they will win many people over here. The fans are appreciating the signings that I’ve made.” But Dartford, the giants of their division, should be winning games like this as they bid towards winning the title this season. On Princes Park, Burman said: “It’s a lovely place and we’ll get used to it, and we are getting used to it. “It’s becoming our home and it’s right now for the things that we’ve got to do. “The expectation is high and we want to move the club forward and the team into a higher league and that is what the aim is. “And we’re going to do our best to match this magnificent stadium that we’ve got. “We want it to be a fortress if you like and we want to (have) people to come here and say “yes, it’s nice!” but our aim is to know they’re in a game and wish they never come in!”

Dartford: Tony Kessell, Jamie Coyle, Steve Norman, Adam Flanagan, John Guest (Richard Avery 89), Alex O’Brien, Ryan Hayes (Yohance Lewis 81), Junior Kadi, Brendon Cass, Eddie McClements, Mark Green (Dave Moore 72)
Subs: Brad Potter, Tommy Youle.

Goals: Eddie McClements 14, Brendon Cass 32, 44

Booked: Eddie McClements 75

Great Wakering Rovers: Louis Green, Danny Pitts, Mark Cartlidge, Kevin Cole (Keith Wilson 89), Nikki Beale, Elliott Gresham, Steve Butterworth, Sam Clarke, James Foy (David Hawes 57), Neil Richmond, Joel Etienne-Clarke.
Subs: Iain O’Connell, Gary Henty, Dean Pearson, Keith Wilson.

Booked: Kevin Cole 82

Attendance: 675
Referee: Mr Wade Norcott (Harlow, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Steve Rowden (Rochester) & Mr Sean Harding (Walderslade)

MATCH REPORT

Faversham Town Reserves 2                          
Dartford Reserves  4 - By Roger Bennett

Heavy rain throughout the county wiped out nearly all ten Kent League associated matches on Tuesday. Even Folkestone races was abandoned, yet somehow Salters Lane groundstaff ensured the reserves Kent Soccer Company floodlit trophy clash with Dartford Reserves went ahead. By the final whistle however, manager Kevin Sims must have wished they had not bothered, as Dartford simply galloped to victory.

Town survived ten serious Dartford strikes on goal in the first half, but were helped by some wayward shooting from the visitors and a linesman's offside flag. At the other end, Nicky Scott was put through three times, but was unable to capitalise. It looked increasingly like a defensive error on the wet surface would be the cause to open the scoring after a goal-less first half.

As it was, Town's defence got in a muddle just after the restart, allowing Dartford's Jeval Stewart to nip in and net from close range. Stewart extended the lead on 57 minutes after rounding keeper Matt Boyce, then Tommy Youle made it three when heading home a cross.

Town attempted to rally, and substitute Ricky Gundry drilled home a low shot on 77 minutes. But Dartford were in no mood to ease up, and would even mount a serious counter attack after defending a corner. Their habit of taking quick free kicks caused the home side problems, and one wondered if cross country running was a part of their training scheme. The free running Youle got his second after avoiding the off side flag to put the game beyond doubt.

Bob Hitchcock netted on 88 minutes for Town, but by now it was a case of too little, too late. A disappointed Kevin Sims lamented the home side's habit of giving the ball away to their opponents had not helped their cause. One wonders what impact this result will have on the next training session, passing practice or a cross country run? 

Faversham Town Reserves: Matt Boyce, Dan Gurr, Adam Collis, Wes Hammond, Brad Doyle, Toby Andrews, Bob Hitchcock, Adam Lawrence, Nicky Scott, Sam Winding, Paul Robinson.

Substitutes: Ricky Gundry (for Gurr) 37 minutes, Jamie Waddington (for Hammond) 62, John Goodwin (for Lawrence) 62. 

Not used: Joe Nuttall, Dan Smith.

Dartford Reserves: Ray Marshall, Seun Eferakorho, Chris Wimshurst, tamer Bilal, Grant Cunningham, Luke May, Danny Westerman, Luke Smith, Tommy Youle, Javal Stewart, Reiss St.Hilaire. 

 

Copyright © 2007 Dartford FC :: website by Dartford Borough Council