MATCH PREVIEW: Dover Athletic v Dartford

Third place Dartford take on high scoring Kent rivals Dover Athletic in the Isthmian Premier on the weekend.

The two relegated sides from the National South meet at The Crabble with the Darts looking for a seventh straight victory against the Whites. Both teams have responded well to the disappointment of dropping a division. Dartford have won five of their opening six fixtures in all competitions. Dover Athletic are the league’s top scorers and just two points behind in fourth.

Princes Park is seeing the feel good factor return and it was Dartford’s turn to bag plenty of goals last weekend in the F.A Cup. A convincing 6-2 win over Marlow eased the Darts into the second qualifying round. Scoring in his third consecutive appearance, Eddie Dsane put the hosts in front. Just before the break Oliver Box got off the mark for the campaign by doubling the lead moments later. Then early in the second half Box added another. Marlow pulled a goal back from the spot before Ben Allen scored his first goals for the Darts either side of the away side’s second. Wrapping up the victory, Callum Jones grabbed his second in as many games.

Once again Adrian Pennock was able to name an unchanged team for a third game in a row and for the first time he used all five substitutes giving Gabe Campbell his debut. Midfielder, Samir Carruthers continued to build up his fitness since returning from injury and made his 50th Dartford appearance by coming off the bench. Striker, Duane Ofori-Acheampong is still recovering from his injury picked up in pre-season.

Meanwhile Dover Athletic thought they had escaped an upset against Isthmian South East side Sittingbourne with the help of goalkeeper Mitch Walker and a couple of injury time goals. The Whites were two down after 25 minutes at Woodstock Park. Henry Sinai and Ryan Kingsford put the hosts in command and they held out until the 93rd minute. The cup drama began when Walker’s deep free kick was sent towards the box and astonishingly found its way in the Sittingbourne net. Two minutes later Alfie Matthew’s saved Dover Athletic’s blushes temporarily in the 2-2 draw. Three days later Jake Leberl’s side were knocked out in the replay losing 1-0.

Dartford completed the double over Dover Athletic last season winning 2-1 in the previous match at the Crabble. Marking his first league start for the Darts, Box scored his first league goal for the club. Destiny Oladipo equalised in the second half, but Luke Coulson netted a decisive penalty in a 2-1 triumph. The reverse fixture took place during last season’s August Bank Holiday. James Golding and Lewis Manor scored their first goals for Dartford and it could have been better had Coulson put away a penalty.

The two victories last term claimed a second double against Dover Athletic in a row. In the previous campaign Dartford won 3-1 at the Crabble scoring three first half goals. Carruthers, Coulson and Maxwell Statham put the visitors in control. Dover Athletic grabbed a consolation through Luke Baptiste. At Princes Park, Harvey Bradbury gave Dartford an early advantage that was cancelled out by Jordan Higgs prior the interval. Luke Allen settled the match inside the final ten minutes with a well taken finish.

Dartford have taken maximum points in their two Kent derbies this term. The Darts beat newcomers Cray Valley Paper Mills on the opening day 2-1. On Bank Holiday Monday they hosted Chatham Town and won 3-1 after going a goal down.

Dover Athletic started the season with a phenomenal result thrashing Potters Bar Town 8-0, equalling the record win for the club. George Nikaj, who was ruled out of Tuesday’s defeat through injury, took home the match ball with a hat-trick and is already on eight goals for the season in just five matches. However, the Whites followed up the rout with a Kent derby defeat in their opening home game against Folkestone Invicta and a draw on the road at Billericay Town.

Since dropping points Dover Athletic picked up maximum points over the Bank Holiday weekend taking their goal tally to 19, nine more than anyone else. This time Ruben Soares-Junior scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 victory over newly promoted Chichester City. Then two days later the Whites went to Horsham and claimed a 3-1 triumph.

Current League Form

Chatham Town	H	3-1	Horsham	A	3-1
Carshalton Athletic	A	1-0	Chichester City	H	5-2
Canvey Island	H	2-0	Billericay Town	A	1-1
Potters Bar Town	H	0-1	Folkestone Invicta	H	2-3
Cray Valley Paper Mills	A	2-1	Potters Bar Town	A	8-0

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 18 / Dover Athletic wins: 11 / Draws: 12

Previous Six Meetings

Dover Athletic 1 – 2 Dartford (17/02/2024 – National South)
Dartford 2 – 0 Dover Athletic (28/08/2023 – National South)
Dartford 2 – 1 Dover Athletic (10/04/2023 – National South)
Dover Athletic 1 – 3 Dartford (13/09/2022 – National South)
Dartford 2 – 1 Dover Athletic (08/03/2022 – Kent Senior Cup)
Dover Athletic 1 – 2 Dartford (13/12/2016 – F.A Trophy)

Statistics

• Dartford have won their last six matches against Dover Athletic in all competitions
• The Darts have won the last two league games at the Crabble having won just twice in the previous nine league visits (D4, L3)
• Dartford have lost just one of the last ten in the league against the Whites (D1, L1)
• The Darts have conceded the fewest goals in the league (3). Dover Athletic are the top scorers (19)

On This Day

Reigning Southern Premier League champions and F.A Trophy runners up, Dartford played the previous incarnation of Dover fifty years ago on this day. In the season after reaching Wembley and winning the league title the Darts drew 1-1 with Dover in 1974. Dartford have failed to win their last three on this day last tasting victory on 9 September in 1997 versus Clevedon Town, 3-1 in the Southern League South. Two goalless draws followed in a Southern League Division One East fixture at Fleet Town in 2002 and a National League match at Chester in 2013. In 2019, Dartford were involved in a seven goal thriller at Princes Park losing out to Dorking Wanderers 4-3.

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