MATCH REPORT | DARTFORD 4 CRAY VALLEY PM 3 (AET)
Dartford booked themselves a place in the Isthmian Premier League Playoff Final, after coming from two goals down to see off a spirited Cray Valley PM side at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park.
With a bumper crowd of 2,002 settling in to enjoy a beautiful evening in Kent, The Millers stunned their hosts with a bright start and early goal. Danny Waldren was the player to get on the end of a corner to head the ball beyond Jacob Marsden (7).
One could easily have become two seconds later, after The Millers saw an effort cleared off the line as the visitors tried to capitalise on their good start.
The Darts did begin to settle and grow into the game shortly afterwards, with Josh Hill’s long-range drive flying narrowly over Harrison Chamberlain’s crossbar (16). Samuel Okoye tried to find the target shortly afterwards (19), before Callum Jones’ strike was somehow put behind for a corner (28) after terrific work by Olly Box and Sam Odaudu.
Jeremiah Pinder’s brilliant drive into the box was deserving of a goal, but the youngster’s effort flew narrowly wide of Chamberlain’s upright (31).
Despite the hosts dominating for long periods since falling behind, they came across a resilient Millers backline, which kept them in the lead at the break.
The start of the second forty-five saw Steve McKimm’s outfit win an early corner once again. And, in similar fashion to the first goal, Danny Waldren was on hand to meet Thomas Beere’s corner to place another looping header into the back of the net (48).
Now with a mountain to climb, Dartford boss Ady Pennock reacted by bringing on Eddie Dsane for Jeremiah Pinder (52), before Samir Carruthers came on for Samuel Okoye (63).
Denzel Gayle came agonisingly close to netting a third for the visitors in-between the Dartford substitutions (61), before the hosts got the break that their efforts deserved…
As they raced forward, Callum Jones went for the ball, only for Crossley Lema foul him inside the area. After consulting his assistant the referee, Mr Daniel Blades, awarded a penalty and sent off the Cray player for violent conduct. Samir Carruthers stepped up to pull a goal back for the Darts (70), as the pendulum swung in the hosts’ favour.
And they should have been level merely seconds later, only for goalkeeper Harrison Chamberlain keep the ball out before it was cleared away from the danger area (72).
With their man advantage, the Darts were purring now and had The Millers on the proverbial ropes. But, Steve McKimm’s side tried every “Dark Arts” trick in the book in a bid to slow the game down and frustrate the hosts… It was a tactic that would eventually come back to haunt them.
A brilliant Dartford move was almost capped by an equally brilliant Sam Odaudu effort, only for his strike curl narrowly wide of Chamberlain’s post (83). Yet the defender, who has been magnificent this season, got a second bite of the cherry when Cray committed a foul right on the edge of their own box deep into stoppage time…
…and Odaudu stepped up to send a low drive through the crowded box and into the back of the net to spark mass delirium amongst the Dartford faithful, and send the game into extra time (90+8)!
Ady Pennock’s side started the additional thirty minutes well, with the momentum fully behind them. And the recent goalscorer became the provider within five minutes, when his lovely cross from the left-flank was smashed home by Hayden Bullas (95).
Olly Box became the next substitution for the hosts, after being on the receiving end of several nasty challenges throughout the evening. He was replaced by Louis Dunne (98), before Tyler Christian-Law came on for Samir Carruthers (107) and Dean Nayler came on for Josh Hill (113).
As we return to the extra time action, Eddie Dsane and Callum Jones combined well, only for a Cray defender manage to thwart the latter by putting his effort behind for a corner (101).
Then, a Josh Hill long-range drive caused pandemonium inside the Cray area, whereby George Whitefield was alert to fire home Dartford’s fourth of the evening (103).
The second-half of extra time saw the Darts control a majority of it, although the visitors did rally late on. They were rewarded for their efforts when substitute Adam Coombes fired in a lovely effort with five minutes remaining, but it’d prove to only be a consolation goal as the Darts saw off the final few minutes.
The noise inside the stadium increased to deafening levels at the final whistle, as many ran onto the pitch to celebrate this superb fightback by the Darts. Josh Hill was given the Man of The Match award on a night when any Dartford player would have deserved it.
Ady Pennock, his staff, and his team will now rest and recuperate in order to be ready for the challenge of Dover Athletic on Monday, as we face our Kent rivals for a place in the National League South.
DARTFORD: Jacob Marsden, Sam Odaudu, Luther Williams, George Whitefield, Josh Hill (c), George Whitefield, Samuel Okoye, Hayden Bullas, Denzelle Olopade, Jeremiah Pinder, Olly Box, Callum Jones.
SUBSTITUTES: Samir Carruthers, Dean Nayler, Tyler Christian-Law, Eddie Dsane, Louis Dunne.
CRAY VALLEY PM: Harrison Chamberlain, Barney Williams, Mohammed Oshilaja, Denzel Gayle, Freddie Parker, Matthew Vigor, Danny Waldren, Thomas Beere, Daniel Bowry, Kenny Aileru, Crossley Lema.
SUBSTITUTES: Sonny Black, Adam Coombes, Marcel Barrington, Kurtis Cumberbatch, Toby McKimm.
Chris Palmer
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