MATCH REPORT | DARTFORD 1 ST ALBANS CITY 0
St Albans City boss Gary McCann would have been justified at feeling aggrieved at the result, after his side had created the better chances on a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.
Yet it was the Dartford boss who would have been the happier of the two, despite his side being second-best for a majority of this fixture.
Goalkeeper Jonny Henly was one of the stand-out performers this afternoon, after putting on a deserved Man of The Match display to keep the Saints at bay.
After a goalless opening 36 minutes, the visitors were presented with a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when George Whitefield’s late challenge on Sam Smart resulted in a penalty kick.
However, Henly had other ideas, as he dived low to save former Dart Alex Wall’s spot-kick to keep the deadlock intact.
The goalkeeper then saved Leo Sery’s effort late in the first-half, before Wall dragged his shot wide early after the restart.
Rewinding back to the first forty-five, Ady Pennock made his first substitution by replacing Luther Williams (38) in a bid to alter his team’s formation. The defender’s replacement was 18-year-old Ipswich Town striker Nelson Eze, who is on an initial one-month’s loan deal from the EFL club.
Ady would go on to make further changes as the game progressed, the next of which saw Jeremiah Pinder come on for Jacob Bland (69), before Dan Carter was replaced by Samir Carruthers (79). Eddie Dsane then came on for Olly Box deep into stoppage time (90+7).
As we return to the action, the Darts had been second best throughout until Olly Box took the game by the scruff of the neck. The young starlet received the ball, turned the defender inside out, before firing beyond Gabriel Ortelli to edge the hosts ahead with his thirteenth goal of the season (56).
Ortelli then pulled off a great save to prevent Box from netting a second in similar fashion (62), before George Whitefield intervened to clear a goal-bound effort at the other end (67).
Dan Carter’s lovely effort from the edge of the Saints’ box flew narrowly over Ortelli’s crossbar (72), before Jonny Henly made a brilliant save to keep his clean sheet intact (79).
Both Olly Box and Callum Jones saw late efforts blocked, as the game became stretched late on, but it was the hosts that held on to secure a much needed victory in their final home game of 2025.
DARTFORD: Jonny Henly (c), Sam Odaudu, Luther Williams, Joe Tennent, George Whitefield, Samuel Okoye, Denzelle Olopade, Jacob Bland, Dan Carter, Olly Box, Callum Jones.
SUBSTITUTES: Samir Carruthers, Sam Smith, Eddie Dsane, Jeremiah Pinder, Nelson Eze.
ST ALBANS CITY: Gabriel Ortelli, Lewis Page, Michael Bostwick, Alex Dyer, Sam Smart, Alex Wall, Zane Banton (c), Haziz Kone, Leo Sery, Jake Grante, Adrian Mariappa.
SUBSTITUTES: Ryley Scott, Harrison Smith, Jasper Mather, Elliot Benjamin, Kieran Petrie.
Chris Palmer