MATCH REPORT | DARTFORD 1 RAMSGATE 0
The Darts started brightly under the Princes Park floodlights, with Olly Box seeing an effort blocked (7) before firing straight into the arms of Rams’ goalkeeper Dillon Addai a minute later.
Dan Smith then saw a strike blocked by the Ramsgate defence (14), before the lively Dan Carter fired narrowly over the crossbar following good work by Box (19).
The hosts were purring at this point, as Ramsgate struggled to cope with the pacey attack. And a minute later the Darts got their noses in front, as Denzelle Olopade reached a lovely low cross into the box first to smash in his fourth goal of the season (20).
Despite struggling to contain the Dartford attack, the visitors were equally as threatening in the final third themselves. And the warning signs were there early on, when Malachi Napa fired narrowly wide of Jonny Henly’s upright (4) before Alfie Paxman clipped the top of the crossbar with a delightful effort in the ninth minute.
Henly made a good save to prevent Greg Cundle from equalising (25), before Dan Smith’s header was somehow cleared off the Ramsgate line at the other end (29).
Henly was then called into action to thwart Paxman once again to keep his clean sheet intact at the half-time break (45).
Seemingly unhappy with his team’s first-half, Ramsgate boss Lee Martin made a triple substitution at the start of the second forty-five. Jordan Higgs, Rolando Onu, and Greg Cundle were all replaced by Eze Ebuzoeme, Solomon Ogunwomoju, and Benedict Bioletti respectively. The Rams would also go on to swap Malachi Napa with Mitchell May (61), before Arthur Penney came on for Alfie Paxman (76).
Once again, the hosts started the second-half brightly with both Dan Smith and Denzelle Olopade seeing efforts blocked within the first five minutes.
Joe Tennent then stood strong to block a Ramsgate strike (56), before Dan Carter produced an excellent save out of Dillon Addai with arguably the best move of the half so far (65).
Two minutes later saw Ady Pennock make a double change in personnel, as duo Olly Box and Dan Carter were replaced by Eddie Dsane and Rohan Vaughan respectively. That would be followed by Luther Williams coming on for Sammie McLeod (78).
As we return to the action, we find Rams’ substitute Solomon Ogunwomoju shown a straight red card for a nasty foul to leave the visitors playing the remaining nineteen minutes with ten men.
Rohan Vaughan came agonisingly close to doubling Dartford’s lead with a lovely strike (78), before Ramsgate should have levelled the score in the 85th minute… a dangerous free-kick from Tom Clifford, which was flicked on by Billy Munday. Tijan Jadama saw his follow-up excellently saved by Jonny Henly, before Benedict Bioletti fired over the crossbar from close range!
Rohan Vaughan had a glorious opportunity to score his first goal at Princes Park when he raced through one-on-one with Addai but, as he fended off the attention of a defender, the QPR loanee fired narrowly wide of the far post (90+5).
Jonny Henly’s efforts ensured that he collected his eighth clean sheet of the season, as Dan Carter received the Man of The Match award for his performance in what was an excellent shift by Ady Pennock’s side.
DARTFORD: Jonny Henly (c), Sam Odaudu, Dave Winfield, Joe Tennent, Samuel Okoye, Denzelle Olopade, Sammie McLeod, Dan Carter, Olly Box, Callum Jones, Dan Smith.
SUBSTITUTES: George Whitefield, Eddie Dsane, Luther Williams, Michael Olarewaju, Rohan Vaughan.
RAMSGATE: Dillon Addai, Raphe Brown, Tom Clifford, Jordan Higgs, Malachi Napa, Alfie Paxman, Ian Gayle, Greg Cundle, Billy Munday, Tijan Jadama (c), Rolando Onu.
SUBSTITUTES: Arthur Penney, Benedict Bioletti, Mitchell May, Solomon Ogunwomoju, Eze Ebuzoeme.
Chris Palmer