MATCH REPORT | CANVEY ISLAND 0 DARTFORD 4
The Darts started brightly, as the front three of Olly Box, Callum Jones, and Dan Smith combined well to cause all sorts of problems for The Gulls’ defence which struggled to contain the visitors all afternoon.
Add that trio to the creativity coming from midfield trio Denzelle Olopade, Jacob Bland, and Jeremiah Pinder, as well as full-back duo Sam Odaudu and Samuel Okoye, The Gulls were in for a long and difficult ninety minutes.
Dan Smith saw his low strike well saved by former Dartford goalkeeper Jacob Marsden, following good work by Callum Jones on the Dartford right-flank (8).
A minute later saw the Darts take a deserved lead via Jones, after Jeremiah Pinder had found the number seven with a neat pass following his timely interception (9).
Marsden was then the centre of attention as he, not only pulled off two good saves during a goal-mouth melee, but also saved brilliantly to prevent Olly Box from scoring from close-range after seventeen minutes!
Dan Smith then sent a sweet half-volley narrowly wide of The Gulls’ upright (22), before Joe Tennent saw his goal-bound effort charged down by a Canvey defender (25).
Marsden then pulled off another excellent save to thwart Box (26), before the Dartford attacker did indeed double his side’s lead with a neat strike at the near post (32).
A minute later saw Callum Jones fire narrowly wide of Marsden’s post (33), before the shot-stopper saved another effort from Olly Box (36)!
At the other end meanwhile, Jonny Henly was having a relatively quiet first-half. Freddie Price, who’d had to come into the host’s starting eleven following Kwabena Yeboah picking up an injury during warm-up, had the only real opportunity for Glen Knight’s side, but his shot was too high (24).
Dartford added a third goal soon after the restart, as Dan Smith fed the ball to Callum Jones to enable the number seven to net his second of the afternoon (52).
With his team in a commanding position and looking comfortable, Ady Pennock made his first change in personnel as Evans Kouassi came on to replace Callum Jones (57). That was followed by Jacob Bland making way for Eddie Dsane (63), Luther Williams coming on for Denzelle Olopade (78), before both Olly Box and Samuel Okoye made way for Rohan Vaughan and Michael Olarewaju respectively (86).
Returning to the action, we find Jonny Henly being called into action to palm a brilliant Matas Skarna strike behind for a corner (74), in what was the host’s best effort of the entire game!
Eddie Dsane then put the icing on the cake, as he breached The Gulls’ defence to race clear and slot home his fourteenth goal of the season (83), as the Darts secured an excellent victory on the road having barely gotten out of third gear.
Together with results elsewhere, the Darts remain just two points behind Chatham Town in the race for that final playoff spot. It’s all to play for in the final two fixtures of this exciting Isthmian Premier League campaign.
CANVEY ISLAND: Jacob Marsden, Luke O’Neill, Junior Nkwonta, Freddie Price, Mike Finneran (c), Kenedi Dariri, Ben Steward, Conor Hubble, Calum Newson, Andrew Sesay, Matas Skarna.
SUBSTITUTES: Liam Daniels, Freddie Norman, Elliot Ronto, Dominykas Bobrovskij.
DARTFORD: Jonny Henly (c), Sam Odaudu, George Whitefield, Joe Tennent, Samuel Okoye, Denzelle Olopade, Jacob Bland, Jeremiah Pinder, Olly Box, Callum Jones, Dan Smith.
SUBSTITUTES: Eddie Dsane, Luther Williams, Michael Olarewaju, Rohan Vaughan, Evans Kouassi.
Chris Palmer