Dartford 1-1 Ebbsfleet United - Fans made it an afternoon to remember - Daish

Saturday 28th August 2010

DARTFORD 1-1 EBBSFLEET UNITED
Blue Square Bet South
Saturday 28th August 2010
Mike Green reports from Princes Park Stadium

Honours even and that’s just about right after the first North Kent derby for 18 years and the first played at Princes Park ended in a draw that was a credit to all those involved – from the 22 players all the way through to the near 3,000 crowd who witnessed a pulsating derby that neither side really deserved to lose.

After an end-to-end first half, which saw the ball flashing across the face of both goals, the visiting Fleet (wearing Fiorentina purple for the very first time) took the lead just after the hour mark when Michael West rose highest at the far post to head home.

The lead lasted just 12 minutes as Craig Easton hauled down Danny Harris on the edge of the box, and Charlie Sheringham duly despatched the penalty into the corner of the net.

After the game, both managers seemed content with the draw as they both spoke with BBC Radio Kent.

Fleet boss Liam Daish admitted, “I think we played very well in the first half and created all the chances. It was a good game, and credit to them in the second half for coming back the way they did after we scored but all in all I suppose it was a fair result.”

Darts boss Tony Burman was equally as praising to both sides. “I think it was a fair result – its always tough a local derby and it was a little bit kick and rush early on.

“Lots a people have come here today and if people who have come here today have enjoyed themselves then that has to be full credit to the players who have tried their very best to produce a decent game of football. It was tight; it was fair and the right result.”

It was a pulsating game throughout and but for the base of Dartford’s right post, West would have spectacularly volleyed the Fleet ahead within the first 60 seconds after Derek Duncan’s cross had fallen to West on the edge of the box.

In the early stages it was all Ebbsfleet and Dartford were indebted on 8 minutes to Tom Bonner who cleared off the line after Callum Willock lobbed the ball over stand in keeper John Whitehouse.

From the resulting corner, Darts skipper Billy Burgess cleared Paul Lorraine’s header off the line.

The home side huffed and puffed during the opening half, but it was just the final ball that wouldn’t come as on three occasions the ball whistled across the front of Preston Edwards goal needing just a touch from anyone to put the home side ahead.

Then eleven minutes from the break Whitehouse produced a magnificent block to somehow deny Paul Lorraine’s flick from point blank range. Whitehouse was only playing because first choice Andrew Young was with his wife (apologies if “just” partners!) as she waits to give birth.

That alongside the fact that second choice Deren Ibrahim has left the club to pursue a full time career playing in Malta meant that Burman had to find “temporary” cover. And in Whitehouse he couldn’t have found a better stand in as the veteran was to prove later in the game!

On the hour, the Fleet did break the deadlock, as Ashley Carew flighted over the free kick, and West ghosted in to head beyond Whitehouse and into the net.

“It was a great delivery in and Westy got another good goal with his head,” Daish admitted afterwards.

Almost immediately came a sixty second spell, which summed up the pace and the quality of this contest. Lee Burns and Sheringham exchanged passes on the edge of the Ebbsfleet area, and drilled the ball seemingly beyond Edwards towards the bottom corner. Yet somehow, the Fleet keeper managed to save the ball as it seemed behind him and beyond him to the total disbelief of Burns.

Straight up the other end the visitors went, and Willock got on the end of a super cross from the left, and as the striker was wheeling away to celebrate the goal, somehow Whitehouse went full length to his right and tipped the ball around the right post.

Truly sixty staggering seconds that will live long in the memory.

Just as you were beginning to think that this game had had just about everything, came a bizarre incident involving Sheringham and Dean Pooley.

The ball was played up towards the pair who clashed on half way. Referee Harris gave the Darts a free kick but the real concern was for Pooley who remained motionless on the ground and was indeed completely knocked out!

Clint Easton replaced him, and Easton was soon to have a major part to play in the “script”.

Sheringham lobbed the ball towards the edge of the box where Easton and Harris got in a real tangle and the referee Harris pointed to the spot and Sheringham gave Edwards no chance drilling the ball low to the keepers rights as the Fleet custodian dived left.

Daish admitted afterwards that his side should have done better once they’d taken the lead.

“There is a mentality with us sometimes that when you go into the lead that you try and protect that lead dropping too deep,” the Fleet boss admitted. “And that’s what probably caused the penalty really as we dropped off a bit too much and that’s what lead to what happened in the box. That said I do think it was a soft penalty to be fair.”

Following their promotion from the Ryman League, Darts boss Burman admitted “We’ve come up into this league and the quality and tempo of the game has gone up from last season and we’ve had a really tough start to the season, and now we head over to Chelmsford to end our really tough month.”

A word too about the imminent new arrival in the Young household. Smiling boss Burman joked, “I hope for Andy’s sake he a Dad by now, as he phoned me yesterday and then again this morning and nothings happened yet! That said I hope that everything’s gone well for the whole family.

“I spoke to John (Whitehouse) yesterday as he’s been unattached and he’s come in and done a fabulous job for us this afternoon as I thought he would do, as he’s a quality keeper!

Final word goes to Daish. The Fleet boss was asked if he’d enjoyed the game from the dug out. Grinning he said, “We couldn’t really enjoy the game from the dug out but full credit to both sets of fans for making it an afternoon to remember and I’m just glad that the game matched the occasion for a change!”

And it truly was – with the return at Stonebridge Road at Christmas, anyone want a ticket?

Dartford: John Whitehouse, Billy Burgess, Tom Bonner, Joe Bruce, Paul Goodacre, Michael Shinn, Ryan Hayes (Lee Noble 86), Tom Champion, Charlie Sheringham (Carl Rook 79), Lee Burns (Elliott Bradbrook 68), Danny Harris.
Subs: Ollie Berquez, Adam Gross

Goal: Charlie Sheringham 72 (pen)

Booked: Michael Shinn 37, Billy Burgess 46, Ryan Hayes 60

Ebbsfleet United: Preston Edwards, Chris Henry, Derek Duncan, Ashley Carew, Dean Pooley (Craig Easton 66), Paul Lorraine, Michael West, Ram Marwa, Callum Willock, Tom Phipp (Joe Benjamin 79), Craig Stone.
Subs: Tyron Sealey, Aidan Sherlock, Joe Hagan

Goal: Michael West 60

Booked: Dean Pooley 37, Derek Duncan 59

Attendance: 2,781
Referee: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Nick Dunn (Deal) & Mr Saul Kay (Sittingbourne)