Dartford 1-2 Boreham Wood - We've been top all year and things are getting nervy, admits Burman

Tuesday 16th March 2010

DARTFORD 1-2 BOREHAM WOOD
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 16th March 2010
Paul Parkinson reports from Princes Park Stadium

With Dartford reaching the mid-point in what Tony Burman has called “the week of hell“, the Darts slipped to their third defeat in the last four games, as playoff-chasing Boreham Wood earned a 2-1 win at Princes Park tonight.

In a line-up showing four changes to the team that lost disappointingly 3-1 at Tooting and Mitcham on Saturday, two soft goals against the makeshift defence hurt the Darts boss, who told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards that, “Hell is right! The players have been hurt by the two defeats.””

Burman continued, “The goals we conceded tonight, it wasn‘t good enough defending. But if you take away the actual goals, it‘s the play leading up to them; it shouldn‘t have been a free-kick for the first and we should have cleared the ball before it was crossed on the second. They are the things we look at and it‘s become error after error.””

A scrappy first half, in which even Burman admitted, “they haven‘t started in the best fashion in the first half and were a little bit flat, and I would like to have come in at 0-0 but they‘ve got a goal at the death“, saw Boreham Wood steal the lead in stoppage time, but it came from the controversial moment of the half.

While the Dartford faithful were still bemoaning the lack of a free-kick for a foul on Rob Haworth, the visitors broke into the Darts half, where Adam Gross brought down Dewayne Clarke. There still shouldn‘t have been much danger from a floated ball by Lee Allinson, but Ryan Moran somehow outjumped his marker and looped his header beyond Andrew Young into the corner of the net.

Although Boreham Wood could have taken the lead in the 2nd minute, Leon Hunter somehow steering his shot wide from 12 yards, the visitors were restricted to long range efforts from Greg Morgan and Mario Noto, while Wood goalkeeper Tony Tucker was by far the busier. But despite shots from Lee Burns on 5 and 45 minutes, and a James White flick header, it was the visitors who went in with the half-time lead.

Fired up by the manager‘s words at the break, Dartford came out with renewed optimism and Ryan Hayes drew an excellent save from Tucker, before a deserved equaliser on 59 minutes.

Haworth was central to events, first breaking through a static defence, before squaring the ball towards Burns, but Noto intercepted.

From John Beales‘ long throw, Haworth flicked the ball into the 6 yard box, where Burns reacted quickest to stab home his 20th of the season.

Now with the crowd getting behind the team, Darts looked unlucky to have a good goal ruled out 3 minutes later for an offside flag from Mr Hatzidakis.

Hayes‘ left-footed free kick forced Tucker into a clumsy save and as the ball bobbled loose, Billy Burgess slid in to convert, but the flag halted the celebrations and seemed to take the sting out of the Darts‘ efforts.

On 70 minutes, Boreham Wood took the lead again as the home defence was stretched to its extreme.

A driven cross from Allison found Morgan sneaking in from the left & Morgan buried his first time shot in the bottom left corner.

Into the last 10 minutes, substitute Carl Rook nearly capitalised on poor control from Luke Garrard, latching onto the defender‘s poor touch, before trying to lob the advancing Tucker, but the ball dropped agonisingly wide.

Then Burns‘ volley from the edge of the box was comfortably saved and skipper Elliot Bradbrook saw his volley sail high into the stand behind the goal.

Burman admitted: “We are down at the moment, but football‘s a funny game. We‘ve had a lot of belief all season but it‘s just not going right for us. It‘s disappointing and I feel for the players at the moment.

“It‘s not going right for them and they are not doing a hell of a lot wrong. But it‘s taken until the 50th minute to get a bit angry and aggressive, and get something going.”

“It‘s a strange time at this stage of the season, we‘ve been up there all year and things are just getting a bit nervy. A little belief sometimes, a referee‘s decision might not go right for you, all the excuses under the sun.

“What we‘ve got to do is get out on the pitch, say this is how we play and get back to having the effort channelled in the right areas and they will get it back.”"

Dartford: Andrew Young, Billy Burgess, Adam Gross (Danny Harris 79), John Beales, Ryan Johnson, James White (Carl Rook 79), Ryan Hayes, Danny Dafter, Rob Haworth (Allan Tait 65), Lee Burns, Elliot Bradbrook.
Subs: Jamie Coyle, Lee Noble.

Goal: Lee Burns 59

Booked: Elliot Bradbrook 62

Boreham Wood: Tony Tucker, Ryan Kirby, Daniel Braithwaite, Leon Hunter, Ryan Moran, Luke Garrard, Mario Noto, Lee Allinson (Jon Wordsworth 90), Jamie Richards (Jon Clements 90), Dewayne Clarke, Greg Morgan (Chris Watters 74).
Sub: Jay Brett.

Goals: Ryan Moran 45, Greg Morgan 70

Attendance: 726
Referee: Mr Nigel Lugg (Chipstead, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Ian Fissenden (Darland) & Mr Constantine Hatzidakis (Rochester)