Dartford 1-2 Gillingham - Sawyer pleased with goalscoring trialist Bonner

Tuesday 13th July 2010

DARTFORD 1-2 GILLINGHAM
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 13th July 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park Stadium

DARTFORD assistant manager Paul Sawyer hailed the goalscoring emergence of right-back Tom Bonner, who has scored in the club’s opening two pre-season games.

Bonner scored during the Darts 3-1 home win over Npower League One side Dagenham & Redbridge at the weekend and scored a consolation goal as Andy Hessenthaler’s Gillingham bounced back from losing to Dartford’s new Blue Square Bet South rivals, Braintree Town and Bromley.

A strong Gillingham side took only three minutes to open the scoring at Princes Park when Danny Spiller headed home Curtis Weston’s right-wing cross and the Npower League Two visitors doubled their lead courtesy of Chris Palmer’s second half fluke.

But plucky Dartford deservedly scored late on when Bonner steered home a Ryan Hayes free-kick inside a crowded goal-mouth.

Sawyer told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards that all 22 players that were deployed against full-time opposition did well.

“I thought the Gillingham team was stronger than the Dagenham team we played Saturday,” admitted Sawyer.

“I thought they started off with a quick pace and it took us ten minutes, a quarter-of-an-hour to get to grips with that and from that quarter-of-an-hour mark we matched them.

“We created a couple of chances at the end of the first half and on another day they would have gone in.

“It was unfortunate to let in a goal second half. It was a cross that just flew in and then we finished strongly than Gillingham in the last quarter-of-an-hour.

“I thought we were pressing for an equaliser, so I’m very pleased.”

Gillingham started with a high-tempo pace during the first half with their very strong side, one that included a couple of familiar names in goalkeeper Lance Cronin (Ebbsfleet United) and former Welling United defender, Tony Sinclair, who played full-time football with Woking last season.

And the professionals got off to a flying start, with former Millwall midfielder Spiller converting an early chance at the second attempt.

He met Weston’s cross with a stooping header, which Dartford goalkeeper Andrew Young got down low to his left to parry, but Spiller reacted and smashed a low shot into the back of the net.

Young was called into action again when he comfortably saved Steffan Payne’s left-footed swept shot, following Andy Barcham’s left-wing centre.

Young another save after 21 minutes when he caught Spiller’s glancing header after Mark Bentley spread the ball out wide to attacking full-back Barry Fuller.

After being on the end of early dominance, Dartford created a couple of chances, which didn’t trouble Cronin in goal.

Captain Elliot Bradbrook laid the ball off to summer signing Ollie Barquez, but the former Chelmsford City central midfielder scuffed his shot wide.

But Dartford’s best chance of the first half arrived ten minutes before the break.

Bradbrook and Lee Burns combined and the skipper found Danny Harris unmarked at the far post, but his weak shot flashed across Cronin and Sinclair was on hand to clear the ball away at the far post.

Young, who was later replaced by promising teenager Deren Ibrahim, made a low save to deny John Nutter scoring from a left-footed free-kick, which he smashed through the wall.

Both sides made numerous substitutions at the interval and during the second half, which interrupted the flow of the game. Both sides got through 43 players in total.

Dartford came agonisingly close to equalising early in the second half when a right-wing corner from substitute Ryan Hayes was met by a towering header from Joe Bruce (who was Dartford’s longest surviving player tonight with 83 minutes under his belt), but Jack Payne was on hand to head the bullet header of the line at the far post.

Gillingham sealed the win, courtesy of Palmer’s 54th minute fluke.

He was released down the left flank and lashed a left-footed cross-come-shot that arrowed over Young and rocketed into the far corner of the net, much to the delight of the visiting fans’ in the crowd of 770, who later celebrated a very rare success on the road.

Dartford upped a gear towards the end, with striker Adam Burchell desperate to score against his former club.

Spirited Dartford deservedly pulled a goal back with only two minutes remaining.

Hayes smashed a left-footed free-kick into a crowded goal-mouth and Bonner steered the ball past the hapless Cronin to find the bottom far corner.

Trialist Bonner is certainly impressing Sawyer, who said: “He’s done well, Tom. He’s come down, I think he was with Ilkeston last year and moved back down South. He’s asked to come down to train and have a trial with us and he’s done well so far. Obviously we’re pleased with him.”

There were ugly scenes just before the final whistle when Gillingham’s assistant manager Ian Hendon - who quit Dover Athletic after just 18 days to join Hessenthaler at Priestfield Stadium - reacted disgracefully to an earlier Hayes challenge, by smashing the ball into the grounded winger just in front of the away dug-out.

Referee Mr Steve Bennett, who had a quiet night, ushered Hendon down the tunnel, but Sawyer didn’t want to make a big thing over the incident, when he said afterwards: “There’s no hard feelings.”

Sawyer was pleased that his side were rewarded by beating a former England C international goalkeeper.

“We definitely deserved to score,” he said. “I thought Danny Harris had a very good chance first half that was cleared off the line and from a corner we had a couple half chances.

“Then we had another one off the line second half from a corner.

“I think we deserved at least a goal and the pleasing thing is last pre-season we scored in every game that we played against pro clubs.”

Former Tonbridge Angels striker, Carl Rook, was given his first run-out of pre-season, having come off the bench for Charlie Sheringham for the final twenty minutes.

“We were pleased with Rookie,” Sawyer said. “He’s obviously had his injury problems since he’s been with us and this pre-season is to get him match fit so he’s firing for the start of the season.

“He’s a little bit behind the others pre-season wise, but he’s come on for the last twenty minutes and I thought he done really well tonight.”

Dartford continue their pre-season campaign with a visit of troubled Southend United on Friday night.

“I’m not sure what’s going on at Southend at the minute,” said Sawyer.

“I know last week they had problems and they cancelled two games. I believe we’re their first pre-season friendly so it’s a little bit of an unknown with Southend.

“We’ve never had Southend down here, so it will be a new one for us.”

When asked how he’s going to approach the game, giving players game time was his answer.

He said: “We’ve got plenty of friendlies left and at the moment it’s just giving everybody a fair crack of the whip.

“The last few years we always record how many minutes people are playing so we try and keep that as even as possible and make sure by the time we start the season everybody’s match fit.

“We had a big squad last year, which served us well and we’ve got players who can play in a number of positions, which was good for us last year, so yes, this squad is looking strong.”

Dartford: Andrew Young (Deren Ibrahim 60), Billy Burgess (Tom Bonner 45), Adam Gross (Ashley Probets 46), Joe Bruce (Connor Mead 83), Tom Champion (Paul Goodacre 46), James White (Michael Shinn 46), Danny Harris (Adam Burchell 58), Ollie Berquez (Lee Noble 60), Lee Burns (Ryan Hayes 46), Charlie Sheringham (Carl Rook 70), Elliot Bradbrook (Jack Pallen 76).

Goal: Tom Bonner 88

Gillingham: Lance Cronin, Barry Fuller (Jack Payne 46), John Nutter (Chris Palmer 46), Tony Sinclair, Josh Gowling, Mark Bentley (Kevin Maher 46, Connor Essam 80), Curtis Weston (Stanley Aborah 73), Danny Spiller (Luke Rooney 46), Stefan Payne (Fola Onibuje 46, Sam Gargan 72), Dennis Oli (Andy White 61), Andy Barcham (Serge Makofo 46).
Sub: Alan Julian.

Goals: Danny Spiller 3, Chris Palmer 54

Attendance: 770
Referee: Mr Steve Bennett (Orpington)
Assistants: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone) & Mr Nolan Wilde (Maidstone)
Fourth Official: Mr Martin Peck (West Malling)