Dartford 2-0 Mansfield Town - We're third on merit, says proud Dartford boss Tony Burman

DARTFORD  2-0  MANSFIELD TOWN
Blue Square Bet Premier
Friday 26^th October 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park Stadium

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman says a great team ethic has taken his club to within four points of the summit of non-league football.

 

The Darts welcomed the television cameras from Premier Sports to Princes Park for the very first time and picked up another three points in Blue Square Bet Premier after two Kent-based players, skipper Elliot Bradbrook and wing wizard Ryan Hayes scored the goals inside first half stoppage time to seal a famous win over Mansfield Town to leapfrog over Luton Town, Grimsby Town and Forest Green Rovers into third-place in the table with 29 points from sixteen games.

Despite live television coverage and the cold temperatures, Dartford attracted their biggest home crowd of the season when 1,737 took advantage of Friday night football.

Burman praised the supporters who came out to support his side and said his side enjoyed appearing in front of a nationwide audience.

“Absolutely fantastic atmosphere and I thought a very good performance,” he said.

“It’s brilliant! It’s fantastic.  It’s another stage of the progression really.  We’re now on TV, which we’ve never done before and I’m just proud that the team have put on a good performance, especially after Tuesday night.

“I thought we played very, very well from the back into middle and up front. It just lacked that little bit of quality, cutting edge I should say, but in that final five minutes (of the first half) that quality shone out and I just felt, all night, it was a good all-round team performance.”

There were no clear cut openings inside the opening 25 minutes of the game.

However, Hayes was giving Mansfield Town Ryan Tafazolli a nightmare during the opening half, before the Stags’ left-back was withdrawn at the interval.

Dartford striker, Adam Birchall, who is on loan from League Two side Gillingham, impressed throughout and linked up well with the midfield throughout and ran Hayes close for the sponsors’ man-of-the-match award.

Birchall’s diagonal pass sent Hayes on his way but his driven shot deflected off John Dempster (who was sliding in) and the ball deflected over the crossbar.

Mansfield skipper Dempster pumped a long ball forward and Matthew Rhead’s glancing header bounced into Marcus Dettinelli’s gloves.

The 20-year-old keeper, who extended his loan deal from Premier League Fulham, comfortably plucked missile launched long throws into the penalty area from Mansfield right-back Exodus Geohaghon throughout the first half as Mansfield’s play was too predictable.

But Dartford, who were knocked out of The FA Cup in the Fourth Qualifying Round by Forest Green Rovers in midweek, started to get back into their stride as the game approached the half-hour mark.

Birchall swept the ball out wide to the right where right-back Lee Burns advanced towards the edge of the Mansfield penalty area but his right-footed shot sailed high and wide of the near post.

Bradbrook then headed down and into the arms of visiting keeper Liam Mitchell after Hayes floated a cross towards the far post after the winger had initially released Danny Harris down the inside right-channel with a hooked pass.

Mansfield had a sniff at goal when right-winger Andy Todd cut in from the flank and drilled a low left-footed shot past the diving keeper and the foot of the near post.

But Dartford created the game’s first real chance in the 30^th minute.

Bettinelli confidently plucked a cross out of the air before releasing Hayes with a bowled clearance and the winger used his electrifying pace to progress into the final third.  The winger sprayed the ball out to the left for Lee Noble, who cut inside and curled a shot across Mitchell and agonisingly just past the far post.

Geohaghon launched another one of his long throws into the penalty box and a game of head-tennis saw the ball finally come out of the Dartford box and Matthew Rhead cracked his right-footed volley high and wide.

Mansfield’s best chance of the entire game, however, arrived in the 38^th minute when Rhead cut inside from the left before cracking a right-footed shot from 30-yards, which was tipped over by Bettinelli’s out-stretched arm.

Burman was pleased that his defence, well-marshalled by Mark Arber, kept Mansfield quiet.

“It’s a clean-sheet as well,” he said.  “The guys’ at the back have done really well, especially after the last two home games where we’ve let in four goals (in each game).

“I think everybody knew we didn’t play that badly against Telford, they’ve had five shots and scored four goals.  The other night we know what’s happened. Now it’s history.  We can’t do anything about it.”

More wing wizardry from Hayes saw him play the ball inside and quick feet from Birchall saw him lose his marker before his left-footed shot on the turn from 25-yards forced Mitchell into diving low to his left to turn around the post.

A run from Mansfield striker, Matthew Green, saw him try a speculative shot towards goal from distance, but the ball was comfortably gathered by the Dartford keeper.

But the game turned in Dartford’s favour after they scored twice in a devastating 62 seconds inside stoppage time.

Hayes and Birchall linked up well together down the right channel and Birchall freed Harris who cut the ball back and across the penalty area for Bradbrook to steer a first time, low left-footed drive through a crowd of players to find the bottom right-hand corner from 22-yards.

“It was a good move and it’s a great finish as well,” Burman said of Bradbrook’s fourth goal of the season.

“I thought we deserved that. We deserved to be in front as well and we followed that with another spectacular goal!”

The Dartford supporters, who offered their heroes passionate support 30 minutes before kick-off and throughout the game, were still celebrating their opener when Hayes scored a spectacular goal, which would have been fitting for a World Cup Final!

Lee Burns clipped the ball out of the Dartford defence to release Hayes, who cut inside on to his magical left-footed before cracking a beautiful shot, which sailed over the despairing keeper’s dive and curled into the top far corner of the net from 20-yards.

Burman praised the club’s longest serving player, who began his career in Thamesmead Town’s reserve team before signing for Kent League side Slade Green.

He added: “It’s a great finish!  He was doing that regularly. We felt he’s lost a little bit of his targets so to speak. When he first came here he was putting them in every week. He’s capable of all that and he’s put on a good performance tonight and I’m pleased for him.”

When asked what was said during the interval, the Dartford boss said: “I didn’t say it was won, that’s for sure, but it was nice to come in at 2-0 up.

“We just said to keep things tight. Mansfield do get the ball forward quickly and they’re a big side, but we played a small side tonight simply we felt that the bigger lads wouldn’t like the small guys round them and I thought we handled them very, very well.”

The lion-hearted part-timers almost got off to a flyer within 75 seconds into the second half as Hayes cut inside before releasing right-back Burns on the over-lap and his cross was headed over by an unmarked Harris at the near post.

Dartford then created more chances to increase their lead in a dominant spell just before the hour mark.

Hayes sent a left-footed free-kick sailing just over, before a couple of Birchall’s low drives were blocked by the Mansfield keeper.

Birchall was denied his second Dartford goal in the 58^th minute when he unleashed a low right-footed angled drive from 30-yards, which flashed across Mitchell but bounced agonisingly against the foot of the far post.

Burman heaped plenty of praise on the former Dover Athletic marksman.

“Birchy is only going to get stronger. He’s come in and we’re trying to help him and help getting his match fitness up. 

“I thought Birch was excellent tonight and even in the month that he’s been with us from the first game he’s getting stronger every moment.”

On Birchall hitting the post, Burman added: That would’ve been nice to finish it off. It was a great move. In general play he was involved in our build ups and his use of the ball was excellent and I’m really pleased for him because he’s been out for a long, long time and hopefully we’ve helped him on his way.”

Mansfield Town created an opening following a corner when Gary Roberts cut a corner back to an unmarked Louis Briscoe, but the substitute blazed his right-footed shot on the turn over from 25-yards.

Roberts then played a fine diagonal pass to give impressive substitute Lindon Meikle a chance, but the left-winger cracked a first-time shot from just outside the Dartford penalty area, which sailed over the crossbar, despite Bettinelli flying to his right for the cameras.

Dartford had the final chance of the game when Bradbrook swept the ball out to Harris, who cut in from the right and his speculative right-footed drive looped into Mitchell’s gloves.

Burman was immensely proud of the night’s events and a win in front of a national audience always helps.

“We’re on the TV for the first time in the club’s history, especially live and we’ve put in a good performance and people have gone away happy. Hopefully in the local pubs and clubs, if they’ve watched the game, they’ll be happy as well.”

The Dartford boss paid tribute to the excellent backing his side got from the terraces, by saying, “It’s brilliant, especially after a game on Tuesday. It’s hard times for people out there. For people to keep supporting football clubs and their local side, but hopefully we’ve made that money well spent.

“I know they’ve had that disappointment (of going out of The FA Cup) on Tuesday, but we’re in the League. We’re where we are and it’s on merit and I’m absolutely delighted for everybody.”

Dartford are now behind Newport County and Wrexham in the league table and seven of the starting eleven featured for the club in Blue Square Bet (Conference) South last season.

Burman said: “We’ve got a great work ethic here. We’ve had that for years since I’ve been here. It’s bringing that quality out in them.

“We’ve played against a real tough team tonight. I think we’ve knocked the ball around well and we’ve given a good account of ourselves.”

But despite their lofty-position, Burman, as ever, is keeping his cool.

“I’m just thinking I don’t want to get too excited. It’s going great and don’t get too down when things aren’t going so well.

“We’re here on merit and we’ll do our best to reach our next targets points wise and when we reach them we’ll try to get to the next (number of) points and that’s what we’ll carry on doing.

“I think our targets now are to get over 30 points and then maybe 35, then maybe 40. People tell you have to get 50 points (to escape relegation).  We’re well on our way to doing that. We’re not going to get too overwhelmed or we’re not going to get too excited. We just want to do our job. We’ll earn the respect of this League. I think we will this year.”

When the words “play-offs” were mentioned, Burman said: “It’s still in October, we’re approaching November and I’m pleased where we are, that’s the main thing. Tomorrow we might be out of the play-offs again but play-offs don’t really get mentioned until April and that’s a long way off.

“We’ve got a tough, tough three or four months, through the winter months and they are tough.  If we can get through them picking up points I’ll be delighted.”

Dartford: Marcus Bettinelli, Lee Burns, Tom Bonner, Mark Arber, Richard Rose, Jon Wallis, Ryan Hayes (James Rogers 85), Elliot Bradbrook, Adam Birchall (Jacob Erskine 81), Danny Harris (Nathan Collier 90), Lee Noble.
Subs: Harry Crawford, Louis Wells

Goals: Elliot Bradbrook 45, Ryan Hayes 45

Mansfield Town: Liam Mitchell, Exodus Geohaghon, John Dempster, Ryan Tafazolli (Lindon Meikle 46), Andy Todd, Gary Roberts, Anthony Howell, Colin Daniel (Louis Briscoe 60), Jake Speight, Matthew Green, Matthew Rhead (Ritchie Sutton 46).
Subs: Chris Clements, Ben Hutchinson

Booked: Anthony Howell 10, Andy Todd 79, Jake Speight 90

Attendance: 1,737
Referee: Mr Michel Bull (Chelmsford, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Jonathan Pritchard (Leigh-on-Sea, Essex) & Mr Andrew Parker (Stanford-le-Hope, Essex)
Fourth Official: Mr Ian Cooper (Hoo, Rochester)