Dartford 2-1 Ware - The pressure is all on Sudbury, says Burman

A hard-fought 2-1 win over third placed side Ware, in a game played in blustery and bitterly cold conditions, ensured that the Kent giants stretched their unbeaten run to twenty games with only six remaining, the title is surely heading to Princes Park.

However, nearest challengers AFC Sudbury will say that they have two games in hand over the Darts, as their home game against Enfield Town fell victim to a waterlogged pitch.

Dartford also have a better goal-difference, which is worth another point.

The Kent side know they must collect maximum points from their last six games, starting with their trip to Canvey Island on Easter Monday (1pm).

Loyal servant Tommy Osborne slotted in at right-back and Jamie Coyle moved across to central defence as Adam Flanagan was starting his two match suspension.

Nick Barnes, 25, who was signed from Ashford Town just a couple of days ago, came off the substitutes bench late on - along with another recent signing, from Sevenoaks Town, Luke Piscina - as they shut up shop.

As two goals inside the opening 24 minutes from winger Ryan Hayes, playing his 99^th game for the north Kent club, sent the Darts on their way.

Hayes had the game’s first chance when his left-footed volley from ten-yards flew over the crossbar after striker Jay May drove in a cross from the right.

But Hayes’ tenth goal of the season settled the nerves, when he broke the deadlock after 11 minutes and 27 seconds on the clock.

Ware goalkeeper James Hoad must have had wished the ground had swallowed him up, as he looked up to the heavens as he allowed Hayes to embarrassed him from distance.

The former Slade Green winger unleashed a left-footed curling cross from 35-yards that appeared at first to be small-fry for the goalkeeper.

But the ball bounced once in front of Hoad and he watched in horror as he failed miserably to grasp the ball on the goal-line and could only look to see the ball spin past him and cross the line to the delight of the Darts faithful behind him.



BLUNDER:  Ware's goalkeeper James Hoad's 12th minute blunder helped Ryan Hayes (out of picture) to score from a curling cross-come-shot from 35-yards.
Photograph courtesy of Steven Harrington

Today’s crowd of 1,579 was the largest at Princes Park - and in this division - this season.

Ware responded quickly and called Tony Kessell into action as the former Folkestone Invicta goalkeeper made a smart low save to prevent Sam Berry scoring with a right-footed drive from thirty-yards.

Frustrating Dartford midfielder Junior Kadi blazed his right-footed half-volley over the bar from 20-yards following John Guest’s cross from the right.

Ware squandered their best chance after 18 minutes when Michael Bardie’s cross was met by Ryan Redford, who glanced his header past the far-post, when left unmarked just twelve yards out.

Hoad, however, made amends for his earlier blunder when he prevented Brendon Cass scoring in a one-on-one situation as the Kent side looked to double their lead just three minutes later.

Hitting the Hertfordshire side on the break, May spread the ball over to his strike partner Cass, who raced into the penalty area but he was thwarted by Hoad, who made a smart block.

But the second goal did arrive, with 23 minutes, 56 seconds on the clock, through a very rare header from Hayes.

Kadi’s free-kick caused chaos in the Ware area as Guest flicked the ball on. The ball was at a perfect height in mid-air for Hayes to loop his header over the agonising Hoad into the top left-hand corner of the net.




HEADER:  Dartford winger Ryan Hayes sends a looping header over James Hoad to give the Kent side a 2-0 lead at Princes Park today.
Photograph courtesy of Steven Harrington

With a well marshalled Dartford back-four, Ware were forced to shoot from distance, and Paul Burton’s 35-yarder flashed wide of Kessell’s post.

Hoad made his second fine save after 34 minutes when he prevented May from scoring his 15^th goal of the season.

Hayes’ left-footed hanging cross was flicked down by substitute Yohance Lewis and good interplay by Kadi and May saw the latter strike a right-footed shot from the edge of the area and Hoad got down low to his right to push the ball away.

But plucky Ware pulled a goal back with 36 minutes and 50 seconds on the clock as Burton netted his seventh goal of the season.

Just like Dartford’s first goal, the wind played a very big part in the ball finding the net.

Winger Burton whipped in a cross from the left hand side some 40-yards from goal, which curled through a whole host of players, only to find the net via the far post, leaving Kessell rooted to the spot.

Midfield general Alex O’Brien doesn’t score many goals, but the former Tonbridge Angels star almost got on the score sheet early in the second half.

His 22-yard right-footed drive, after Hayes cut back Kadi’s cross from the left, flew agonisingly just over the crossbar.

Ware should have done better 12 minutes into the second half as good build up play resulted in midfielder Sam Berry drilling his right-footed shot wide from 25-yards after John Frendo, who was kept very quiet, especially as he’s netted 29 goals this season, squared the ball into his path.

Coyle couldn’t direct his header, from an acute angle, on target at the far post after Hayes’ corner with 21 minutes left.

But Dartford didn’t need a third goal to kill of their opponents, although the Hertfordshire side almost grabbed a point when their skipper Danny Woolf powered Burton’s header over.

Dartford squandered an excellent chance with thirteen minutes remaining.

Hayes raced down the right on the break and fed May, who then cut into the penalty area, rode one challenge and blasted his shot against the near post from an acute angle. However, had he cut the ball back Cass would have been celebrating his 36^th goal of the season.

Four minutes later, however, May and Hayes combined down the right and Hayes’ cross was met by a downward header by Cass at the far post, which was brilliantly kept out by Hoad at the near post.

Burman made a couple of changes late on and changed their formation to 4-5-1 to protect their lead and Ware’s misery was completed when full-back Dave Blower was shown his marching orders inside time added on.

Firstly booked for dissent, a red card soon followed for a foul on Lewis down on the left-flank.

Despite being Easter Saturday, the weather conditions were more like winter and when Burman spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards a hailstone shower came crashing down from the sky, turning the pitch white.

“It’s amazing, you’d think we were in the middle of November at the moment, but it’s absolutely pouring down with snow,” joked Burman.

But on his team’s performance, the Darts boss was pleased with the victory.

“I’m very pleased, it’s a big game, it was a big game. I think Ware are a very, very good side and it proved it in the first half, although first half I think we could have been four, four-nil up.

“We had a bit of luck with the first goal, but their keeper’s pulled off some good saves after that from Brendon and Jay.

“They got a goal that clawed it back from them, again due to the wind and the elements but no, I’m really pleased.”

Despite AFC Sudbury attempting to unsettle the Darts with mind-games, Burman and his players are keeping professional in churning out vital victories during the run-in.

“Well, we’re not worried about Sudbury, we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do, we’ve got to win our games,” said Burman.

“There’s no point in us thinking about (other teams’ results), we have to win our games and at this moment in time we’re doing that and we’re thinking about Canvey now.

“I can’t believe the snow, sorry, this snow is just unbelievable here at the moment,” Burman joked as the freak March weather soaked us in the press box at the empty stadium.

“We’re thinking about Canvey and hopefully it will be on because we may be under three foot of snow at the moment!”

Burman, meanwhile, was full of praise for two-goal hero Hayes, and explained his reasoning behind the winger’s substitution for Barnes.

He said: “Ryan’s a fantastic player, he done well today, scored two goals.

“One, alright been a bit lucky but it’s a little bit of a kick that he needed and I thought he was excellent first half.

“But we have to sometimes shore things up a little bit. If we’ve got the opportunity to do that and the people that we’ve got on the bench now, I can do that and Nick comes into that category.”

Dartford: Tony Kessell, Jamie Coyle, Steve Norman, Tommy Osborne, John Guest, Alex O’Brien, Ryan Hayes (Nick Barnes 84), Junior Kadi, Brendon Cass (Luke Piscina 87), Jay May, Mark Green (Yohance Lewis 13).
Subs: Tom Bradbrook, Phil Williams.

Goals: Ryan Hayes 12, 24

Booked: Ryan Hayes 76, Junior Kadi 90

Ware: James Hoad, Dave Blower, Danny Gudgeon (Jimmie Berry 74), Danny Wolf, Stuart Hammonds, Sam Berry, Danny Spendlove, Michael Bardie, John Frendo, Paul Burton, Ryan Redford (Steve Horsey 64).
Subs: Sam Rose, Lawrie Stewart, Ryan Jones.

Goal: Paul Burton 37

Booked: Stuart Hammonds 23, Danny Wolf 61, Dave Blower 90

Sent Off: Dave Blower 90

Attendance: 1,579
Referee: Mr Phil Knight (Canterbury)
Assistants: Mr Mark Lehane (Bexleyheath) & Mr Babatunde Adebayo (Bexleyheath)

Photographs courtesy of Steven Harrington www.thedarts.eu