Dartford 2-7 Tottenham Hotspur

Phil Ilfil, Jamie O’Hara, Lee Barnard, French star Adel Taarabt,18, and Andy Burcham have all tasted first-team action, and on their dazzling display’s tonight, you could see why.

With Darts’ first-team manager, Tony Burman still in Greece on his holiday’s, the Ryman League Division One North hosts were managed by coaches Paul Sawyer and Steve Molesey.

And it was Dartford who carved open the game’s first of many chances, after just 129 seconds of this pulsating clash.

Ryan Hayes, who impressed throughout, took the first corner of the game, and it was met by a towering header from Steve Norman, but the former Folkestone Invicta defender was denied by goalkeeper Tommy Forecast.

Dartford goalkeeper Tony Kessell was called into action on numerous occasions, despite shipping six goals during a half when Spurs ran riot.

And it was no surprise when Tottenham Hotspur opened the scoring after ten minutes.

The impressive Taarabt, who later in the game started showboating with Ronaldo type step-overs, unleashed a right-footed screamer from thirty-yards that gave Kessell no chance as it flew into the bottom right hand corner.

Taarabt took Spurs’ third corner of the game, which led to their deserved second goal of the night, after seventeen minutes.

The unmarked Leigh Mills had the simplest of chances, heading home from six-yards.

But Dartford’s star-winger Ryan Hayes, utilised his magic down the right-hand side, and created the home side’s best spell of the game, after 22 minutes.

The former Slade Green winger left Charlie Daniels in his wake, cut inside and unleashed a left-footed drive from eighteen-yards, which flew over Forecast, but agonisingly bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Then Forecast was on hand to tip Jay May’s header over the bar, and then Brendon Cass saw his header nodded off the line by Ilfil.

But Tottenham Hotspur showed their Premiership class, by quickly adding a third goal after 25 minutes.

O’Hara’s cross from the left was met by a looping header from Barnard, which dropped over Kessell and landed inside the bottom right-hand corner.

And central midfielder Jake Livermore was left in acres of space on the half-hour mark, punishing slack marking from the Darts, by stroking the ball past Kessell and into the corner from fourteen-yards.

Dartford, however, showed glimpses of what they’ll need to clinch the Ryman League Division One North title this season, and must have impressed the fans’ of the Premiership club.

Dartford striker Cass struck the inside of the left upright after 32 minutes, following another superb cross from Hayes on the right-hand side - and also had an effort headed off the line by Ilfil.

But Tottenham made it five within a minute when Barcham drove home a cross from Daniels, after more good work from the stunning O’Hara.

Kessell pulled off another fine save when he acrobatically tipped O’Hara’s thunderbolt over, but couldn’t do anything about Taarabt’s right-footed curling shot from 25-yards, which bounced off the top of the crossbar.

And stunning Spurs made it six with four minutes to go before the break when Barcham’s right-footed shot from 20-yards flew past Kessell and crashed into the top far corner.

Had this been a boxing match, the referee, Mr Ian Crouch, would have ended it at half time.

But to their credit Dartford, who changed their formation at the break and played substitute Brad Potter, Alex O’Brien and Eddie McClements in the middle of the park, leaving May up front on his own, and Cass in an unfamiliar position out on the flank, will take the positives that they won the second half by two goals to one.

Kessell made way for his understudy James Tedder at the break, and the tall goalkeeper, who ended last season on loan at Kent League side Slade Green, did his chances no harm with an impressive display.

He made a flying save to thwart Jake Livermore, diving to his right to push the 30-yard shot around his post.

Tedder frustrated Spurs again in the 61^st minute, when he saved a shot from substitute Dave Hutton, with his legs.

Cass called Forecast into action within a minute, with a 25-yard shot, that was tipped over the bar.

And at the other end, O’Hara skimmed the top of the far post soon after from eighteen-yards, after cutting in from the right.

Midfielder playmaker McClements, 23, carved open a chance for himself in the 65^th minute, when he cracked a long-range shot over Forecast’s crossbar, after going on one of his trademark runs.

But brave Dartford pulled a goal back after 66 minutes when May scooped the ball past Forecast, following a low centre from the right-hand side by McClements.

Dartford’s joy, however, was short lived as Charlie Daniels fired home goal number seven just two minutes later, following Livermore’s cut back from the right.

O’Hara then struck the left, and the right post, with one drilled shot, that had Tedder beaten, and floated a shot agonisingly past the far post moments later.

Hayes’ left-footed shot dropped just over Forecast’s crossbar but McClements got on the score sheet with ten minutes left.

McClements strolled past the visitors’ defence and rolled the ball past Forecast inside the bottom right-hand corner with his left-foot, to the delight of the Dartford faithful in the excellent crowd of 2,395.

Tedder made another smart low save in the last minute to deny O’Hara scoring with a quickly taken free-kick from the edge of the box.

Dartford: Tony Kessell (James Tedder 45), Tommy Osborne, Steve Norman, Jamie Coyle, John Guest, Alex O’Brien, Ryan Hayes (Dave Milton 81), Jay May (Valentine Obamwonyi 86), Brendon Cass (Jamie Lawrence 77), Eddie Mc Clements (Tommy Youle 86), Mark Green (Brad Potter 45).
Sub: Jack Roberts

Goals: Jay May 66, Eddie McClements 80

Tottenham Hotspur: Tommy Forecast, Phil Ilfil, Charlie Daniels, Jake Livermore, Leigh Mills, Troy Archibald-Henville (Cain Hughton 45), Jack Maghoma, Jamie O’Hara, Lee Barnard (Dave Hutton 45), Adel Taarabt, Andy Barcham (Chris Riley 45).
Subs: Lee Butcher, Daniel Hutchings, Takura Mtandari.

Goals: Adel Taarabt 10, Leigh Mills 17, Lee Barnard, 25, Jake Livermore 30, Andy Barcham 33, 41, Charlie Daniels 68

Attendance: 2,395
Referee: Mr Ian Crouch (New Eltham)
Assistants: Mr Ian Fissenden and Mr Steve Rowden