Dartford 3-1 Charlton Athletic - Let's have an enjoyable day like we had last year, says Tony Burman

DARTFORD  3-1  CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Kent Senior Cup Sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com Semi-Final
Tuesday 27^th March 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park Stadium

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman says his side put in an excellent performance to embarrass Charlton Athletic to reach the Kent Senior Cup Final for the second successive season.


The Darts will meet Ryman League Division One South side Hythe Town – who produced their very own giant-killing by beating Dover Athletic 3-0 in the other semi-final at Reachfields Stadium four weeks ago – in the Final on a date and venue still to be confirmed by the Kent County Football Association.

Charlton Athletic – who are at the summit of Npower League One – fielded five players with first team experience but Cedric Evina, Mikel Alonso, Bradley Pritchard, Andy Hughes and Jason Euell came second best to Burman’s Blue Square Bet (Conference) South part-timers, in front of an excellent crowd of 1,682 at Princes Park Stadium.

Dartford, who are in second place in the table, took the lead through Jack Pallen’s 33^rd minute strike, scoring on his return to Princes Park after a five-match loan at Ryman League Division One North neighbours Thamesmead Town.

But the part-timers’ lead was short-lived as Charlton Athletic swiftly levelled through Adebayo Azeez.

Dartford regained their lead, however, six minutes into the second half, courtesy of Lee Noble’s 25-yard strike but they lost goalkeeper Deren Ibrahim to a dislocated right-shoulder, before club captain Elliot Bradbrook came off the bench to fire holders Dartford into the final.

Dartford, who thrashed Bromley 4-1 in last year’s final at Princes Park last May, will be favourites to lift the prestigious silverware for the eleventh time against Scott Porter’s Hythe Town, whose only final appearance came back in 1992, when they lost out in extra-time to Bromley.

Burman revealed afterwards that he was “delighted” with the shock victory.

He said:  “I wasn’t expecting it to be fair, in respect that we’ve played everyone who hasn’t had ninety minutes and we’ve played against full-time pros.  I thought the players were excellent tonight. 

“It’s nice that we’ve got through to the final. It’s a great feeling.  I’m so pleased tonight because there’s no points or anything like that. We don’t have to worry about how everybody has got on tonight, not that we’d be doing that anyway.

“It’s great that we’ve got to a final.  Let’s remember, again we just have to do our job and don’t worry about anyone else.  I’m so pleased for them tonight, really pleased.”

Burman made six changes from the side that fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat away to Dorchester Town at the weekend.

He explained: “We’ve been consistent what we’ve done. Anyone who hasn’t played on the Saturday has played and we’ve done that in every single (Kent Senior Cup) game and people say you’re playing you’re fringe players.  They’re not my fringe players.  They’re squad players who have been unfortunate not to be playing at the moment.  They’re good players and I’m delighted for them.”

Charlton Athletic started the game on the front foot and Pritchard, Joe Pigott and Alonso combined down the left, which resulted in Pigott driving a right-footed angled drive into the side netting from ten-yards.

Then, right-back Jordan Cousins played a long ball over the top of the Dartford defence and Ibrahim was almost punished for hesitancy when Azeez sent his chip wide of the near post.

Dartford’s first attempt on goal came when Lee Burns lashed a right-footed shot over the crossbar from just inside the Charlton penalty area.

Visiting goalkeeper, Nick Pope, was called into serious action in the 16^th minute, as Burman revealed his side have been working on free-kicks.

Tom Bonner pumped the ball up field and Pallen drew a foul from behind from Cousins.

Up stepped Noble, who clipped his right-footed 20-yard free-kick over the wall and the ball was destined for the roof of the net, but the Charlton keeper tipped the ball over his crossbar.

Burman said: “We’ve been working on the free-kicks because I’ve been disappointed where we haven’t hit the targets.  He’s hit the target and it’s gone for a save.  It was a decent chance.”

Noble whipped in the resulting corner from the left towards the far post, but an unmarked Bonner could only steer his header wide.

Dartford opened the scoring in the 33^rd minute when a move involving Burns and Noble found James Rogers, who drilled in a cross from the left and Pallen instinctively struck out his right leg to divert the ball past Pope to score from ten-yards.

Burman admitted Pallen’s spell on loan at Thamesmead Town had served its purpose.

He said: “He’s got five games in over there, which was good for him. I’m not saying he done brilliant and everything else but we know what he can do and in training the other night we knew he was a lot sharper than what he was without having the five games.

“I thought he was lagging a little but until he scored the goal and all off a sudden he scored a great goal and his chest came out a bit and he got a new lease of life.”

Burman added: “It was a great strike.  It was excellent. We know he can score goals and second half as well he’s put in a real good performance.  When the ball was played out to him he was controlling it. His confidence grew once he scored the goal.  Fair play to him.” 

But teams are normally vulnerable after they’ve just scored and this was certainly the case as Charlton Athletic restored parity just 151 seconds later.

Euell played the ball in behind Dartford right-back Bonner to release Evina into the penalty area and the nippy left-back sent a left-footed cross flashing across the face of goal to find Azeez at the far post and he steered the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from three-yards.

Burman admitted: “It’s from some poor defending from our point of view.   We’ve spoken about it in there but to come back again was excellent. I’m really pleased.”

Charlton Athletic received a slice of luck just before the break when Evina sliced a clearance only just over his own crossbar after Pope had flapped at Rogers’ floated cross from the left.

But Dartford regained the lead within the opening six minutes of the second half, through a fine strike from Noble.

Playing in the middle of the park, Noble picked the ball up and cracked a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which flashed across a stranded Pope and nestled into the bottom far corner.

Burman said: “Lee’s played in the centre of the park tonight.  We were looking to give him 45 minutes, but it wasn’t to be and he got a little bit longer, but I’m well pleased with him.”

Burman was concerned for his second-choice keeper Ibrahim, who was stretchered off the Princes Park pitch after dislocating his right shoulder.  However, the cries of “let him die!” from some Charlton fans behind the goal was disgraceful!

“We’ve picked up a serious injury now, that’s going to be a major concern,” said Burman, who revealed he will ask the Football Conference whether he can bring in an emergency goalkeeper as back-up.

“It’s a dislocation and it’s been put back in I think.  With the shoulder out, he’s out for the season.”

First-choice keeper, Louis Wells, came off the bench and he made an excellent diving save with eighteen minutes remaining, diving to his left to thwart Pritchard from scoring with a deflected angled right-footed drive from the corner of the penalty area, following a short corner.

Burman said: “It was a great save at that stage.  Last thing we wanted was extra time. It was a good save. He’s returning the favour what Deren did to him at Tonbridge.”

Wells made a routine save at his near post when Euell unleashed a low left-footed angled drive from 20-yards.

Dartford left-back, Adam Green, scuffed a speculative low shot wide of the post from 30-yard after Ryan Hayes touched a free-kick into his path, before Dartford sealed their place in the final through Bradbrook’s seventeenth goal of the season with four minutes left.

Green put in a low cross from the left and Bradbrook arrived in the box to steer a first-time left-footed shot past Pope from ten-yards, to spark jubilant celebrations from the home faithful, who taunted their higher-league rivals with chants of “Easy!” and “Can we play you every week?”

Burman said: “Listen, Dartford paid a lot of money for me from Charlton many moons ago and I was worth a few bob them days!

“It’s nice they’ve come back in to the competition.  It gives it some creditability, which is great. Hopefully their players have had a competitive game, which is good for them and it’s helped them on their way.”

With Hythe Town winning 3-0 away to Walton & Hersham tonight no representative from Reachfields Stadium was at Princes Park tonight to toss a coin to see which club will have home advantage for the final.

However, last year’s final between Dartford and Bromley attracted a bumper crowd of 2,025, when it was played at Princes Park on a Bank Holiday Monday last May.

However, that date looks unlikely as the Conference South play-offs have been confirmed for 2 and 6 May, with the final on Sunday, 13 May.

Dartford have one more midweek game, while Hythe Town have none, so the Kent County Football Association can easily arrange the final before the start of Dartford’s play-off campaign.

Burman said: “I don’t know where it will be or when it will be, that’s if it is this season, who knows?

“But we’ve got to a final and we have to play it sometime. 

“It will be a tough game.  Fair play to Hythe in getting there as well.  Let’s hope we’ll have an enjoyable day like we had last year.”

Dartford: Deren Ibrahim (Louis Wells 66), Tom Bonner, Adam Green, Paul Goodacre, Luke Wilkinson, Lee Burns, Ryan Hayes, Lee Noble (Elliot Bradbrook 71), Tony Garrod, Jack Pallen (Tom Champion 84), James Rogers.
Subs: George Monger, Joe Porter

Goals: Jack Pallen 33, Lee Noble 51, Elliot Bradbrook 86

Charlton Athletic: Nick Pope, Jordan Cousins, Cedric Evina, Mikel Olonso (Jamal Willer 81), Harry Osborne, Morgan Fox, Bradley Pritchard, Andy Hughes, Joe Pigott (Toby Sho-Silva 61), Jason Euell, Adebayo Azeez.
Subs:  Dillon Phillips, Harry Lennon, Tom Derry

Goal:  Adebayo Azeez 35

Attendance: 1,682
Referee: Mr Paul Kelly (Walderslade)
Assistants: Mr Paul Yates (Maidstone) & Mr Simon Finnegan (Maidstone)
Fourth Official: Mr Tim Burman (Greenhithe)