Dartford 4-5 Aveley - Burman: Our defending was appalling!

Tuesday 15th December 2009
DARTFORD 4-5 AVELEY
Championship Manager Cup Third Round
Tuesday 15 December 2009
Mike Green reports from Princes Park Stadium

A truly amazing game saw Dartford crash out of the Ryman League Cup as Aveley scored twice in the final minutes to send the Ryman Premier Division leaders crashing out of the competition at the Third Round stage.


The lead changed hands no less than FIVE times across the 94 minutes, and that was only half the story as at times you felt that you were on Wimbledon's Centre Court as the two sides piled forward relentlessly at every opportunity. 
 
Tony Burman, the Darts boss, was a bewildered yet angry man when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game. 

"Can’t remember 90 minutes like that for a long time!" he said.  "The stall was set in the first half - you just thought that it was going to be 4-4, 6-6 or an 8-8; it was strange to say the least.”
 
What was of most concern to Burman was his usual reliable defence, "I'm very disappointed to concede five goals at home with what was ridiculous defending," fumed the Darts boss. 
"We had what could be our back four out there tonight and that makes it even more disappointing.  They thoroughly deserved to win the game that said but I'm not happy!"
 
Going forward meanwhile, the Darts showed why they are top of the league - a point that wasn't lost on the manager.  "If there is a positive to come out of tonight is that Adam Burchell and Allan Tait have done very, very well! 
“Allan has been injured unfortunately for a while but he showed a bit of class tonight with his touch and an amazing goal; whilst Adam is doing alright - he chomping at the bit to have a go and wants to give 100 percent and he does and that's a big positive tonight and to be fair young Danny Crouch has done well too ion the middle of the park."
 
It started so well for the Darts on 29 minutes when Danny Harris stroked the ball home from the edge of the box to give the home side the deserved lead, as Crouch (after only 20 seconds), Burchell twice and Tait had all been denied brilliantly by Aveley keeper Rhys Madden.
 
Yet the lead lasted barely a minute as Sam Holloway curled an exquisite free kick into the top comer form 25 yards. 
Then incredibly the visitors took the lead when the unfortunate Lee Burns stretched for a ball midway in his own half and only succeeded in lobbing the desperately unlucky Tony Kessell from full 40 yards. 
Dartford's response was immediate and Burchell headed an Adam Gross free kick over before the striker got on the end of a Danny Dafter flick (from a huge Kessell clearance) and proceeded to thump the ball past the onrushing Madden.
 
Incredibly within five minutes of the restart it was 3-3 - Sherwin Stanley gloriously gave Aveley a 3-2 lead drilling high beyond Kessell from the edge of the box, whilst at the other end Madden gifted the Darts the equaliser as the keeper completely missed Adam Flanagan's long throw, and Burchell was on hand to sweep the ball home at the far post.
 
The lead then changed hands again courtesy of the goal of the night.  Burchell seemed to be chasing a lost cause as Madden was just about to exchange passes with his full back Alex Bentley. 
Problem was the keeper woefully under hit his pass and Burchell intercepted wide on the left.  He laid the ball inside to Tait who appeared to have too much to do, yet somehow he managed to turn and chip the ball over a despairing Madden and into the net ala Glenn Hoddle for Spurs at Watford all those years ago.
 
As time wore on the Darts appeared to be sitting further and further back and three times keeper Kessell had to race from his line to clear with his feet.  Then just as the majority of the 320 crowd (which wasn't bad considering the competition and the freezing conditions) thought the Darts were through it all changed again. 
On 89 minutes Aveley substitute Martin Tuohy poked home a shot from Mitch Mahn shot that was heading for the corner flag. 
Not finished, the visitors then won the game in the second minute of time added with a goal good enough to win any game! 
A Dartford corner was broken up and all of a sudden the visitors had a four on three break.  Stanley saw his initial shot saved by Kessell but following up Darren Quinton brilliantly clipped the ball over the prone Darts keeper and into the net to send the visitors into the next round.
 
Burman admitted after the game that he considered it as an opportunity lost!  He said: "Its awkward you know - a cup game is an opportunity to give people and game; give them a chance and have a look at them - it was just a crazy game, and being 4-3 up in the 89th minute we should be talking about going through to the next round. 
“We wanted to get though and I'm sure that our supporters did too, but to concede five at home is appalling really - and I cant think of any other word for it really but that's what's happened and now we have to go to Horsham on Saturday and get back on track in the league."
Dartford: Tony Kessell, John Beales, Adam Gross, Adam Flanagan, Jamie Coyle, Danny Dafter, Danny Harris, Allan Tait (Chris Wilmshurst 81), Adam Burchell, Lee Burns (Ryan Hayes 40), Danny Crouch.
Subs: Rob Haworth, Mathew Man, Andrew Young.
 
Goals: Danny Harris 29, Adam Burchell 39, 50, Allan Tait 62
 
Aveley: Rhys Madden, Alex Bentley, Sam Holloway, Darren Quinton, Michael Alaile, Ryan Doyle, Mitch Hahn, Matt Johnson, Sherwin Stanley (Nicky Symons 90), Che Stadhart (David Knight 72), Junior Dadson (Martin Tuohy 86).
Subs: John Maskell, Ryan Edgar.
 
Goals:  Sam Holloway 31, Lee Burns (Own Goal) 34, Sherwin Stanley 49, Martin Tuohy 89, Darren Quinton 90

Attendance: 320
Referee: Mr Martin Yerby (Ashford)
Assistants:  Mr Saul Kay (Sittingbourne) & Mr Kevin Welsh (Sittingbourne)