Dartford 5-0 Hendon - Haworth's booking ignited fans and team - Burman

Saturday 05th September 2009

DARTFORD 5-0 HENDON
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 5th September 2009
Mike Green reports from Princes Park Stadium

DARTFORD extended their early season advantage at the top of the Ryman Premier Division with a five star thumping of Hendon which takes the Darts five points clear at the top of the table on the day that Tony Burman received the Manager of the Month for August.

This really was a good day all round for Burman and his players - they even had the cushion of missing a penalty and having claims for a second waved away after Rob Haworth (who again led the line magnificently) was adjudged to have dived when clashing with full back Craig vargas in the first half.

Incredibly the match officials were the only ones inside the ground not to consider the challenge a foul - indeed Haworth was cautioned for simulation.

The Darts started brighter and should have taken the lead on 10 minutes when Vargas was adjudged to have handled Haworth's cross, but skipper Adam Flanagan was denied magnificently from the sport as Hendon keeper James Reading guessed right and tipped the ball around the post.

The keeper excelled again moments later turning Adam Gross' fierce drive round the right post as the Darts were rampant.

On 25 minutes came the Haworth "simulation" and his yellow card, and if anything as boss Burman admitted to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game "the ref's decision to book Rob seemed to ignite the crowd and they in turn got the players going. There's no doubt about it."

He added: "Today we were comfortably the physically stronger side but we just needed something to ignite us!"

And Haworth's booking certainly seemed to that as Jamie Coyle (via his right knee from Ryan Hayes corner) and Lee Burns (from a quick free kick from Elliot Bradbrook) should have both perhaps done better and doubled the Darts advantage - a point that the home side were almost made to pay as on 36 minutes Darts keeper Andrew young pulled off a stunning save to deny Yacine Hamada.

Peter Dean got past Billy Burgess to cross from the left, and his centre was met by the flying Hamada, who saw his header somehow turned away by Young diving to his left.

The goal that had been threatened all afternoon finally arrived three minutes from half time.

Danny Dafter's forward ball was flicked on by Burns and Haworth (who just got to the ball ahead of team mate Hayes) advanced and buried the ball past the oncoming keeper from the edge of the box.

The goal that finally broke the Hendon spirit came on 49 minutes, and again Haworth played a major role. He beat keeper Reading to a high ball and as the ball dropped, Hayes who resisted the temptation to shoot, unselfishly rolled the ball square for Burns to hammer home his ninth goal of the season already - as Burman put it later "not bad for someone I signed as a full back!"

Burns was then denied by a sensational block by Reading as the Darts striker seemed destined to score the third.

Haworth did brilliantly down the left to win the ball. His lay back found Bradbrook who's pinpoint far post header was met powerfully by Burns only for Reading to somehow block with his feet.

Two substitutes then combined for the darts next chance - Lee Noble picked out Jay May but his header found the side netting, but within a minute the two combined again to make it four- albeit rather bizarrely!

Lee Noble’s deep cross was headed seemingly way by Hendon sub Marc Leach only for May to react fastest and head the rebound into the back of the net.

May then made it four with three minutes left as Burgess crossed from the right for Allan Tait who's shot was blocked and again it was May reacting fastest to score the fourth.

May was then involved in the goal of the game in stoppage time that capped off the Darts five star performance with their fifth.

Another fine ball down the inside left channel released May, and his perfectly weighted pull back found Noble arriving at pace who coolly slotted home number five beyond the luckless Reading in the Hendon goal.

After receiving his Manager of the Month award, Burman was quick to praise his backroom staff.

"They deserve the award as much a I do if not more so," the Darts boss said. "They judged pre season perfectly for us, and but for them we wouldn't have started so well.

“We've already now got 19 points in the bag - its great to be in this position and to have banked those points.

“I've been allowed a big squad by the board and we've got players who want to play for us, which means a strong squad and a very strong bench.

“That said I thought, with respect to Hendon, we perhaps should have been out of sight by half time. We were sluggish at times first half but we've now got a two week break and we've five points clear, so I've got to be reasonably happy haven't I?"

The Darts travel to Ryman One South side Chipstead in the First qualifying round of the FA Cup next weekend, and when asked which was his priority, Burman was his usual diplomatic self.

He said: "We all enjoy the publicity that the FA Cup can generate for a club like ours - we all want to be involved and go as far as we possibly can.

“It’s going to be tough at Chipstead but we'll go there and give them the full respect that they deserve and we know that we'll have to play as well as we did second half today if we are to got through!"

Dartford: Andrew Young, Billy Burgess, Adam Gross, Adam Flanagan, Jamie Coyle, Ryan Hayes (Lee Noble 60), Jamie Day, Rob Haworth (Jay May 74), Lee Burns, Elliot Bradbrook (Allan Tait 77).
Subs: John Beales, Tony Kessell.

Goals: Rob Haworth 42, Lee Burns 49, Jay May 77, 87, Lee Noble 90

Booked: Rob Haworth 25

Hendon: James Reading, Sam Berry (Danny Dyer 61), Craig Vargas, Mark Kirby, Marc Cumberbatch (Marc Leach 37), Kevin Maclaren, James Bent (Glenn Garner 77), Yacine Hamada, Peter Dean, Harry Hunt, Wayne O'Sullivan.
Subs: Dave Diedhuiou, James Parker

Booked: James Bent 45

Attendance: 1,100
Referee: Mr Robert Smith (Croydon, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Jeff Lengthorn (New Eltham, London SE9) & Mr Daniel Machnik (Horley, Surrey)