St Albans City 0-0 Dartford - Burman draws comfort from Saints' stalemate

ST ALBANS CITY 0-0 DARTFORD
FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 22^nd November 2008
Paul Parkinson reports from Clarence Park

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman was pleased that his side earned a second bite of the cherry against Blue Square South high-flyers St Albans City in the final qualifying round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy.

“We’ve come to a difficult place to get a result,” Burman told BBC Radio Kent.

“We haven’t come to put eleven men behind the ball, we’ve come to play and I’m pleased that we’ve given the travelling fans something to be proud of.

“We’ve done well today and deserve to go back to our place (for the replay). It’s another step in the right direction and we’ve got another job to do.”

Burman was looking for a big improvement from his side following their 4-1 midweek defeat at Tonbridge Angels and gave Adam Gross his first start, having played for Welling United last week.

St Albans City went into this game sitting in sixth place in the Blue Square South table, thanks to a record of seven wins from their last eight games.

And they had the first chance of the game after five minutes when Gary Cohen glanced his header over the bar following Hassan Suleiman’s cross from the right hand side.

Dartford’s Lee Noble tested Saints’ goalkeeper Paul Bastock with a 30-yard volley before Jamie Day scraped his 25-yard shot just past the left-hand post.

Loan signing Gross was Dartford’s hero after 34 minutes when he blocked Sulaiman’s volley off the line after Andrew Young’s punch had fallen kindly for the winger.

And with four minutes to go before half-time, Day’s right wing free-kick was headed goal wards by the unmarked Cody McDonald but Bastock was grateful to claim the ball by his right-hand post.

St Albans City created an early second half chance when Sam Hurrell’s left-wing cross rebounded off Dartford defender Jamie Coyle, but Cohen’s dragged his left-footed shot horribly across goal.

The home side were pressing the Dartford defence with a succession of corners but Adam Flanagan and Coyle were standing firm.

Both sides found the terracing around the hour mark, with Saints’ Ryan Frater’s driven shot and Coyle’s flying header off target.

Flanagan was tormented by Paul Hakim in the 83^rd minute down the right-hand side and his cross found substitute Bradley Gray just inside the box, but his shot was blocked bravely by a combination of Coyle and Danny Dafter.

But the Darts ensured they earned a lucrative replay at Princes Park on Tuesday night thanks to goalkeeper Young dealing with an awkwardly bouncing long-range shot from Gray inside stoppage time.

St Albans City: Paul Bastock, James Fisher, Scott Cousins, Luke Thurlbourne, Ben Martin, Ryan Frater, Hassan Sulaiman (Jonathan Hunt 59), James Quilter, Gary Cohen (Simon Martin 79), Paul Hakim, Sam Hurrell (Bradley Gray 71).
Subs: Austin Byfield, Adam Everitt.

Booked: Scott Cousins 43

Dartford: Andrew Young, Tommy Osborne, Adam Gross, Adam Flanagan, Jamie Coyle, Danny Dafter, James White, Jamie Day, Rob Haworth, Cody McDonald (Brendon Cass 79), Lee Noble (Steve Butterworth 74).
Subs: Ryan Hayes, Sean Eferakorho, Deren Ibrahim.

Booked: Lee Noble 43

Attendance: 525
Referee: Mr Neil Hair (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire)
Assistants: Mr Michael Cottee (Hornchurch, Essex) & Graham Weston (Harlow, Essex)