Dartford 0-0 Staines Town - We'll sink Swans in play-off's, warns Burman

With Lee Noble, Jamie Day and Cody McDonald missing through suspension, Scott Holding through illness and Seun Eferakorho relegated to the substitutes bench (in place of Jamie Coyle, who returned from injury), all missing from the side that won 1-0 against Ramsgate at Southwood in the Darts last game, manager Tony Burman was delighted by his side’s performance, which keeps him in touch at the top of the table.

“I’m delighted that with all the players missing we were able to get something out of today,” Burman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“We’ve got a couple of tough weeks coming up before the end of the transfer window and if we can keep the squad together, there’s no doubt in my mind that we definitely could make the end of season play-off’s.”

With striker McDonald creating regular interest (a scout from League One Yeovil Town was in attendance and looked rather frustrated when he learned of the striker’s absence), Burman admitted that although the club had received enquiries there was no firm bid on the table.

And the manager would leave any decisions on any trial at a League club until the appropriate offer was made.

“Whilst we wouldn’t stand in anybody’s way, we also have to respect our player and with Cody just becoming a father of twins he may at the moment have his mind elsewhere,” he said.

On the field the Darts were asked more questions than they themselves asked but with a back three of skipper John Guest, Adam Flanagan and Tommy Osborne outstanding throughout, and with Danny Dafter and James White covering every blade of grass on the lush Princes Park pitch, the Darts more than deserved the point that they got.

That said, Burman was frustrated that his side created few chances, although with five of his first choice eleven watching on from the stands, there is little wonder that the Darts’ faithful in the 1,148 crowd (incidentally the sixth occasion that Princes Park has this season boasted a four-figure crowd), would’ve gone home reasonably happy.

In the opening minutes, Staines striker, Richard Butler (who spent most of the afternoon looking for the Princes Park turf), was denied by a fine diving save from Dartford goalkeeper Andrew Young.

Butler cut in from the left and arrowed a shot towards the top left-hand corner, only for the former Bishop’s Stortford goalkeeper to parry the ball to safety.

The Darts’ first chance proved to be their best of the game as on 17 minutes Coyle split the defence for Brendon Cass to run onto and as he rounded keeper Louis Wells somehow the big keeper managed to stick out a right boot just as it appeared that Cass had registered his fifth goal of the season.

From the resulting corner, the ball was cleared and Staines skipper Andre Scarlett broke and unleashed a drive which completely wrong-footed Young, only to flash inches wide of the left post.

Guest then performed heroics on the half-hour to firstly deny Scott Taylor and then Butler as the visitors strikers’ almost queued up to score.

With Dartford’s Rob Haworth working tirelessly to feed on scraps, Staines were definitely the side in ascendancy and in the second half they hit the frame of the Dartford goal twice.

On 63 minutes, following a Scarlett corner, Marc Charles-Smith saw a downward header bounce onto the Dartford crossbar before being scrambled away.

Ten minutes later, Howard Newton came even closer as he saw a header (from a Dave Sarjent corner) cannon back off Young’s right post.

Not that Staines had it all their own way, but on too numerous occasions to mention, the Darts’ final ball into the area, either disappointed or was swept up by man-of-the-match, Jake Newton, who was playing in an uncustomary central defensive position - he’s normally a right full-back.

In the final moments, keeper Young again was at his breathtaking best as Howard Newton got on the end of a Taylor pull-back to meet with a first time drive, which seemed to be past the Darts keeper.

As Newton turned to celebrate the “goal”, Young miraculously managed to get down and claw the ball away from the inside of the base of his right post and deserved to see White on hand to blast the ball to safety - for his pains White was caught very late by one of the Staines strikers and needed lengthy treatment.

After the game, Burman admitted that with his side now returning to full strength both from suspension and injury, the next few weeks could prove crucial.

He said: “We go to Worthing next week to play Horsham before Maidstone come here on the 31^st and I just hope that we can keep our run going (which now stands at one defeat in their last seven league games).

“I know that if we go on a run from now we can definitely make the play-off’s and perhaps, who knows, we may get another go at Staines but this time with all of our big guns out on the park, rather than sitting in the stand.”

When you consider that this time last year the Darts were preparing for an away game at Great Wakering Rovers and Staines had just bowed out of the FA Cup to Peterborough United, it just goes to prove just how far Burman has brought this Dartford side and made them into the play-off chasing side that they are.

Dartford: Andrew Young, Jamie Coyle, Adam Gross, Adam Flanagan, John Guest, Tommy Osborne, Ryan Hayes, Danny Dafter, Brendon Cass (Jason Ward 83), Rob Haworth, James White.
Subs: Hussein Isa, Seun Eferakorho, Umaru Turay, Deren Ibrahim.

Staines Town: Louis Wells, Jake Newton, Dave Sarjent, Howard Newton, Richard Butler (Lewis Cook 85), Andre Scarlett, Jon McDonald, Dean Thomas, Marc Charles-Smith, Marien Ifura, Scott Taylor.
Subs: Dean Fenton, James Courtnage, Victor Asombang, Craig Maskell.

Booked: Richard Butler 41

Attendance: 1,148
Referee: Mr Ryan Atkin (Sydenham Hill, London SE26)
Assistants: Mr Grant Gray (Hatfield, Hertfordshire) & Mr Bill Henderson (Hatfield, Hertfordshire)