Dartford 1-0 Basingstoke Town - We've rode our luck a little bit, admits Darts boss Tony Burman

Tuesday 01st March 2011

DARTFORD 1-0 BASINGSTOKE TOWN
Blue Square Bet South
Tuesday 1st March 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park Stadium

DARTFORD forgot about any relegation fears as a slice of much welcomed luck saw them leapfrog over Basingstoke Town into thirteenth place in the Blue Square Bet South table.

The Dartford faithful chanted “are you Arsenal in disguise? - a reference to the Gunners’ goalkeeper/defensive cock-up that gifted underdogs Birmingham City the Carling Cup last Sunday - as a goalkeeping blunder from Chay Morris resulted in defender Callum Reynolds scoring an own goal to settle a dire game with 25 minutes remaining.

The Hampshire visitors have now lost their last four games, whilst Tony Burman’s Darts have now lost only once in their last ten league outings, and as a result are eleven points clear of the relegation zone with 13 games remaining.

Following his side’s second successive clean sheet and victory, Burman said: “In hindsight, the postponement on Saturday has done us a favour. It’s helped us recharge the batteries.

“First half was played at a good tempo tonight and Basingstoke have had a bit of a go. I felt it was fairly even first half but I’m really, really pleased with any clean sheet but we rode our luck a little bit. Having said that, we’ve had a lot of things go against us this season and I just think it evens itself out.”

Burman added: “I’m delighted that they’ve matched the tempo of Basingstoke in the first half. We’re saying it’s a fairly even game but we stuck with it and the second half we go out and we try and get the three points and that’s what we did.

“We’re slowly but surely getting there now and it’s another three points and we’ve pulled people down with us. We’ve gone above Basingstoke tonight so that’s great.”

With Chelsea locking horns with Manchester United in a televised Premier League clash, Dartford attracted their lowest home league crowd of the season, but the bitterly cold temperatures and the wind didn’t make it a comfortable night for the brave 631 fans that watched their side in action.

Burman said: “Unfortunately there’s games on the telly and it’s a cold night that’s for sure. Listen these supporters have done really, really well to keep up with the cost of coming to football and if they don’t come here tonight, hopefully they’ll come here (to watch us play Maidenhead United) Saturday.”

Unfortunately both sides failed to keep hold of the ball during a poor first half, and goalscoring chances were at a premium.

Basingstoke - setting up with a 3-5-2 formation - squandered their opening chance inside the opening nine minutes when Frankie Raymond floated in a cross towards the far post but Jay Gasson hooked a shot over the crossbar on the turn.

Dartford’s first chance arrived in the 26th minute when the quiet Jon Main received the ball from Elliot Bradbrook, but the on-loan striker rolled a weak shot into the visiting keeper’s hands.

The best chance of the game swiftly followed, when Nathan Smart’s corner from the right was headed away by Paul Goodacre and Raymond cracked a dipping right-footed volley from 25-yards, which was expertly tipped over by Dartford keeper Andrew Young.

Dartford’s best first half chance arrived in the 38th minute when Main cut the ball back to Bradbrook, who unleashed a fierce right-footed drive from the edge of the box, which was turned around the post by the diving Morris.

Dartford right-back, Billy Burgess, was lucky not to be shown his second yellow card when he brought down Greg Draper on the edge of the penalty box and Matt Pattison saw that Young had left a gaping hole at the near post, but the Basingstoke defender curled his right-footed free-kick just past the post.

Dartford went close to breaking the deadlock just 74 seconds into the second half when Bradbrook looped the ball into the box with his hands and the ball was flicked on at the near post by Charlie Sheringham and Main turned and caressed the ball agonisingly wide of the far post from the corner of the six-yard box.

Basingstoke rued an early second half chance as Dartford allowed the ball to bounce into their six-yard box, but Draper looped a header over from two-yards out at the near post.

The introduction of talented winger Ryan Hayes increased the tempo of the game and Dartford grabbed the victory within two minutes of the club’s longest serving player entering the field.

Burman said: “Ryan’s been here a long time and he’s found it difficult because since he’s been out of the side it’s been the only time in six years we’ve probably been on a good winning run so he’s got to wait for his opportunity and when he gets opportunities he’s got to get on and perform and we know he can do that.

“We felt he could cause a bit of damage to their defenders and I think that’s what he did.”

Although Hayes didn’t play a part in the goal, full credit must go to Tom Champion who broke up a potential Basingstoke half in enemy territory before releasing Lee Noble who burst forward with energy and from the edge of the penalty area, cracked a fierce right-footed drive towards goal.

The ball flew through the air and Basingstoke keeper Morris raised both of his arms high above the head in an attempt to catch the ball, but the ball slipped out of his fingertips and the ball crashed down off the crossbar and struck Reynolds (who was beside the left-hand post just a couple of yards from his goal-line) on his stomach and the ball bounced over the line much to the home fans’ delight.

“It’s a decent shot,” said Burman. “Alright, we’ve had a bit of luck but earlier on in the season we wasn’t getting that bit of luck, goals were going against us because something was happening and we were losing or drawing a game and all of a sudden we’ve got that bit of luck.

“Noble’s has had a shot, the keeper’s dropped it and it’s gone in. That happens and it evens itself out over the season.”

Burman praised the midfielder, who has come back from a loan spell with Ryman Premier League side Concord Rangers wanting to prove a point.

“Lee’s come in and he’s done well tonight and the praise he’s getting is thoroughly deserved,” Burman said of the sponsor’s man-of-the-match.

“He’s shown people can go out on loan somewhere and if you get the right attitude and the right commitment then you can come back and get in the side and that’s what he’s done. There’s no coincidence since he’s come back and been in the side the team have won that many games.”

Morris, however, made amends in the 71st minute when he pulled off an excellent save to deny Noble getting his name on the score sheet.

Noble’s corner from the left was headed clear by the Basingstoke defence and Bradbrook clipped the ball from right to left back to Noble, who cut inside and unleashed a rasping drive with his right-foot, which was heading towards the top far corner, but the diving Morris clawed the ball to safety.

Dartford keeper Young was alert to prevent Basingstoke equalising when after some pin-ball inside the penalty area the ball came out to Raymond, who cracked a left-footed drive from 25-yards towards goal but Young stuck out an arm to palm the ball out for a corner.

Bradbrook, who picked up a couple of knocks for his troubles, teed up a chance for Sheringham, but the striker rolled a right-footed shot straight at Morris from the corner of the penalty box but Dartford did just enough to clinch their ninth league win of the season and to enjoy midtable safety.

Burman is pleased that his squad have turned the corner.

He said: “Listen, we’ve done well. The players’ have done well to pull themselves out of that problem we had in January, early in January. We played some of the top teams and we were losing by the odd goal.”

“They’re decent players and with the crowd getting behind them, we’ve just been getting on with the jobs. The players have really hard and I’m pleased for them because of their work rate.”

Dartford: Andrew Young, Billy Burgess (Matt Jones 60), Tom Bonner, Joe Bruce, Paul Goodacre, Tom Champion, Lee Noble, Danny Harris (Ryan Hayes 63), Charlie Sheringham (Lee Burns 86, Jon Main, Elliot Bradbrook.

Subs: Carl Rook, Deren Ibrahim

Goal: Callum Reynolds 65 (own goal)

Booked: Billy Burgess 40

Basingstoke Town: Chay Morris, Callum Reynolds, Matt Warner (Matt Finlay 46), Jay Gasson, Joe Dolan, Stuart Lake (Jide Ogunbote 86), Nathan Smart, Matt Pattison, David Pratt, Greg Draper (Josiah Millar 77), Frankie Raymond.

Subs: Elliott Hobden, Lee Allen

Booked: Stuart Lake 63

Attendance: 631

Referee: Mr David Rock (Hertford, Hertfordshire)

Assistants: Mr Kevin Welsh (Sittingbourne) & Mr Jeff Lengthorn (New Eltham, London SE9)