Dartford 1-2 Leatherhead. Smash and Grab Leatherhead win mars Carter's comeback - EXCLUSIVE

DARTFORD 1-2 LEATHERHEAD
Monday 30^th October 2006
Ryman League Division One South
Stephen McCartney reports from Ship Lane

James Carter’s comeback from his ten-month injury lay-off was marred by a smash and grab raid by FA Cup heroes Leatherhead at Ship Lane tonight.

Dartford needed at least a point to leapfrog over Fleet Town at the summit of the Ryman League Division One South table but fell to a last-gasp Dave Stevens header.

Stevens had scored a dramatic late winner at AFC Sudbury on Saturday, as the Tanners booked a trip to Coca Cola League Two side Torquay United in the first round of the FA Cup on 11^th November.

But his dramatic glancing header tonight, which found the bottom left hand corner, some three minutes and 12 seconds into stoppage time, meant the Darts failed to pick up any points from their last ever league game in exile.

The first half-hour was a dour stalemate but the game sprung into life as Dartford broke the deadlock after 32 minutes.

Striker Brendon Cass, who went nine goals without scoring before netting six goals from his last two games, scored his 13^th goal of the season.

Dartford’s patient crisp passing saw Tommy Osborne, Steve Hafner and Ryan Briggs get touches off the ball before Ryan Hayes cut the ball back onto his lethal left-foot to cross to the far post and Cass powered his header past the goalkeeper.

Leatherhead goalkeeper Chris Gibson was drafted into the starting line-up after Paul Borg, who was initially named, twisted his knee in the warm-up.

Dartford goalkeeper Kevin Hudson was called into action just four minutes later, diving to save Jamie Beer’s low shot from 18-yards. Beer evaded a challenge from right-back Anthony Hogg and cut in from the right to the centre of the box.

Hudson was called into action early in the second half when he made a low save to deny Stevens, who shot across the experienced goalkeeper.

But a controversial howler from Rochester referee Mr Ian Cooper denied Dartford cast-iron penalty eleven minutes into the second half, leaving the crowd angry and bemused.

It was his second mistake involving Dartford on this ground as he rewarded Maidstone United a controversial penalty on 25^th September when Anthony Henry clearly won the ball from Stones’ striker Leroy Huggins, although Mr Cooper pointed to the spot.

But on this occasion he failed to award Dartford a penalty after Leatherhead goalkeeper Gibson came rushing off his line to punch Cass, knocking him to the ground, after the on-form striker nodded the ball past him.

Cass, meanwhile, required treatment following the incident.

Mr Cooper later admitted that he made a mistake and declined post-match hospitality in the boardroom afterwards.

Leatherhead, however, drew level with 22 minutes remaining when Steve Sargent drove home a shot from 25-yards through a crowded penalty area and past Hudson following their second corner of the game, which was cut back to him.

Carter, who scored for the reserves in their 2-1 win at Maidstone United on Saturday, received an ovation from the Darts’ faithful when he entered the field with six minutes remaining.

And he twice came close to giving his side the lead.

Right-back Tommy Osborne played a back-pass to Hudson, who launched the ball up field and Carter knocked the ball down, and surged forwards before unleashing a 35-yard drive, which agonisingly flashed just past the foot of the left upright.

And he was then inches away from connecting to Hayes’ right-flank cross, which curled past the far post.

But Dartford came away from this dour game pointless, courtesy of Stevens’ late robbery, having committed the same crime just two days earlier.

Carter, meanwhile, was pleased to get some minutes under his belt following ten-month injury nightmare following his knee operation.

But Carter, who turns 31 in February, is currently working on his fitness, although starting against Horsham YMCA during the opening game at Princes Park on 11^th November, remains slim.

“I’m just happy (to play) just for the reserves on Saturday,” admitted Carter. “I was just overjoyed to be back so if I’m involved on the 11^th it will be great.

“But it’s one of them, Jay’s (Jay May) scored loads of goals, Brendon (Cass) has scored loads of goals so I don’t expect to walk back straight in but I’ll take whatever I get.

May, whose suffering with a back injury, has scored 12 goals so far this season, with Cass netting his 13^th of the campaign during tonight’s defeat.

Despite losing, Carter admitted his team-mates cannot wait to play at their new home.

“Everyone’s gutted at the moment, no-one’s thinking about it now, it’s now 12 days away,” said Carter.

“Four-thousand people, we’ll I’ve never played in front of four-thousand so I doubt many of us have, so we can’t wait basically.

“I think it will be fantastic and I just hope we get the right result because if we go there and we get done 3-0, how many people are going to come back?

“It will be nice to play in front of 800-900 every week but I’m sure that will happen.

“I know we beat them (Horsham YMCA) 6-0 earlier on so there’s no guarantee that will happen again.

“I’m just hoping that the knee holds up, I’m doing a lot of work in the gym. The cruciate stayed snapped, that wasn’t removed, so I’m building up my muscles around it and if it doesn’t go again that’s my main thing.

“It’s good to be back and get involved again and it’s a chocker because I’ve played since I was eighteen and that’s by far the longest I’ve been out.”

Dartford manager Tony Burman, who has five first team players out injured, is pleased to have Carter back.

May (back), Eddie Mc Clements (groin), Glen Billenness (ankle), Craig Maguire (knee ligaments) and John Farley are all out of action, although full-back Farley has been videoing matches from the main stand recently.

“Jim is a lad who gives 100%,” said Burman. “We just want to try to nurture him along a little bit and he’s desperate to come back and he’ll put a little bit of fire into us and will be a valuable member of the squad.”

Speaking about the Cass/Gibson penalty box incident, Burman said: “From where we was it was a blatant penalty, their box said it was a blatant penalty.

“But the referee’s given what he’s seen and it didn’t go for us this time.

“When you’re on a run that Leatherhead are on at the moment, these are the things what go for you.

“But at some stage their luck might run out. It didn’t tonight so they move on and I’m left with no points and we should have probably got at least one - if not all three.”