Darts keeping fully focused during two-horse title race

DEFENDER John Guest insists Dartford hold the advantage in the two-horse Ryman League Division One North title race, writes Stephen McCartney.

AFC Sudbury’s home game against Enfield Town was postponed yesterday due to a waterlogged pitch at Kingsmarsh Stadium - so the Kent giants took full advantage.

In front of their largest crowd at Princes Park this season - 1,579 - two goals inside the opening 24 minutes from winger Ryan Hayes - taking his tally for the season to eleven - helped secure a 2-1 hard-fought win over third placed Ware, which dented their title aspirations.

AFC Sudbury, meanwhile, will stake claim that they do have two games in hand over the Darts, who are six points clear at the top. The Darts also have a much superior goal-difference and should chalk up more goals in their last six games of the season.

Yesterday’s game was played in atrocious conditions with a blustery chilling wind, it was more like Christmas than Easter!

And Guest, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, said: “The wind was all over the place today and obviously all three goals, I think, were down to the wind so fortunately we’ve come on the right side of those three goals.”

The former Folkestone Invicta defender added: “We’d rather have the points on the board than the games in hand and it puts pressure back on them now to win their two games.

“We’ve just got to go into Monday’s game, again, look for three points.”

If it’s not covered in snow, Dartford make the trip to Canvey Island on Easter Monday (1pm), whilst Sudbury play a Suffolk showdown at Bury Town.

Sudbury will know Dartford’s result before they take to the field at Ram Meadow. By then, hopefully, the Darts could be nine points clear.

But Guest was pleased that his table-topping team-mates, who stretched their unbeaten run to twenty games, got revenge on a Ware side that thumped them 4-0 at Wodson Park back in August.

“We went up there (and) for the first 20 minutes at their place we done well,” recalled Guest.

“We hit the bar a couple of times but after that they made us look probably a little bit like boys.

“I think we got a bit slaughtered at their place and all the boys wanted to win the game anyway but we knew we owed them one and I think we done well today.”

With central defender rock Adam Flanagan out for two games through suspension, Guest was pleased with the performance of Tommy Osborne, who slotted in at right-back as Jamie Coyle partnered Guest at the heart.

And Guest said: “Last year everything was a little bit new and we had a good, good, good side but I don’t think we had strength in depth with the squad.

“This year Tony (Burman) has obviously addressed that and we’ve got some very good players that are not getting a start and their attitude’s been fantastic.”

And midfield general, Alex O’Brien, writing in his programme notes, summed up the mood in the Dartford camp.

“This week is the stage of the season where leagues are won and lost,” he said.

“It’s now more than ever we all need to realise how close we are to achieving our goal. We have always been there to be shot at; teams want to be where we arte and play where we play, they hate us for having a fantastic ground with over a thousand fans filling it every week.

“They want to ruin what we have done so far. We all need to take this hate in, and prove game-by-game that we are the best team in this league and beat any team that wants to challenge us.

“Something achievable is in sight with seven* enemies in our way, 7* wars or 7* battles. However, you want to look at it. It’s all about us, us as players, management, supporters.

“It’s about what we do as a whole club and how we meet these teams head on and make sure that the only thing that matters is winning!”

*Now down to six following yesterday's win.

Ryman League Division One North table (Top 7)