Eastleigh 3-0 Dartford - Our confidence and belief is down, admits Darts boss Tony Burman

Saturday 16th October 2010

EASTLEIGH 3-0 DARTFORD
Blue Square Bet South
Saturday 16th October 2010
Paul Parkinson reports from Silverlake Stadium

AFTER the exhilaration of their dramatic penalty shoot-out victory in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round replay, Dartford were brought crashing back down to earth at the Silverlake Stadium on a day when nothing seemed to run for Tony Burman‘s charges.

The withdrawal of Danny Harris during the warm-up, a first-half injury that rendered goalkeeper Andrew Young virtually immobile and a freakish own goal conspired against the Darts on their first visit to Eastleigh.

Downcast boss, Burman, speaking after the game to www.kentishfootball.co.uk said: “We played better than we did on Tuesday. I thought first half we were well in the game and they‘ve scored just before half-time.

“We‘ve come here and had a go but the goal just before half-time was disappointing.

“Second half, they‘ve got a deflection and what can you say? That‘s how it‘s going for us at the moment. And the third goal in the dying minutes as we‘re going forward has killed it. It‘s disappointing because I can‘t say the guys haven‘t worked hard but the confidence and belief are down.”

When asked about the injuries, Burman added: “He (Young) said he‘s OK to carry on through to half-time, then it (his calf) has stiffened up. Danny didn‘t train Thursday night but told me yesterday and today that he was OK, but he‘s not. I didn‘t want to take a chance with him.””

In truth, for long periods of the game it looked as though there would only be one winner, so it was something of a surprise when Dartford nearly took the lead from Tom Bonner‘s angled cross, which bounced into the net despite the best efforts of Eastleigh‘s Warren Goodhind.

Unfortunately for the Darts, Carl Rook‘s challenge on keeper Jason Matthews was deemed illegal and the goal was disallowed.

Eastleigh threatened with both Jamie Slabber and Richard Gillespie going close, before possibly the crucial moment of the half. Winger Tony Taggart swung a curling shot on goal that Young seemed to gather comfortably, but as the Darts stopper went to clear the ball, he collapsed to the ground. After treatment, Young carried on, but with his movement severely restricted.

In response to this, Lee Burns thought he would be getting a clear header on goal, only for the Spitfires’ skipper Tom Jordan to stretch and get the slightest touch to Elliot Bradbrook‘s cross; and the chance had gone.

Eastleigh hit the front 2 minutes before half-time and arguably Young‘s injury played a part. Rather than pass back to the struggling keeper, Paul Goodacre put a long ball out for an Eastleigh throw. From the throw, Taggart played the ball into the box where Gillespie brought it under control and set up a chance for Richard Graham. Graham steered his way round James White and drilled a low shot through the crowd into the bottom right corner of Young‘s net.

With Young unable to continue, John Whitehouse took his place in the Dartford goal and was almost beaten within 90 seconds of the restart.

A through ball from Danny Smith found Anthony Riviere in space and his first time shot cannoned away off the left hand post.

Whitehouse did well to gather long range efforts from Gillespie and Graham, before Jamie Slabber should have done better, attempting an overhead kick from Taggart‘s knockdown. But it took a wicked deflection off the heel of Goodacre to defeat Whitehouse as a Gillespie cross squirmed just inside the left hand post.

Needing to chase the game, Dartford created their best chance when Bradbrook stabbed over from 6 yards after Lee Noble‘s cross had evaded the lunging Rook. This was to be Noble and Rook‘s last involvement, with Burman throwing on the lively Ryan Hayes and Adam Burchell, and it was Hayes to bought a good save from Matthews, smashing the ball against the keeper‘s legs from a narrow angle.

Deep in stoppage time, Eastleigh sealed the game. A ball in behind the Darts defence meant that Whitehouse had to hurry from his goal to head clear. Unfortunately, the ball fell to Riviere, and the former Fisher Athletic and Welling United man calmly lobbed the ball back into the unguarded net from 35 yards.

Eastleigh: Jason Matthews, Warren Goodhind, Luke Byles, Anthony Riviere, Tom Jordan, Chris Holland, Tony Taggart (Will Hendry 87), Danny Smith, Jamie Slabber (Jamie Brown 89), Richard Gillespie (Brett Williams 78), Richard Graham.

Subs: Ross Bottomley, Gareth Barfoot.

Goals: Richard Graham 43, Paul Goodacre 63 (own goal), Anthony Riviere 90.

Booked: Tom Jordan 62.

Dartford: Andrew Young (John Whitehouse HT), Tom Bonner, Adam Gross, Joe Bruce, Paul Goodacre, Michael Shinn, Lee Noble (Ryan Hayes 71), James White, Carl Rook (Adam Burchell 71), Lee Burns, Elliot Bradbrook.

Subs: Charlie Sheringham, Ollie Berquez.

Booked: Carl Rook 41.

Attendance: 727

Referee: Mr Lee Swabey (Plymouth, Devon)

Assistants: Mr Ian Harley (Yeovil, Somerset) and Mr Andrew Gibbons (Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset)