Gateshead 3-0 Dartford - There's no disgrace losing to Gateshead, says proud Darts boss Tony Burman

Saturday 05th February 2011

GATESHEAD 3-0 DARTFORD
FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Round
Saturday 5th February 2011
Paul Parkinson reports from Gateshead International Stadium

And so the Dartford dream of emulating the 1973-74 team, of reaching the FA Trophy final, has ended with a 3-0 defeat to Blue Square Bet Premier side Gateshead, but the scoreline doesn't tell the full story.

Dartford played their full part in a pulsating cup tie at the International Stadium and did the club, and their travelling support, who made up almost a third of the crowd, proud.

Darts boss, Tony Burman, who had played against Gateshead the last time the club’s met 26 years ago, spoke proudly of his players, saying, "I think the scoreline is a bit harsh. I'm really proud of what the players have achieved today and in the competition; getting to the last 16 is a real achievement for them. Two of the goals have come in the last 5 minutes or so, when we've had a real go to get the win."

He added: "It's fantastic what they (the supporters) have done. They've come up here and cheered us on. For the guys who unfortunately couldn't make it, I'd like to tell them that the boys haven't let you down at all and we had a real go. I think there was a spell in the second half for 20 minutes where we had control of the game where, with a bit more quality, if we'd got a goal, we could have put Gateshead under a lot more pressure."

Burman was realistic about the performance, adding, "I thought first half, they had a lot of possession and they are probably the best footballing side we've played, but I feel we coped with them even though they got a lot of corners. We've broken a couple of times and a bit more quality on crosses, it could have been different.

“It was disappointing to concede just before half-time from a deflected shot, but the next 20 minutes were ours and I feel we should have scored. It wasn't to be and then you end up putting pressure on yourselves and they punished us.

"There's no disgrace losing to Gateshead. Obviously I'm not happy we've lost, but it's a cup game and you've got to enjoy it and do the best you can; it doesn't matter what league you're in."

No matter how they got to the game, be it coach, car or plane, the sound of both sets of supporters ringing out from the main stand created a great atmosphere for the start of the game.

But it was the hosts who dominated the early exchanges, forcing four corners in the opening 10 minutes, from which Andrew Young was brought into action.

A one-two on the edge of the box between Nathan Fisher and Kris Gate saw Fisher hit a left foot shot that Young turned over, before Fisher, from the resulting corner, attempted an audacious chip from the edge of the box, that Young claimed under his crossbar.

An early Danny Harris run and cross from the right wing led to Dartford's first chance, with Elliot Bradbrook weaving past James Tavernier and striking a low show against keeper Tim Deasy's legs.

Tavernier, on loan from Newcastle United, showed why he's quickly become a local favourite, with a lung-bursting 50 yard run to the edge of the Dartford area, before releasing a left-foot shot that was deflected wide.

With the corner count mounting for Gateshead, 11 in the first half, this was the main threat, and midway through the half, both James Curtis and Jon Shaw would feel they should have opened the scoring with good chances.

First Curtis, who was outstanding at the heart of Gateshead's defence, found himself clear 10 yards out, but glanced his header past the back post. Then Shaw, having had a shot saved by Young's legs, had his close-range header blocked by Joe Bruce.

The home side opened the scoring three minutes before half-time, and although the shot was powerfully hit, it needed a stroke of luck to wrong foot Young.

A good run down the left wing from Craig Nelthorpe found Fisher, who laid the ball into the path of Phil Turnbull, whose 25 yard strike looked to take a small deflection of a Dartford defender and flew into the corner of the net.

The shock of the late goal seemed to galvanise Dartford, who dominated large parts of the second half, and the visitors were unlucky not to be back on level terms almost immediately.

A Bradbrook free kick was cleared to the edge of the area by Curtis. Tom Champion headed the ball back into the six-yard box, where Jon Main's flick header dropped agonisingly past the right post, with Deasy well beaten.

Fisher should have done better than drag his shot across goal from another Tavernier run, before both Billy Burgess and Main were denied in the same move by lunging blocks from Curtis.

As the fitness of the full-time Gateshead side started to take effect, Dartford's defence performed heroics to repel a Nelthorpe run, with Burgess twice blocking shots from the winger, before his third attempt deflected wide off Jon Shaw.

Shaw should have doubled the lead halfway through the period. Fisher's cross was miss-kicked by Paul Goodacre, and the ball dropped to Shaw three yards out, who somehow steered it wide of the post.

With Dartford continuing to break well, albeit without forcing Deasy into action, home manager, Ian Bogie, made two changes that would prove decisive in the last few minutes, bringing on Brian Wake and Josh Gillies.

Fisher won the ball well in midfield and released Wake on the edge of the area. Wake, a prolific scorer in the Gateshead reserves, calmly dinked the ball over Young to double the lead. The goal was harsh on Dartford, but worse was to come in stoppage time.

Gillies, a tricky winger in the same mould as Nelthorpe, weaved his way past Burgess to get a cross in from the dead ball line. Martin Brittain, coming in from the right, volleyed the cross back into the six-yard box, where Kris Gate was on hand to tap in to make the scoreline look very one-sided, and take his side into the Trophy quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years.

Dartford, still trying to press forward in stoppage time almost had the last word, as a Main header found Champion bursting into the box, but the midfielder's header was claimed by Deasy.

So, with the sound of the proud Dartford supporters echoing out from the main bar at the Stadium, the final words from Tony Burman summed up the day. "There's no way you can't say we haven't enjoyed the cup run. Yes, it seems as though the cup has got in the way of the league, but recently we've started to believe in ourselves.

“I wouldn't take this away though; we've had a good run in the FA Cup and FA Trophy. It's come to an end today, but I'm really proud of all the players, delighted for all the supporters who've given us fantastic support. No-one can go away saying we didn't perform."

Gateshead: Tim Deasy, Kris Gate, James Curtis, Ben Clark, Martin Brittain, Phil Turnbull, Jon Shaw (Brian Wake 76), Craig Nelthorpe (Josh Gillies 74), Nathan Fisher (Johnny Allan 88), Michael Liddle, James Tavernier.

Subs: Craig Baxter, Paul Farman.

Goals: Phil Turnbull 42, Brian Wake 84, Kris Gate 90

Booked: Michael Liddle 38, James Curtis 71, Johnny Allan 90

Dartford: Andrew Young, Billy Burgess, Tom Bonner, Joe Bruce, Paul Goodacre, Tom Champion, Danny Harris, James White (Ryan Hayes 71), Charlie Sheringham (Carl Rook 78), Jon Main, Elliot Bradbrook.

Subs: Lee Burns, Joe Foster, Deren Ibrahim.

Booked: Tom Bonner 85, Tom Champion 90

Attendance: 501 (147 Dartford supporters)

Referee: Mr Jez Simpson (Lancaster)

Assistants: Mr David Musgrave (Hull) & Mr Paul Cook (Hull)

Fourth Official: Mr Paul Brown (Newcastle)