Dartford 0-0 Grimsby Town - The damage was done in eight minutes of madness last week, says Burman

DARTFORD  0-0  GRIMSBY TOWN
(Grimsby Town win 3-0 on aggregate)
The FA Carlsberg Trophy Semi-Final Second Leg
Saturday 23^rd February 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Princes Park Stadium

DARTFORD boss Tony Burman says he was proud of his players after they kept going until the bitter end.

This season’s FA Carlsberg Trophy Final will be between Grimsby Town and Wrexham on Sunday 24 March after part-timers Dartford and Gainsborough Trinity couldn’t cause semi-final upsets against the two highest ranked clubs in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) Premier.

The Darts faced leaders Grimsby Town at Blundell Park in the first leg last Saturday, going down to a crushing 3-0 defeat, whilst Wrexham also took full advantage of being at home, beating Gainsborough Trinity 3-1, before the Welsh giants went down to a 2-1 away defeat today to scrape through 4-3 on aggregate.

Skipper Craig Disley had given Grimsby a 25^th minute lead, against the run of play last weekend, and Dartford were content to bring them back to Princes Park with a manageable single goal deficit.

But a goalkeeping blunder from Dartford goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, allowing Disley’s 20-yard shot to go through his hands, proved to be the killer blow in the 85^th minute, before Andy Cook drove home a third within two minutes to leave Dartford facing a mountain to climb at Princes Park today.

Burman was without central defender Mark Arber through illness today, so Tom Champion slotted in beside Tom Bonner.  Lee Noble collected a four match ban after the club lost it’s appeal (which cost £100) for his alleged stamp on Aswad Thomas at the end of last week’s game.

Central midfielder Jon Wallis came back into the side and target-man Jacob Erskine was risked, after missing last week’s game with a knee injury and turning his ankle at training on Thursday night.

Grimsby Town lost top spot to Wrexham after going down to a 2-0 defeat away to Braintree Town in midweek, the Lincolnshire side making just one change so there was hope that Dartford could score the three goals they needed to force extra time.

When asked how he was felling at the final whistle, Burman naturally replied, “A little bit of disappointment for the players, but having said that I’m very, very proud of them with what they’ve achieved.

”We created a whole load of interest of getting to the semi-final of The FA Trophy. 

”If you look back on both legs, it was a mad eight minutes for us last week and it was too much of a mountain to climb.”

But Burman was proud with his players for their efforts when all seemed lost.

”I’m very, very proud of them.  They’ve been a credit to the club all season really.”

Burman added: ”I’m glad we didn’t lose the game today, but overall we’ve already lost the tie.  If you give yourselves a mountain to climb it’s very difficult to get back into it.”
 
After the tannoy announcement urging “come on Princes Park, let’s make some noise,” Dartford pressed for the early goal they so desperately needed.

Winger Ryan Hayes swung in an excellent free-kick with his lethal left-foot into a crowded penalty area and the onrushing Elliot Bradbrook planted his header straight at Grimsby keeper James McKeown from eight-yards with only six minutes and 35 seconds on the clock.

Burman said: “We had a couple of chances and they haven’t gone in. If they do go in it does become a different game but Grimsby are not where they are because they’ve been lucky and things like that. They’re a very well organised professional outfit and club.

”Elliot’s got in there, he’s done brilliant to get on the end of the cross. Unfortunately their goalkeeper’s been excellent in both games. It went straight at him. That’s how it goes sometimes.

”There was a couple of other half chances and scrambles but had they gone in it could have lifted our supporters a little bit, but it wasn’t to be.”

Grimsby needed to score to end Dartford’s Wembley dream and their opening chance arrived in the thirteenth minute.

Jamie Devitt swung in a corner from the left, which was headed away by Hayes at the near post and the ball fell to Disley just outside the penalty box.

The Grimsby skipper failed to replicate his strike in the first leg, which found the bottom right-hand corner through a crowd of players and an unsighted Bettinelli, because this time his left-footed hooked shot bounced harmlessly wide of the right upright.

Grimsby went close with another corner, this time driven in by Joe Colbeck from the right which was met by the unmarked Lenell John-Lewis, the strong and powerful striker sending his header sailing wide.

Dartford’s second attempt on target came in the 14^th minute when right-back Lee Burns tried to release Hayes down the right, but his progress was blocked and Burns picked up the loose ball and his right-footed angled drive from 30-yards forced McKeown into diving to his left to parry before gathering the loose ball.

Full-time Grimsby were a rock solid outfit and despite Erskine winning a fair share of flicks, his strike partner Harry Crawford, Hayes and Danny Harris down the left were well marshalled by the visiting defence.

Hayes swept a deep free-kick in from the right was punched away by McKeown and Crawford played the ball back into a crowded six-yard box but Bradbrook swept his shot wide, via a deflection.

A slick Grimsby Town move down the right involving Disley and right-back Sam Hatton, saw Colbeck float over a cross but unmarked striker John-Lewis rose to glance his header across goal and wide of the far post from eight-yards.

A one touch sweeping raid, involving Disley and John-Lewis resulted in Colbeck unleashing an angled right-footed drive, which was blocked by Bettinelli at his near post.

Dartford enjoyed plenty of possession but Grimsby were content to sit back and soak up the pressure.

Grimsby kicked off the second half and they went close to finishing Dartford off when Devitt was given time and space to stroke a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which bounced once and the diving Bettinelli moved swiftly to his right to tip the ball around the post with his outstretched right hand after only fourteen seconds.

Poor defending by Bonner then gifted a chance for John-Lewis, whose right-footed shot from a central position forced the on-loan Fulham stopper to parry low to his left, the ball falling at Bonner’s feet so the danger was averted.

Bettinelli made his third save of the half in the 52^nd minute when he stuck out a strong right hand to turn away Jamie Devitt’s effort after he cut inside Harris.

But Dartford were not getting any lucky breaks in front of goal.

Grimsby escaped a desperate goal-mouth scramble following Hayes’ corner from the right, before unmarked left-back Adam Green hooked a left-footed volley over the bar from 30-yards after Hayes sent an up and over ball in from the right after picking up an over hit cross.

But the longer the game went on, Dartford’s Wembley dream was diminishing.

Hatton, who didn’t venture forward like he did at Blundell Park last week, played the ball into John-Lewis’ feet, who shrugged off his marker to turn and crack a left-footed shot just over from seventeen-yards.

Then just 33 seconds later, winger Colbeck cut in before hitting an angled right-footed drive, which was comfortably saved by Bettinelli beside his near post, in front of the Dartford supporters.

A move involving Erskine and Wallis allowed Hayes to swing in a cross but Harris’ downward header bounced wide in the 64^th minute.

Burns’ cross from the right found Erskine inside the Grimsby box and he cushioned his header back to skipper Bradbrook, whose left-footed volley from 25-yards sailed over.

Burman added: “We did have some chances, we’ve had a couple of shots from outside the box and things like that, which were created from inside the box.”

But when asked when did he think it was all over, the Dartford boss said he remained positive throughout.

He said: “As the game goes on, the longer you don’t score, obviously.  They scored two goals in six minutes last week so you don’t really think you can’t. It was just trying to score that first goal.  I think we played against the meanest defence in our division and fair play to them and all the best to them in the competition.”

Bettinelli ensured there was not going to be a repeat blunder halfway through the second half when he got everything behind Colbeck’s right-footed speculative volley on the turn from 35-yards.

Burman said he was pleased with his goalkeeper’s reaction.

”He’s reacted to what’s happened last week in a professional manner. I’ve been in contact with the Fulham guys and they’ve built him up again to get on with things and I think he did.”

Despite hope ebbing away from the home faithful, Dartford will be praised by their fans for keeping going until the final whistle.

They chanted “what a waste of money,” when Grimsby striker Richard Brodie glanced his header past the far post from eight-yards after substitute Marcus Marshall cut in from the left and sent over a cross towards the near post.

Grimsby defender Ian Miller – who alongside Shaun Pearson was immense – escaped a clear handball, but Crawford’s right-footed angled drive flashed past the near post.

Dartford went route one in the final seven minutes when Bettinell’s punt was flicked on by substitute Nathan Collier, which released Harris down the left and he cut the ball back to Collier, whose shot deflected wide.

Dartford had the final chance inside stoppage time when Bonner’s right-footed drive from 40-yards sailed was caught by McKeown.

Despite their success there was to be a no celebration inside the visitors’ dressing room at the final whistle as Grimsby Town or Wrexham look to replicate York City’s success of clinching promotion back into League Two and collecting The FA Carlsberg Trophy.

But Dartford can be proud of their efforts so far this season. Top nine in the top flight of non-league football, beating some big former Football League clubs along the way, including a double victory over Luton Town – and wins over Kingstonian, Tonbridge Angels, Bromley and FC Halifax Town to bring them so agonisingly close to playing at Wembley Stadium.

Burman said: “Listen, we’ve played one of the best sides in the division and I think they now they’ve been in a game in both games. We’ve taken three points of Grimsby don’t forget and we’ve got to play them again down here and I hope that we can take three points off them again (after winning 2-0 at Blundell Park in October) and maybe see what they’re like when they go 1-0 down.

Dartford slipped down to tenth-place in the table, with 44 points from 31 games and have fifteen league games of their season left to play.

Burman said: “The players are disappointed because Wembley is a massive, massive thing to say that you’ve played there and I will lift the players in my own way this week and we’ll try to get on with things, but I’m proud of them and they know that.

”They’ve been fantastic for this club this year and they’ve never left anybody down at all.  I just think they are appreciated by the supporters because of what they’ve done so far and they appreciate them as much as I do.

”The players are down at the moment but the supporters will lift us. We’ve got no doubt about that because they respect what we’ve achieved and I think they’ve enjoyed seeing a team like this giving their all.

”It’s sad today but the overall picture we’re going to be moving forward.

”It’s hard to take but you’re beaten by a professional side, a professional outfit, well organised. 

”We’ve got to move on. Credit to Grimsby. Respect to them and it’s good how they’ve handled themselves as a very professional team and club.

”We’ve got to the last four, which is a fantastic achievement if you look at it that way, but it still hurts you that you’ve not made it.  The players will be hurting but I’ve got to get them lifted. We’re talking about a team at the top of their game at the moment.

”We’ve given them a good game for 84 minutes in the first game and we’ve given them a decent game today.

”The damage was done in the eight minutes of madness last week.”

Dartford: Marcus Bettinelli, Lee Burns, Tom Bonner, Tom Champion, Adam Green (James Rogers 80), Ryan Hayes, Jon Wallis (Jack Evans 80), Elliot Bradbrook, Danny Harris, Jacob Erskine (Nathan Collier 76), Harry Crawford.
Subs: Louis Wells, Richard Rose

Booked: Adam Green 80, Harry Crawford 89

Grimsby Town: James McKeown, Sam Hatton, Ian Miller, Shaun Pearson, Bradley Wood, Joe Colbeck, Craig Disley, Derek Niven, Jamie Devitt, Richard Brodie, Lenell John-Lewis.

Booked: Richard Brodie 80

Attendance: 2,153
Referee: Mr Lee Collins (Knaphill, Woking, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Graham Kane (Ditching, Hassocks, West Sussex) & Mr Michael Smith (Basildon, Essex)
Fourth Official: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)