Dartford 5-1 Alfreton Town - We felt this could be a massive three points, says Tony Burman

DARTFORD  5-1  ALFRETON TOWN
Blue Square Bet Premier
Saturday 1^st September 2012
Paul Parkinson reports from Princes Park Stadium

A Harry Crawford hat-trick helped Dartford complete a memorable week, picking up a maximum 9 points from their last 3 games, by clinically putting Derbyshire visitors Alfreton Town to the sword with a thumping 5-1 win at Princes Park.

The victory moves the Darts up to 12^th place in the Blue Square Bet (Conference) Premier table, and maintains their recent revival, following three successive defeats at the start of the season.

Ecstatic Dartford manager, Tony Burman said after the game, “We felt this could be a massive three points because of all the travelling we’ve done and the games coming up. I think the guys played well and deserved what they got today.”

“We’ve worked on the organisation and shape of the side, and changed a few things from Monday after winning at Cambridge. We felt we needed to go back to 4-4-2 at home, that’s what we did, and the players are showing a good work ethic at the moment.

“The players do work hard and when the supporters see that, it encourages them, and I think they got their just rewards today.””

But he saved the praise for the forward pair of Crawford and Jacob Erskine, who also got on the scoresheet, adding, “Potentially it is a good strike force. We lost Danny (Harris) to a hamstring injury on Monday, but Harry and Jacob have played well today. They are young strikers, and sometimes Jacob has had a little bit of stick, but he’s a handful and players from other teams don’t want to play against him. If he gets his mind to it, he’s a decent player.”

Burman added: “Harry’s a young lad; I have to keep reminding myself that he’s only 20 and we were after him for a long time last season. Unfortunately he was injured for a long time, but he was clinical today. The first goal was a great strike.””

Alfreton were quick out of the blocks with Simon Russell dragging a shot wide after a poor clearance by Lee Burns, but despite dominating the possession 69% to 31% (according to BBC statistics) in the first half rarely troubled the well marshalled home defence.

Dartford took the lead after 11 minutes, with their first shot of the match.

Richard Rose’s high ball towards Crawford saw Alfreton’s giant centre back Darren Kempson mistime his leap and attempted clearance, allowing Crawford to spin in behind him. Crawford drove into the Alfreton area before rifling the ball in at the keeper’s right hand post, although Burnley-loanee Jon Stewart, on his Alfreton debut, will believe he could have done better.

Kempson was cautioned soon after for an agricultural challenge on Jacob Erskine, who caused Kempson and defensive partner Adam Quinn constant problems with his physicality, but the visitors almost pulled level on 20 minutes.

Russell’s floated free kick from just outside the left edge of the area was met by Ben Tomlinson at the back post, and his looping header was cleared acrobatically off the line by Rose, with Marcus Bettinelli beaten.

Dartford extended their lead on 37 minutes, with their second shot of the match, as Erskine used his body well to turn Quinn, raced into the area and as Stewart advanced, calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner to open his personal account for the year.

In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Crawford fired a side-foot volley over after good work from James Rogers in the left corner, but the third goal wasn’t long coming.

From a pinpoint Ryan Hayes corner, Elliot Bradbrook found himself unmarked two yards out with the goal at his mercy, and the Darts’ skipper headed home his second of the season.

The start of the second half saw chaos in the Alfreton dugout, as substitute Daniel Meadows wasn’t ready to take his place, so Mr Martin allowed Dartford to kick off with the visitors only having 10 men on the pitch. Meadows’ eventual arrival after 90 seconds had little immediate bearing on the game though, as Hayes floated a free kick into the Alfreton box, where Bradbrook outjumped Stewart and headed goalwards, only for Crawford to steal in and apply the finishing touch with a deft header.

Bradbrook later adorned Crawford’s match ball with the tag “thief” in jest, acknowledging the striker’s goal instinct.

In reply, the visitor’s Paul Clayton burst into the Dartford box, but saw his shot well smothered by Bettinelli, the young Fulham keeper who is on a month’s loan covering for the injured Louis Wells.

Looking for a way back into the match, Alfreton manager, Nicky Law, replaced both strikers with pacy forwards Nathan Arnold and Ashley Worsfold, and the new players, along with Meadows, brought new life to the visitors’ play.

On 72 minutes, Arnold outpaced Mark Arber, who used his experience to avoid bringing the substitute down. Arnold’s touch to round Bettinelli took him wider than he would have wanted, and this gave Arber time to get back to clear Arnold’s eventual shot off the line.

And the three replacements combined on 80 minutes, to find Arnold pushing towards the area. He squared the ball across for Meadows, who struck a curling effort in off the right hand post to give the visitors a lift.

But Dartford, and Crawford, extended their lead back to four two minutes later, as Lee Noble’s ball over the back four made the experienced Kempson lose his composure, step on the ball, and present a chance to Crawford. His initial shot was well saved low to his right by Stewart, but the ball rebounded back to Crawford, who had all the time in the world to slide home his hat-trick and fourth goal of the season.

After six games of the season, Burman admitted: “We all know this will be a tough, tough season, and we’ve got some massive games coming up. Last week at Cambridge, it really hit me that we competed in this league. We’re going to enjoy it, no matter what the results we’ll enjoy ourselves, but we’ve got to work really hard for the results.”

“We want to be here, the players want to be involved, and I’m pitting my wits against some of the top managers in the non-league scene, and no doubt on Tuesday night, remember Newport’s squad is one of the strongest around. But we’ve got nothing to lose, and if we get the crowd behind us, it is three points up for grabs.”

“It’s a big change in standard. Teams are far more clinical and we’ve noticed that in the first three games. But to go to a Cambridge, a great ground with over 2,000 fans in, we want to be involved in these games. Ask me how big an adjustment it has been after Tuesday, and when we've played some of the big clubs. We know we’re coming up against some really big sides with good players, but we’ll have a go and enjoy it.”

When asked about the transfer window, which slammed shut at 11 o’clock last night, Burman added: “We have been looking at a couple of players but it didn’t quite come off before the deadline. The clubs those guys play for couldn’t get the players in that they wanted, so our interests couldn’t be released.

“It’s not the end of it. Next week, we can bring players in on loan, which is probably what it is going to be, as we’ve got a small squad, and I want to look to improve it.

“I didn’t have any enquires for my players, they are all under contract, and I’m looking to increase numbers. I’m happy with what we’ve done in the opening six games. We’ve got players who want to play here, and I have got some good players in this squad. When they play like this, others are going to take notice, but that’s football and we’ll cross that bridge if it happens.”

“We insist on a good team spirit. When you win games, you win them together and it’s the same if you lose. I want my teams to work hard, and they do that, and that brings their qualities out.”

Dartford:  Marcus Bettinelli, Lee Burns, Richard Rose, Tom Bonner, Mark Arber, Tom Champion, Ryan Hayes (Nathan Collier 69), James Rogers, Jacob Erskine (Lee Noble 75), Elliot Bradbrook (Jon Wallis 75), Harry Crawford.
Subs: Jay Porter, Stevie Sutton.

Goals: Harry Crawford 11, 47, 82, Jacob Erskine 37, Elliot Bradbrook 45

Alfreton Town:  Jon Stewart, Josh Law, Anton Brown, Adam Quinn, Darren Kempson, Leigh Franks, Alistair Taylor (Daniel Meadows 46), Dan Bradley, Simon Russell, Paul Clayton (Ashley Worsfold 61), Ben Tomlinson (Nathan Arnold 61).
Subs: Phil Barnes, Connor Franklin

Goal: Daniel Meadows 80

Booked: Darren Kempson 17

Attendance: 1,145
Referee: Mr Richard Martin (Bristol)
Assistants: Mr Jonathan Pickford (Leigh-on-Sea, Essex) and Mr Neil West (Leigh-on-Sea, Essex)
Fourth Official: Lloyd Wood (Dagenham, Essex)