Match Report No 4 – Dartford 1 Fulham 0 Sunday 4th September 2022, k/off 3pm in the Princes Park Stadium.
Weather: sunny, warm to very warm
With Amy Green absent, Alicia Gibbs made a timely return to the side and a healthy crowd of 179 watched Dartford and Fulham play out a close contest
Megan McKeag started in a deeper position from her usual midfield role, allowing Georgie Davis to move inside to assist Rachel Ahern with any threats that Fulham might provide through the centre. This seemed very effective and little threat came Dartford’s way from a Fulham side whose strikers were made to play a little deeper than they would have liked. Fulham though, showed very little enterprising play throughout the first 45 minutes.
Dartford’s attacks came about from using the full width of the pitch with Shauni Griffiths on the left and Issy Michalski on the right. Both wings were effective at times, getting behind the Fulham’s defence, but many of the crosses were either mis-directed or were dealt by the more-than-capable Fulham keeper whose positioning was always first rate.
After about 15 minutes, Megan suffered a heavy knock and had to leave the field, but bravely returned after a few minutes’ attention, but still nursing her injury. Issy Michalski was called upon to fill the vacant left back position while Megan received attention, which allowed Georgie to remain in her more central role.
The game restarted with a corner from Shauni who played it to Emily Vaughan whose shot wasn’t that far off target, just whistling past the keeper’s right-hand post.
Fulham’s No 9, Ellie Old, on occasions, used her lightning speed to good effect, but due to Rachel and Georgie controlling the central defensive position effectively, she was forced out to the left side of play and more often than not, was kept in check by Charlie Torry, who increasingly gained her measure as each minute ticked by.
Paris Smith showed great composure in goal and had to be alert when called upon to race out fast to clear from Fulham’s forwards.
There were glimpses of fine passing play from both teams in the first half, but it seemed just when either were gaining the upper hand, they would produce a series of erratic passes that made this an intriguing game of two teams trying to gain that overall midfield control.
Shauni produced a fine left-footed shot towards the left-hand corner of the goal but was plucked out of the air by the goalkeeper, the shot itself lacking any ‘sting.’
A quick break by Darts in the 20th minute enabled Shauni to play a lovely ball through to Megan on the left wing who put in a beauty of a cross, high into the six-yard box, but the ball eluded everyone. Fulham consistently overhit the ball especially down the right-hand side and more-than-often the ball was shepherded out by Darts defence for goal-kicks.
Chances were few and far between and half time arrived goal-less.
It was much the same in the opening minutes of the second half, but gradually Dartford began asserting themselves on the game. Dartford’s passing became more accurate and the team began to gel nicely. Darts were helped somewhat by Fulham who either didn’t show any great composure in their play or, was a result of a much-improved Darts in their general play, passing and togetherness.
After five minutes play, Shauni won the ball on the left, cut the ball across to Charlie Torry, received the ball back and struck a beautiful shot that was saved, at a stretch by the Fulham keeper. Another couple of inches higher and it would have evaded the keeper and was bound for the back of the net.
In the 55th minute the stalemate was broken. Emily Vaughan played the ball to Nicha who passed the ball onto Issy who gained a corner on the right. Megan’s in-swinging corner into the six-yard box eluded their tall defenders and Emily was there to head it home strongly, giving the keeper no chance.
Fulham tried hard to on the ascendency, and from a dangerous corner the ball landed at the feet of Fulham’s striker, Olds, but she blasted her shot over the bar by quite a few feet. That was definitely a let off for the Darts and soon after that a series of substitutions were made to strengthen Darts hold on the game.
Throughout the second half, Shauni had a good tussle with the Fulham right back, often getting the better of the defender, cutting inside and taking a few pot shots at goal from outside the area.
On the hours, Emily Read came on for Emily Vaughan and immediately went off on one of her forceful runs down the right wing and got in a first-time cross that found Lizzie Adams who played it out to Shauni who took on and beat her ‘man’ and earned a corner. Shauni swung a beautifully flighted corner kick into the six-yard box but one of a ruck of Fulham players managed to clear the danger.
Adele Pearce replaced Issy Michalski to bolster the midfield and Jo Woodgates replaced Megan, probably still suffering from the heavy knock she took in the first half, and with Paris continuing to show a safe pair of hands, Fulham’s chances became fewer and fewer as Dartford began to control the game. With growing confidence, Darts’ passing movements were improving all the time.
Lizzie Adams had a chance when she found herself in space, but her directed header went just wide
Amy Panayi replaced Nicha in the 77th minute, who had once again run her heart out. Another corner from Shauni nearly squeezed the ball through at the near post, but the Fulham keeper was alert to the chance, and then came an opportunity for Fulham on a fast break, but this was brilliantly cut out by Rachel.
Last of the substitutions was Amy Reader who came on for Shauni
Adele battling in midfield won the ball and put a beautiful through-ball to Amy who was faced with a one-on- one with the keeper, who pulled off a great stop before the rebound hit a defender and very nearly caused them the embarrassment of an own goal.
In the dying minutes Fulham were unable to put Darts under any real sustained pressure and with the final whistle blowing, Dartford had won the match by Emily’s solitary goal to record their first win of the season.
Final score: Dartford 1 Fulham 0 Report by Tony Brown