Wealdstone v Dartford

Report

 

Wealdstone 1-2 Dartford Match Report

Joe Brophy

A late winner from Alfie Pavey ensures Dartford returned to winning ways against Wealdstone in the National League South.

Once again striking off the substitutes bench, the striker made it twenty-one goals for the season after Danny Mills had drawn the travelling Darts level.

Wealdstone has been reduced to ten men for the whole of the second half after loaned winger Iffy Allen was shown a straight red for a challenge on Andy Pugh.

However, a surprise upset seemed on the cards when Dan Fitchett struck for the home side but the Darts hit back in late fashion to avoid a third defeat in a row.

Tony Burman made several key changes to the side that fell to Chelmsford last weekend goalkeeper Deren Ibrahim dropping to the bench in favour of new signing Herbert Schötterl, who had left German side Inter Leipzig in January.

The man who had been training with Fulham since his departure was called for immediate action to get down low to turn behind a teasing cross from Marcus Johnson-Schuster.

Dartford’s first opportunity of the match came after just three minutes. Lee Noble started the move that found its way back to him off Duane Ofori-Acheampong but the midfielder couldn’t keep his effort down from 25-yards.

In a scrappy affair, both sides were cancelling each other out and the game looked to be searching for a player to inject some attacking flair.

Dartford almost found it through Noble, who had another chance after the half-hour mark when he was found in space by Danny Harris but his shot narrowly eclipsed the crossbar.

It looked to give the away side a clear advantage going into the second half when Allen was shown a straight red on 43 minutes for a clumsy lunge on Pugh.

Burman send on Pavey and Ryan Hayes as he looked to take control with the extra man, however, it was the home side who grabbed the lead after 67 minutes.

Flitchett rose highest to glance in a header from a superb cross from Pratt for his seventh goal of the season.

Dartford kept their composure following the setback as Wealdstone keeper Jonathan North looked to run down the clock but the Darts didn’t have to wait too long to restore parity.

With ten minutes plus stoppage time to go, Mills headed home just his second in Dartford colours.

A diagonal pass to Hayes found the winger in space who hung a whipped cross in from the right that was clinically met by Mills at the far post to plant his header past North.

Then it was time for Pavey to once again snatch the headlines and break Wealdstone hearts two minutes later.

Another sublime delivery from Hayes, with Dartford’s right corner of the game, was powered home by Pavey over the keeper’s right shoulder from close range to snatch the three points.

 

Wealdstone: Jonathan North, Reagan Ogle, Jerome Okimo, Danny Green, Edward Oshodi, Ian Gayle, Marcus Johnson-Schuster (Matthew Whichelow 88), Sam Cox (Mustafa Tiryaki 85), David Pratt, Daniel Fitchett, Iffy Allen.

Subs: Harry Goodger, Alfie Bonfield, Glenn Wilson

Dartford: Herbert Schötterl, Danny Harris, Mark Onyemah, Alex Brown (Tom Murphy 71), Nathan Collier, Tom Bonner, Lee Noble, Elliot Bradbrook, Duane Ofori-Acheampong (Ryan Hayes 46), Andy Pugh (Alfie Pavey 53), Danny Mills.

Subs: Lyle Della-Verde, Deren Ibrahim

Attendance: 1,002