Dartford enter the F.A Trophy third qualifying round stage with an away trip to Isthmian Division One North side Brentwood Town.
Midfielder, Lee Noble will visit his former side where he began his career at Brentwood Town’s academy. Impressing the Darts way back in 2008 by scoring against his future club, Noble joined Dartford in the summer. Since then he has made 414 appearances (111 as substitute) scoring 41 goals. The midfielder’s latest game ended early on Tuesday night when he picked up a red card for two cautions against Wealdstone.
The Darts just about remained top of the National South and will feel they dropped points in the end against Wealdstone. An entertaining 3-3 draw gave Tony Burman mixed emotions, after the game he told www.kentonline.co.uk: “We’ve showed some backbone in the second half to go from 2-1 down to 3-2”. Burman may have been pleased with his forwards Alfie Pavey, netted two and substitute Andy Pugh the other, but is concerned at the other end of the pitch, he added: “We’re conceding a lot of goals which is unlike us”. Ahead of the F.A Trophy tie, Burman believes the defence “will come good, without a shadow of a doubt”. In the last four matches the Darts have shipped in 12 goals, but the forward line has managed to rack up seven in the last two games.
Dartford have already beaten three sides in lower divisions this season in the F.A Cup. To get to the first round they had to get past Barking, Needham Market then Burgess Hill Town. In the F.A Trophy they have made the proper rounds in six of the last seven campaigns, reaching the semi-final in 2013. However, Burman expects a tough afternoon, he spoke to www.kentonline.co.uk: and said: “I’ve seen Brentwood and had reports on them, it’s not going to be easy”, he continued: “They knock the ball around well and they’re going to have a go at us”, he added: “The character that we’ve shown throughout the game against Wealdstone, we’ve got to show that again if we want to progress to the next round”.
Brentwood Town hosted Needham Market in the last round, a side the Darts beat 6-1 in the F.A Cup third qualifying round almost two months ago. The Blues earned themselves a surprise win against opponents in the league above with an impressive first half display. Connor Martin headed in at the far post before Matt Price missed a penalty to make it 2-0. However, the lead was doubled three minutes later when Andy Freeman nodded in a second and by the interval Price’s back-heeled effort found the net. Needham Market grabbed a consolation but could not reduce the deficit any further.
The previous two rounds involved Brentwood Town needing second attempts, first against Isthmian Division One South side South Park and then versus Bedford Town, of the Southern League Division One East. The Blues’ F.A Trophy journey began at the beginning of October and the tie with South Park saw a goal fest. The first fixture ended 3-3 with South Park coming back from 3-0 down. Izzy Bademosi scored the first two and Freeman the other before the break. In the second half Kieran Lavery, Joe Jackson and Chris Smith completed the comeback for the visitors.
The replay was more one sided with Brentwood Town romping away with a 7-2 victory. Despite falling behind Lavery equalised and a brace from Alfie Hilton made it 3-1 at half-time. Bademosi then scored two either side of Martin’s header and after South Park pulled one back Price completed the rout.
It seemed that all the goals were used up in the previous round before Brentwood Town drew the second qualifier 0-0 with Bedford Town. But goals were back on the menu in the replay with the Blues running out 4-2 winners. Josh Wiggins netted a hat-trick to take home the match ball and Brenden Cavalier added the fourth. Bedford Town made the score look a bit more respectable with two goals of their own.
The Essex club are sixteenth in the Isthmian Division One North table thanks to back to back victories. On Tuesday night, the Blues beat Soham Town Rangers, even without seven first team members available. Price scored twice, to make it 12 in the league this campaign and Bademosi found the net in a 3-1 away win. Last weekend, Brentwood Town defeated Haringey Borough 2-0, which ended Borough’s unbeaten start to the season.
Head to Head
Brentwood Town wins: 2 / Dartford wins: 2 / Draws: 2
Current Form (FAC – F.A Cup / FAT – F.A Trophy / ESC – Essex Senior Cup)
| Brentwood Town (WWLWDL) | Dartford (DWLLWW) | ||||
| Soham Town Rangers | A | 3-1 | Wealdstone | H | 3-3 |
| Haringey Borough | H | 2-0 | Gloucester City | H | 4-1 |
| Maldon & Tiptree | A | 1-4 | Truro City | A | 1-3 |
| Needham Market (FAT) | H | 3-1 | Swindon Town | H | 1-5 |
| West Essex (ESC) | A | 3-3* | St Albans City | H | 2-1 |
| Bury Town | H | 1-2 | Bath City | A | 2-1 |
* – Brentwood Town won 5-4 on penalties
Previous Meetings
| 29.03.2008 | Dartford | 0 | Brentwood Town | 1 |
| 05.02.2008 | Brentwood Town | 2 | Dartford | 2 |
| 08.03.1969 | Brentwood Town | 2 | Dartford | 1 |
| 15.02.1969 | Dartford | 1 | Brentwood Town | 1 |
| 15.04.1968 | Dartford | 2 | Brentwood Town | 0 |
| 12.04.1968 | Brentwood Town | 1 | Dartford | 2 |
Stats
Dartford kept six clean sheets in their opening ten games, conceding just six. In their last 14 matches they have let in 27 goals with one clean sheet.
The Darts have won their last two cup ties away from home against opposition in the Isthmian Premier League.
In this season’s cup competitions, Alfie Pavey has scored four in as many games and Elliot Bradbrook three goals in four matches so far. That’s seven of the eleven F.A Cup goals scored on the way to the first round.
Dartford last beat Brentwood Town 49 years ago when they completed a Southern League Division One double over the Blues. The Darts won 2-1 in the away fixture and three days later secured a 2-0 victory.
On This Day
Rob Haworth scored as the Darts drew 1-1 with St Albans City in a F.A Trophy third qualifying replay. The 2008 tie went to penalties which Dartford lost 4-2 putting them out of the competition. The Darts last win on 25 November came seventeen years ago against Wisbech Town, a 2-1 victory earned the Darts three points in the Southern League Division One East. Since then a 2-1 defeat at home to Sittingbourne in 2006, Dave Martin the goalscorer and the F.A Trophy tie and a 4-2 capitulation at home to Chester have been played out. In 2014, the Darts were two up with goals from Lee Noble and Elliot Bradbrook, but Chester came back to win 4-2 in the National League.
Important Notice
Brentwood High Street will be closed from Saturday lunchtime for the turning on of the Christmas Lights. You will need to find an alternative route if you are coming from J28 of the M25. The mot straightforward option is to take the A1023 into Brentwood and turn left at the traffic lights just before the bottom of the High Street into Weald Road. Then turn immediately right at the mini-roundabout into Western Road. At the end of Western Road, turn left onto the A128 Ongar Road, then fork right into Doddinghurst Road.
DATE: Saturday 25th November 2017
VENUE: The Arena, Brentwood Centre, Brentwood Centre, Doddinghurst Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9NN
KICK OFF: 3:00pm
ADMISSION:
Adults: £8
Concessions (65+): £4
Under 16: £1
Under 12: Free
Programmes: £2
Directions: The centre of Brentwood is approximately 1½ miles from junction 28 of the M25. From the eastern end (Wilsons Corner) of the High Street, turn North into Ongar Road. At the third mini roundabout take the right hand fork into Doddinghurst Road. The Brentwood Centre is a further half a mile, on the right just after the A12 bridge. Once you enter the Centre the football ground entrance is in the far right hand corner of the car park.
Brentwood station is on the Great Eastern Line, approximately 35 minutes from Liverpool Street, and is about 1¾ miles from the Brentwood Centre.
The No. 37 runs approximately every 15 minutes from Brentwood station, via the High Street and Doddinghurst Road, to the Bishops Hall Estate, turning off into Elizabeth Road opposite the Brentwood Centre
PARKING: There are normally vast amounts of parking available, but beware when special events are taking place at the Brentwood Centre, as the car park can then become very congested.
MATCH UPDATES: Available on Twitter @dartfordfc and on website www.dartfordfc.com