Dartford will hope to win a second home game in a row to keep the playoff chasing pack at bay, when they host Truro City.
With just one win in five league matches, the gap on the Darts’ third place spot is closing. Completing a double over Truro City will help alleviate some pressure going into the final run in. If the previous fixture between the two clubs is anything to go by, then Dartford should be in for a good afternoon.
Having never beaten the White Tigers at Treyew Road, Dartford took the long trip to Cornwall and came home with all three points. The Darts dominated the affair in their best away performance of this campaign running out 5-0 winners.
Keaton Wood settled any nerves as early as the fourth minute and from then on the goals kept coming. Andy Pugh nodded in a second and Duane Ofori-Acheampong netted a rebound to make it 3-0 at half-time. In the second half, Ofori-Acheampong scored again and Alex Brown wrapped up victory. Prior the win at Truro City, the Darts had drawn 1-1 against the White Tigers on the final game of the 2011/12 promotion campaign and lost miserably 3-0 last term.
Last weekend, Ryan Hayes hit the headlines with his 100th goal for the club. The winger opened the scoring against Concord Rangers. It wasn’t enough as a late penalty scored by Beachboys top scorer Steve Cawley meant a third draw in the last four games for the Darts.
Meanwhile, Truro City hosted Wealdstone and found themselves a goal down until Jamie Richards scored just before the interval. The Stones grabbed a winner ten minutes from time to condemn the White Tigers to their second consecutive loss. Defeat left the Cornwall club eight points clear of the relegation zone with manager Lee Hodges asking his players to ‘put their bodies on the line’ over the remaining fixtures.
Hodges has also tapped into the loan market for two defenders. Trying to shore up the back, Ben Gerring comes in from Torquay United, having had two spells with Truro City before. Alex Hartridge has signed from Exeter City after the 18-year-old has emerged for the Grecians academy. Earlier in the month, Cody Cooke returned to action after a hernia problem ruled him out since September. Whilst last month, crowd favourite Stewart Yetton returned to the club on loan from Weymouth until the end of the season.
Head to Head
Dartford wins: 1 / Truro City wins: 3 / Draws: 1
Current League Form
Dartford (WDDLWW)
Drew 1-1 v Concord Rangers (A)
Won 2-0 v Bath City (H)
Drew 0-0 v Welling United (A)
Drew 1-1 v Oxford City (A)
Lost 0-1 v Chelmsford City (H)
Won 4-0 v Gosport Borough (A)
Truro City (DLWWLW)
Lost 1-2 v Wealdstone (H)
Lost 0-2 v Eastbourne Borough (A)
Won 3-2 v St Albans City (H)
Won 2-0 v Gosport Borough (H)
Lost 1-2 v Concord Rangers (H)
Lost 0-4 v Bath City City (A)
Previous Meetings
Truro City 0 Dartford 5 (08/10/2016 – National South)
Truro City 3 Dartford 0 (05/04/2016 – National South)
Dartford 1 Truro City 0 (19/09/2015 – National South)
Truro City 1 Dartford 1 (28/04/2012 – National South)
Dartford 1 Truro City 2 (22/10/2011 – National South)
Stats
Ryan Hayes is the second player to notch his 100th career goal for the club this season. Elliot Bradbrook also scored his 100th earlier in the campaign.
Hayes is currently sixth in the all time goalscorers chart for the Darts, behind Tony Burman (159 goals), John Ripley (136), John Mitchell (121), Elliot Bradbrook and Tommy Huckstepp (111).
On This Day
On the way to the Isthmian Premier League title seven years ago, Elliot Brabrook scored twice and Allan Tait once in a 3-1 away win at Horsham. Four years earlier, the Darts came out of the wrong side in a close encounter with Wingate and Finchley, the Southern League Division One East fixture ended 3-2 to the Blues. Dartford suffered a heavy home defeat in 2003 when they lost 4-1 to Salisbury City, but won 1-0 in 1998 against Tonbridge Angels.