WALKING WITH THE DARTS

by Chris Palmer

Hello again, welcome to another edition of Walking With The Darts, a monthly update on all things related to Dartford FC, courtesy of Dartford Living Magazine.

Since last writing in these pages, the season has returned to its normal schedule. The more extreme weather may have disappeared, but it certainly has been cold during this stage of the campaign. Yet, the games are now arriving thick and fast, as we head into the business end of the National League South season.

The Darts have had a mixed bag of results recently but remain firmly in second place and are certainly in with a chance to pounce should our neighbours Ebbsfleet United slip up. However, we also need to keep an eye on third-placed Havant & Waterlooville and the chasing pack. Tom Bonner and Co will be completely aware of the surrounding teams, but also more focused than ever on their own performances on the pitch rather than being concerned about other results.

After suffering defeat at Worthing a month ago, Alan Dowson’s side have stopped the slide with a hard-fought 2-2 draw at local rivals Welling United, before finishing victorious over a stubborn Chippenham Town last weekend (11th of February). Midfielders Jack Smith and Luke Allen ensured that the Darts secured the three points, whilst new goalkeeper Ben Dudzinski kept a clean sheet.

The goalkeeper was one of four new players to arrive at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park during the last few weeks. He has been joined by versatile defender Tommy Block, attacker Jamar Loza, and former Dartford favourite, Jernade Meade. If that wasn’t enough, Alan Dowson also secured the continued services of Jack Smith and Malachi Napa. Both players will remain with the club until the end of the season. In all, this is excellent news as we push for promotion to the National League.

As far as things away from the league are concerned, Dartford defeated the Metropolitan Police in the London Senior Cup, after the fixture final went ahead at the third time of asking. Our tie at Ebbsfleet United in the Kent Senior Cup also eventually went ahead. However, the team was a little unfortunate to narrowly lose 2-1, after a sterling effort from young goalkeeper Tom Wray in particular.

Meanwhile, Connor Dymond’s Dartford FC Women side’s return to action is now in full motion now that we are fully into 2023. But, like the First Team, Lizzie Adams and Co have also endured a mixed bag of results.

It all started well with a fine 3-1 victory over Millwall’s Lionesses in the League Cup, before the women were brought back down to earth with a heavy defeat at home to rivals Ebbsfleet United in their league fixture. That was then followed by a superb 3-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet Women at

Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park in the League Cup. Goals from Emily Vaughan, Lizzie Adams, and Nicha Dyett set them on the way and into the hat for the tournament’s semi-finals.

The team currently occupies fifth place in the London & South-East Regional Women’s Premier League, having won five and lost five of their eleven games so far. Manager, Connor Dymond, has also dipped into the transfer market to strengthen his team. Both Chloe Fowler and Milly Penfold have arrived to help the side regain momentum and climb the table.

In the meantime, please be sure to come along and cheer on both sets of players, as the teams push to end the season in a successful manner. And keep your eyes on our website and social media platforms for the latest news, results, and features.

As always, thank you for your continued support and thanks for reading.