Specsavers

Rivals clash on Monday

Brian Caffarey
11:22pm, Sat 30th Mar 2013
Dartford v Woking
3pm on Monday 1 April 2013

There’s been a bit of an edge in games between these two sides in the last couple of seasons –are Dartford the new Stevenage? – and both will be keen to grab the points on Monday afternoon as they aim to finish as the top part-time side in the league. A win for Dartford would enable them to overtake Woking in view of their superior goal difference.

WOKING

Woking’s draw against Hereford United this afternoon was their fifth in their last six games. They had the better of the play overall and will perhaps be disappointed not to have grabbed all three points. But you had to admire the commitment and energy of a side playing its third game in five days.

Garry rested Mark Ricketts, Lee Sawyer and Jayden Stockley from his starting line-up, although all three appeared in the second half. Let’s hope Garry feels able to put out his strongest side at Princes Park.

The Cards remain in 10th place but a win could lift them to 8th spot.

DARTFORD

Tony Burman kept faith with most of the squad who gained promotion via the play-offs last season and it certainly appears to have paid off, although, perhaps inevitably, the Darts weren’t able to sustain the excellent early-season form which saw them up around the play-off places in the autumn.

They now sit in 12th place, three points behind the Cards but with two games in hand. Like Woking, they have an impressive home record, with 11 wins, three draws and five defeats, scoring 36 goals and conceding 22. Today they earned a good point away at Newport County in a 0-0 draw.

Garry Hill will be well aware of the threat the Darts carry through the likes of Lee Noble, Lee Burns and Ryan Hayes. Charlie Sheringham is also now at Princes Park. The Darts have just brought in a Hungarian keeper from Fulham, Csaba Somogyi, to replace the injured Louis Wells.

GETTING THERE

Princes Park
Grassbanks
Darenth Road
Dartford
Kent DA1 1RT

www.dartfordfconline.com

By coach
The Cards Trust coach leaves Kingfield at 12.30pm. The cost is £12 for members and £17 for non-members.

By car
Take the M25 eastbound. Exit at J2 (towards A2(E)/Canterbury/M2/Dartford). Then at roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the ramp to Dartford/A225. At the Princes Road interchange roundabout take the 1st exit onto Princes Road/A296, heading towards Dartford/Crayford/A225. Continue to follow Princes Road, then turn left at Darenth Road traffic lights and second left into Grassbanks. Journey time is around 60 minutes according to the AA.

By train
You’ll need to head up to London to Waterloo East. Trains to Dartford leave at 03, 13, 33 and 43 minutes past the hour, with the journey taking 40-45 minutes. Returning, trains are at 13, 29, 43 and 59 minutes past the hour.

The Dartford FC website gives the following directions for getting from the station to the ground. Exit station straight ahead towards the Orchard Theatre/Shopping Centre. Do NOT cross the bridge but take the steps/ramp down to the bus stops Then take the Fastrack B service towards Bluewater/Gravesend and alight at the Princes Park stop. Buses run every 10 mins during the day.

It’s a 10-15 minute walk from Dartford town centre largely alongside
the Fastrack busway.

ADMISSION PRICES

Adults: £15
Concessions (Over 65s and age 12-17): £8
Juniors (aged 5-11): £3

LAST TIME OUT

Woking 1 Dartford 0
14 August 2012

A bad-tempered encounter saw the Cards sneak home over ten-man Darts as Gez Sole converted a controversial late penalty.

Both sides came into this fixture on the back of opening-day defeats, the Cards having lost 3-1 at Wrexham whilst Dartford had been beaten 3-2 at home by Tamworth.

After a quietish start the game erupted when Lee Noble was sent off in the 35th minute after committing two identical ‘yellow card’ fouls on Kevin Betsy in the space of four minutes.

Woking pressed hard in an effort to capitalise before the break but couldn’t find the net, with Louis Wells making a couple of good saves.

The Darts regained their composure after the interval and gave as good as they got for most of the half even though one man short. But in the 81st minute Loick Pires appeared to be hauled down by ex-Card Adam Green. Dartford protested furiously that the offence was outside the box but Gez Sole eventually took the kick and converted – with his celebrations leading to more ill-feeling.

The Darts came close to equalising before a relieved home crowd was able to rejoice in a hard-fought win.

Woking: Aaron Howe, Adam Newton, Mike Cestor, Joe McNerney, Brett Johnson, Mark Ricketts (Dean Sinclair 90), Lee Sawyer, Bradley Bubb (Gavin McCallum 67), Kevin Betsy, Loick Pires, Brett Williams (Giuseppe Sole 67)

Unused Subs: Sam Beasant, Jack Parkinson

Goal(s): Sole 81

Booked: Bubb 44, Cestor 69

Dartford: Louis Wells, Lee Burns, Adam Green, Tom Bonner, Mark Arber, Tom Champion, Lee Noble, Elliot Bradbrook, Jacob Erskine (Harry Crawford 68), James Rogers (Richard Rose 87), Danny Harris (Nathan Collier 78)

Unused Subs: Ryan Hayes, Jon Wallis

Booked: Noble 31 & 35, Wells 80, Champion 90

Sent-off: Noble 35

Attendance: 1,846

NEXT GAME

The Cards have a very attractive home fixture against high-flying Wrexham next Saturday.


Come on, you Cards!

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