Dowson looks to re-sign a midfielder - 14/12/23

[Park Life]

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/s ... et-298496/

Dartford manager Alan Dowson looks to re-sign a midfielder ahead of National League South derby trip to Tonbridge Angels

Manager Alan Dowson wants to sign a midfielder to strengthen Dartford’s squad this week.

The Darts drew 2-2 at home to National League South leaders Yeovil on Saturday, having beaten play-off chasing Torquay 3-0 at Princes Park last month.

Dartford, who finished second behind rivals Ebbsfleet last term but lost on penalties in their Play-off Semi-Final to St Albans, have been largely inconsistent this campaign.

But Dowson’s men are not far away from the top seven, sitting 12th, with the Dartford boss hoping to add to his ranks.

“If we keep working like that, we won’t be far away,” said Dowson, who will welcome back striker Harvey Bradbury from suspension for this Saturday’s derby at Tonbridge.

“We’ll just keep on climbing the table. I feel like we can crack on, to be honest.

“If we get Harvey back and fully fit - and I want one more in there in midfield - I don’t think we will be far away at all. I’ve said that from day one.

“Last season we were second all season. But if you’re on the other side of things, creeping and creeping (up the table), that might be the better way to go.

“That’s the way I’m looking at it.”

Asked for further details on the player he hopes to bring in soon, Dowson replied: “He’s younger.

“He’s been here before – although I won’t give too much away.”

Striker George Alexander and midfielder Richard Chin, on loan from Bromley and Charlton respectively, made it two goals in two league games against Yeovil while 24-year-old former Millwall and AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper Ryan Sandford put in a man-of-the-match display.

Dowson said: “They’ve all done well.

“They’ve been a big plus for me as a manager. When I’m trying to get the players to do their jobs a little bit better, I’ve got to do mine a little bit better at times.

“Both the outfield lads have got two in two and Ryan got man-of-the-match on Saturday, and he’s done very well.”

Youth appears to be the way Dowson wants to go for now.

He explained: “I want to bring a couple more younger ones in, who have got that little bit of hunger and desire a bit more.

“Chinny’s goals have been two good finishes. Well done to George, as well.

“We have got Harvey to come back into the team. When we get them all into the team, we’ll take some stopping - I hope so anyway!”

One experienced head Dowson would like to keep around is Moussa Diarra. The on-loan defender, 33, is set to return to Barnet next month.

“He’s had a couple of decent games,” said Dowson, who suggested fellow defender Tommy Block could return from injury soon.

“He took a long time to get going, but in the last three weeks he has done well. We would like to keep him.

“If we can’t, then we will need to find another centre-half to strengthen us in the defensive areas.

“I think Blocky is back quite soon. That’ll help us.”

Dartford’s draw with Yeovil was their first league game since they beat Torquay on November 25 - albeit they did thrash a young Bromley side 5-1 in the Kent Senior Cup at the end of last month.

In contrast, the Glovers, who reached the Second Round of the FA Cup, have already played three times in December after seven games in all competitions last month.

Dowson said: “Sometimes, you want to be in the middle.

“You don’t want to have played the amount of games they (Yeovil) have had.

“But on the flipside of it, you also don’t want a two-week break, not when you’ve just beaten Torquay. If we had a game in the middle somewhere, that would have been ideal.”

Next up for the Darts is Jay Saunders’ Tonbridge side, themselves coming into the encounter after a two-week league break.

Only a point separates the sides, with Tonbridge having played a league match more and having lost just once in seven league games - last time out at Torquay.

Dowson said: “It’s a big derby and another good game.

“It’s another game that we have got to try and attack, which we will do. We’ve started to get on a little bit of a run and so have they.

“Let’s just go forward because I think we have half-turned the corner.

“It’ll be nice to play away from home. We have been here a lot recently so it’ll be nice to get away from that for a bit.”

[Lars Resort]

You have to laugh at that one.