Dartford v Torquay Utd Sat 25 Nov 2023

[Nin]

im sure that torquay & yeovil supporters will meet on their way home to compare notes of their hammerings in Dartford & Welling

[The Duke]

Took Dowse 18 games to bring in what the fans have been telling him , fancy the difference it makes with quality Goalkeeper , Midfielder and a decent young/fit striker , instead of injured/old journeymen ,probably sorted out by Tony Burman and NOT Dowse and his Geri mate ????

I am delighted that Dartford Football Club got a decent win and 3pts !!

[PeteSamson]

Even hearing a lot of chanting, including 'We are going up' and the drums.

Well played Darts.

[KentC]

What a brilliant result, let’s hope this is a springboard. I think it could be. Great feeling.

[Sleightly Deceptive]

I had a good feeling about today, largely due to the recent signings. I would have made a ‘return’ if it weren’t for work. I predicted a home win in our small group. Tony H though did say 3-0!! (oh how we larrffed!)

[KingKong]

i said 3-0 too SD!

[Undercover Elephant]

Looked like the Torquey fans where calling for the managers head, a few was crowding around the directors area towards the end of the game!

Well played Dartford amazing result, and three very well taken goals….

[KSTDART]

Best performance of the season by a country mile . We looked like a totally different team today with all 3 of the recent recruitments making a huge difference. It’s just a shame we can’t do anything about the person in Black , yet again a totally incompetent performance.

Here are the gaols enjoy , 3 great finishes from the lads

[Grassbank]

My first game for a while. What has all the moaning been about?

I watched a strong, vibrant team performance with pace up front and total commitment from the guys at the back, putting themselves on the line when opponents lined up shots. Our visitors were poor in front of goal, they should have scored. However, we could have scored five and we had two very strong penalty shouts for handball ignored. I am not sure the ref knew which of their players was the goalkeeper.

I was critical earlier in the week of our discipline. Far too many cards today from a well fought, clean game of football. How the ref saw some of our challenges as yellow is beyond me. Harvey was constantlty being held and sometimes wrestled to the floor yet rarely wins a free kick. The 50/50 challenge by George with the keeper looked fair, yet the ref could not wait to get the card out again. Perhaps the linesmen need to be given some power back to help the refs who do not always have a clear line of vision. No way was our performance a four yellow card performance.

Hopefully this result will give the squad a lift and restore some confidence. With two important local matches over Christmas, let us hope that Welling will suffer the fate of the turkey.

Well done to everybody involved in the performance today.

[Park Life]

An enjoyable game and one we deserved to win.
We played 4-4-2 today and i think for the first time this season everyone was in their natural position and it made a big difference going forward.
We had Chin with the pace to get past an opponent and Alexander whose a totally different style of forward from the FOUR target men we already have. I'm sure it's been mentioned somewhere that's exactly what we've needed all season, any ideas where

With Chin playing the wide role well it stretched them allowing us to play some decent football down both flanks and with Alexanders pace and movement it was a proper partnership up top with Harvey. So well done today but we mustn't get too carried away as Torquay also has some glorious chances to score but unlike us wasted theirs.

As for Torquay, there supporters seemed a decent bunch but they were not happy at the end crowding round the directors box calling for the managers head and based only on what i saw today we've played many better teams this season, They looked ok going forward but missed some great chances at important times but defensively they were not great. Apparently unlike us they're a full time team with a decent B***** but regardless of how much you have if you don't spend it wisely it counts for nothing........

Some good performances today, Alexander looked good but MOTM for me between Chin and Wynter. Will think on it a bit longer.

Referee was card happy dishing them out like confetti in a game where i can't really recall a bad challenge.

[ozymandias]

I too have been a critic of Dowse's but that first 45 was the best for a long time.
Whether it's a continuation of the ' win one lose one ' remains to be seen.
But I too believe that the inclusion of Richard Chin and George Alexander has put a zing in the front line.
Chin was brilliant throughout and the rest of the side worked hard to get a deserved win.

[Park Life]

[Park Life]

[rambo]

I decided to miss the last two games for obvious reasons but when I read that we had signed Chin and Alexander I thought good god these two are not 6 feet 4 inches and can play , who the hell has signed them
I wanted to come but had already made plans for today. I am very very pleased with the result and by all accounts we have played well. I have not forgiven dowse and co for spoiling plenty of my weekends so we hope results and performances improve over the next six months
Contrary to the drivel that has been spoken about this division being tough the teams are very poor so a play off position is not beyond us but I am not holding my breath. I hope dowse is able to be sensible and build on this result

[Pedro]

Couldn't believe what I was seeing today - great performance all round and the new lads really shone. I was fearing a tough game today but have to say that Torquay really didn't really threaten us much.
Long may this continue COYD

[Nin]

[Spike]

A thoroughly entertaining game from the Darts perspective, mostly because we were so exciting going forward. Chin and Alexander brought a much welcome energy to the side and we looked threatening every time we advanced. It's true we looked quite vulnerable when Torquay went forward too, particularly down our left flank, but thankfully they squandered their very good chances in the first half whereas we were uncharacteristically clinical with ours. Our visitors didn't really pose much threat in the second period and it actually felt quite comfortable to watch.

The most important thing about this game was that we played some really exciting football, with pace and width, and this was unquestionably the best performance of the season. I know it could have been different if Torquay hadn't fluffed a few and I realise we had a few wobbles at the back, but I think you get what you deserve in football and maybe the vibrant, refreshing play up front inspired our defence to keep a welcome clean sheet.

I must admit, I was devastated with our gutless second half showing last Tuesday as I felt we threw the towel in at half-time. After that debacle, there was no way on earth I could see a performance like this coming but if we can do this once then it must surely be possible to do it again. I am just a little worried though that MOTM Chin, the most influential player on the pitch, is currently only here on a month's loan. I remember a month or so back, getting excited by Josh Johnson's excellent performance at Chippenham, only for him to disappear completely after that single game. This is the problem with loan deals, they can end at any moment. Nevertheless, today was a good day and Dowse has every right to enjoy the moment. The next few games will be very interesting.

[Spike]

When the interviewers first question is "Gaffer can I take your reaction to this afternoon's defeat at Dartford, it's probably hard to take that the better team didn't win", you already know there's not much point in listening to the rest of the interview.

[Tony H]

When the interviewers first question is "Gaffer can I take your reaction to this afternoon's defeat at Dartford, it's probably hard to take that the better team didn't win", you already know there's not much point in listening to the rest of the interview.

I thought the same! The interviewer must have been at another ground!

[Lars Resort]

Kentonline headline is Darts turn on the style. Yes, for the first time this season.
Both Chin and Alexander two best signings of the season, albeit on loan. Dowse finally woke up to what is idiots have been saying.
Chin by a country mile for me.


https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/s ... le-297550/

Brilliant Dartford moved in the National League South top-10 with a first-half demolition of Torquay at Princes Park on Saturday.

Boss Alan Dowson made two loan signings in the week - and both scored as the visitors were put to the sword.

Boosted by their new faces, the Darts had much more balance to their play and produced their best 45 minutes of the season so far.

They had four attempts at goal in the first seven minutes and all that was missing was a shot on target. Once they found their scoring boots, they didn’t look back.

George Alexander headed over, as did Joash Nembhard before Tyrell Miller-Rodney fired wide from a Luke Coulson lay-off, after promising play between the new front pair of Alexander and Harvey Bradbury.

The introduction of Alexander on loan from Bromley certainly gave the Darts a fresh dimension in attack, his willingness to run down the channels, come short when needed and still prove a nuisance as a target man proved the perfect foil for Bradbury.

It took Torquay 20 minutes to register their first meaningful attack, keeper Ryan Sandford making a decent save before the resulting corner had to be cleared at close range by the alert Darts defence.

The visitors had a great chance on 22 minutes as Theo Williams beat the offside trap but his lob went over both Sandford and the bar.

Dartford felt they should have had a penalty moments later when a low Miller-Rodney shot was blocked by a hand. But referee Emily Heaslip can’t give what she couldn’t see in a crowded penalty area and the end result was a Darts corner and a yellow card for Miller-Rodney’s protests.

That apart, it was a decent performance from the referee - a refreshing change to recent standards in this league - and she didn’t fall for any of Torquay’s gamesmanship tactics.

Nembhard was booked for a late challenge and Bradbury saw yellow after tangling with keeper Rhys Lovett.

Dartford missed a great chance to go ahead on the half-hour when Alexander slotted wide from a RIchard Chin cross.

But the breakthrough soon arrived in style from on-loan Charlton man Chin. He cut inside on his left foot and found the top corner with an unstoppable 20-yard drive to give his side a 31st-minute lead.

The hosts doubled their advantage on 40 minutes, Alexander’s touch from a right-wing centre was sublime to get away from his marker, the second was a devastating finish into the far corner.

Dartford were in dreamland a minute before the break when they went 3-0 ahead. Coulson’s free-kick found the Torquay defence playing musical statues and Moussa Diarra nipped in to volley home.

The visitors should have pulled a goal back in stoppage time but Williams inexplicably blazed over from six yards out when it seemed easier to score.

No wonder Torquay’s fans hurled abuse at manager Gary Johnson and the away following booed their team at the half-time whistle. But take nothing away from a stunning first half for Dartford.

Torquay made a double change at the break with Lewis Collins and Jack Stobbs introduced.

Alexander was sent clean through seven minutes into the second half but Lovett made a fine save to deny him as he tried to round the keeper on the edge of the area.

The visitors barely registered a meaningful attack after the break, one shot fizzed wide but the Darts were in cruise control.

The excellent Chin ran himself into the ground and was replaced by Brandon Barzey for the final 10 minutes.

Dartford: Sandford, Statham, Nembhard, Diarra, Oduadu (Altintop 86mins), Chin (Barzey 80mins), Wynter, Miller-Rodney, Coulson, Alexander, Bradbury (Allen 88mins). Subs not used: Wall, Woods.

Torquay: Lovett, Crowe (Collins 46mins), Hall, Ash, McGavin, De Silva (Stobbs 46mins), Williams (Archer 74mins), Dolan, Moxey, Tomlinson, Marshall. Subs not used: Halstead, Harris.

Referee: Emily Heaslip.

Attendance: 1,101.