Dover Athletic v Dartford Sat 7 Sep 2024

[Park Life]

We started the first half well, had a great chance to take the lead very early on and also played some decent football at times.
Second half again in open play we weren't too bad and at the very least were as good as them.
They didn't really create many decent clear cut chances against us in open play but with the errors we made it didn't matter, anyone just seeing the score though will probably find this hard to believe.

IMO all but the second goal were individual errors on our part, some are saying this was down to a misplaced pass as well but from my view i thought we should have had a free kick when they won possession from us in the centre and broke, it looked a clear foul from behind to me.

Our general play overall wasn't too bad and certainly not the worst we've played this season, however there were some negatives for me. At times i didn't think we protected the ball well enough and lost possession too easily and played a few too many misplaced passes. We do work really hard to get it back though but need to control games for longer periods to put more pressure on our opponents.

You could see the lads were really disappointed at the end and it was so frustrating as we have defended well as a team in recent games and the back five have looked organised and solid. Hopefully the lads can put this behind them as a bad day at the office and get back to winning ways next Saturday, it may not be a bad thing for it to be an FA Cup game either.

Today was a really disappointing result but we've had a good start to the season and are doing better than i expected at this stage, I still believe though two or three tweaks to the squad would really help our cause.

[Dicky Dart]

We played well in parts. Had chances although I think we had a lot of huff and puff without anyone to stick it in the net. If we’d deservedly gone 1 up then it might’ve been a different game. Then again there was the usual frailty that could cost us in the long run. Certainly we can’t keep giving the oppo lots of chances. Kerbey had an absolute nightmare, but won’t be that bad again. It’s not doom and gloom but we obviously need to avoid a repeat. Need to bounce back. Shame it’s not a league game next week. Leatherhead beware.

[Dart Mark]

Might need to check the goalkeepers betting activity

[Lars Resort]

At times Matt also flapped at corners and we found desperate defending at the back post keeping the score down. I don't think any of them could play like that again, even Matt.
This is why I voted for Okoye, funnily enough despite the scoreline he was playing very well and also got up and down the pitch.
It'll be a long time before we play like that again.
The goalkeeping situation is down to Ade. Matt, up to yesterday has been solid and he will be the first to hold his hand up to that nightmare.
Votes are in for Pinder who in my opinion is getting better with each game. Yes, even after yesterday and his goal was unstoppable .

[Top Cat]

I thought our goalie had a nightmare ? but two people still thought him worthy of MOTM must be those French infiltrators

[Sleightly Deceptive]

I thought our goalie had a nightmare ? but two people still thought him worthy of MOTM must be those French infiltrators

I think they’re more of a ‘statement' than a genuine vote on performance. Let’s face it - he was ‘man of the match’ but for the wrong reasons. He’s mostly all we’re talking about.

[Park Life]

[The Duke]

Glad I didnt go yesterday but full marks to the 400{?} Darts fans who did , great that the Forum has NOT slagged the lads of after a 5-1 defeat but we can ALL see they are a developing team and will have " bad days at the office " and its now how we recover for the Leatherhead game , last seasons bunch of " couldnt give a f... , wouldnt have " but I reckon the current lads will !!!!!!!

Feel for the Keeper as he has played pretty well for us but probably best now for our No1 to return and say thanks to our loanee !!!!!!!!!!

Very good sensible honest interview from Ade

UP THE DARTS

[Taunton Dart]

Everyone can have a bad game - the terrible is when it's your goalie then it is obvious to all and usually has a big bearing on the result. The goalie is the most exposed position in the team

[Park Life]

Matt has played well this season and no doubt the reason his loan has been extended for two months.

[Tony H]

Come on guys, Matt will know he had a ‘mare yesterday. He’s been superb for us so far this season. Let’s get off his back shall we?

[Tony H]

Now, talking of backs - how uncomfortable were the seats on that “coach” yesterday? My back’s in pieces today after that journey

[Sleightly Deceptive]

Now, talking of backs - how uncomfortable were the seats on that “coach” yesterday? My back’s in pieces today after that journey

I drove to Dover but I saw that ‘coach’ outside the ground. Didn’t it say on it somewhere, “executive luxury travel’ or something like it? I had a quick peek inside and saw nothing different to the style and design of your average London Transport double decker BUS. i.e. designed to shift lots of people relatively short distances! £25 for that? No thanks.

[Lars Resort]

It was a vehicle from Baylis a firm based in Folkestone I believe. It wasn't ours it was to bring all the police officers to the ground.
Were they expecting trouble?
Ade said it all. We gave them 4 possibly all 5 goals yesterday.
Their manager was banging on about how good they were? Really?
In the NLP they gave Nikaj motm. That's about right, he was a danger last season at their place. A very good player IMO.
But yesterday was a disaster as far as I'm concerned.

[rick]

I drove to Dover but I saw that ‘coach’ outside the ground. Didn’t it say on it somewhere, “executive luxury travel’ or something like it? I had a quick peek inside and saw nothing different to the style and design of your average London Transport double decker BUS. i.e. designed to shift lots of people relatively short distances! £25 for that? No thanks.

This one? https://photodiva.zenfolio.com/p495504167/h3d4e5583

[ozymandias]

I stayed down at the Dover end for the second half i was too comfortable. The free kick was a no brainer, the wall wasn't exactly big and the guy who took it obviously was a dab hand. If Matt had covered his near post the lad would have scored at the far post and vice versa. As it happened it was near post and the lad made it look easy, which it was.
Jeremiah's goal was the best of the day and when it went in I clapped and gave a shout. The Dover guy next to me asked if it was a comeback, 'yeah right' I said.
The police force was obviously needed as I saw Bobby Os giving them grief at half time.
I think a lesson hopefully learnt yesterday.

[ozymandias]

73 plate with 50's interior.

[Park Life]

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/s ... re-312555/

Pennock: We didn't have that hunger and desire

Dartford manager Ady Pennock reacts to 5-1 Isthmian Premier defeat at Dover Athletic

Dartford boss Ady Pennock felt his team gave away goals at crucial times in their derby defeat at Dover.

The Darts manager saw his side concede five goals at Crabble, having let in only three goals during their first five league games.

The result dropped Dartford down to fifth spot in Isthmian Premier with Dover climbing up to second.

“We gave them four goals, arguably five goals and we could have scored eight,” claimed Pennock.

“We’re going to have days like this. We have to lick our wounds and learn from it and move on.

“I didn’t like us today, I didn’t like us turning up, I’ll be honest with you. We gave them goals at crucial times. We could have been one-nil up in the first couple of minutes but we just weren’t on it.

“I think every time you play a football match you should have that hunger and desire and I don’t think we had that.

“It’s unusual for me to say that as we’ve had it since the start of pre-season.”

Pennock was left questioning why the desire was missing from his side.

He added: “We just didn’t turn up. I’m disappointed in our desire but it’s the first time I’ve seen us not have that desire.

“We’ve got to learn from it, we’ve got a big game this week (FA Cup v Leatherhead) and we have to bounce back as soon as possible.”

Keeper Matt Kerbey twice fumbled the ball in the first half to lead to Dover goals before leaving a huge gap at his near post for the home side’s fourth goal from a free-kick.

“Everybody makes mistakes and he’s put his hand up but for me I think there should be a team-mate there to help him out,” added Pennock.

“In other games he’s been very good for us and made some good saves in important times. He’s a young man who is learning.

“If anybody makes a mistake on the pitch, goalkeeper or centre-forward, you’ve got to have your mate next to you help you out and that’s what we didn’t have.”

Pennock felt the finishing at either end highlighted the difference in the game.

“Goals change games, we had a tap-in at the far post with Eddie Dsane in the first two minutes that we missed and it summed us up really, we just weren’t there,” said the Dartford boss.

“We could have scored eight goals but I don’t think you’re going to win a game 8-5. We caused them problems but we didn’t have that clinical finish, that desire to get on the end of balls dropping in the six-yard box.

“Their keeper missed a couple and if it was on the other shoe Dover would have tapped it in, and we didn’t, and I think that summed us up really.”

[Sleightly Deceptive]

I drove to Dover but I saw that ‘coach’ outside the ground. Didn’t it say on it somewhere, “executive luxury travel’ or something like it? I had a quick peek inside and saw nothing different to the style and design of your average London Transport double decker BUS. i.e. designed to shift lots of people relatively short distances! £25 for that? No thanks.

This one? https://photodiva.zenfolio.com/p495504167/h3d4e5583

Yep. That’s the one. Nowt to do with the old bill in attendance and nowt to do with executive travel either. I think DFCSA have been misled there.

[Watling Man]

As a regular user of the coach, I for one am grateful to the DFCSA, a group of volunteers, for their efforts in helping to make sure people can get to away games - I don’t drive !

Speaking to people yesterday, the coach company was changed for this season as they were cheaper. The new company (Bayliss) had a shortage of normal fleet for yesterday due to a prior commitment, hence the bus provided for yesterday - which to be fair, wasn’t that bad and got us to the game.

Unfortunately the costs of coach travel, like most things in today’s world, have significantly increased in recent years. I understand that there were 30 people on the coach yesterday which just about covered the cost. Surely if more people supported the coach travel then it would help reduce the cost, and may actually attract more people attending games !