Dartford v Folkestone Invicta Sat 5 Apr 2025

[Grassbank]

Well that was an entertaining game, in a pantomime way. When you watch a spectacle like that, you realise that most officials are actually quite good. The three today were sadly exceptions. Dartford players were fair game to be grabbed whenever they crossed the halfway line. The officials turned a blind eye. The Great British Diving Team should send a scout to Folkestone. There might be hope for number 2 yet. What an absolute embarrasment on a football pitch. No wonder so few made the journey inland today. Why bother if that is how your team play?

In the second half we raised our game and focussed on putting some passes together and keeping the ball nearer the grass. Folkestone could not handle it and stepped up the antics even further. Constant simulation and attempts to get Dartford players booked caused numerous delays and allowed the Folkestone players recovery time. They were flagging late in the game and they knew it. Sadly the ref assisted in allowing lengthy on pitch treatments. That only nine minutes were added should be questioned. It could easily have been twenty, such was the time wasting. Folkestone were a sad spectacle. Do they really hate football that much?

Against the constant provacation, Dartford tried to play football. They deserved to win and thought they had at the death. Was it offside?, hard to tell from behind the goal. If it was, it was one of very few correct decisions from the officials all afternoon.

Nothing has changed. Four wins from four will make Dartford champions. It is a tall ask, but this squad of players have shown that they will give everything to finish the season on top. We came back from two goals down today, Billericay did not. Billericay have to win four from four with no guarantee that it will give them anything other than home advantage in the playoff match or matches. We can concentrate on our match and not worry what is happening elsewhere. Billericay do not have that luxury.

Go and win the title lads. You deserve it.

[Grassbank]

Just remembered I forgot to mention the penalty. We need to wise up when playing a team intent on constant spoiling tactics. What did the Dartford players do when the penalty was awarded? They celebrated. Not one player went to defend the integrity of the penalty spot. The keeper immediately rushed out to scuff the penalty spot and the number five then started hacking at it. It might have made a difference. Thankfully, it was one part of their cheating that they did not gain from. Five was punished from up above a little later whilst trying to prevent a corner. I hope that he is fit in time to face Billericay in a fortnight and that the ref appointed to the game is as bad as the one assigned to the match today. Five will have his hands full, literally.

[Jonty]

This game felt like a win for me and let's face it Folkes$ton£ were completely out on their feet towards the end. Justice was served for their constant time wasting and rough house tactics. All it ended up doing was winding up the home supporters whom gave our team a massive lift and almost carried the team to victory. As for the away support, it was like one man and his dog...p!$$ poor. At least they were not in Amber I suppose.

[Bagdhad Billy]

Can’t really see why the last minute goal was disallowed TBH doesn’t look any different from any normal goal mouth scramble ! If off side must have been close although with the state of the officials today can’t imagine the Lino actually saw anything…

[Park Life]

Watching the video back i have to be honest and say it looks offside as the keeper is off the line and at best one player may be level with Dunne

[Disco Stu]

Well done to everyone holding their nerve and recovering from two goals down. Thought Bullas was excellent, liked Dsane’s confidence in taking on players, but mostly the character of the squad to stay calm. Especially with the way Folkestone were disrupting the game. Can’t recall seeing a team as bad as that in terms of housery!

Thought the ref tried to play a couple of good advantages early in the game and even praised him for it. Wish I’d kept my mouth shut because he missed a lot of what was going on inside the box at set pieces. As for his assistants, well they didn’t really assist did they.

Anyway, hate to say it, but where I was stood at the side and in line with the 6 yard box. Our almost winning goal did look offside. Still cheered like the rest of us mind you, but more in hope the officials missed it!

Could turn out to be an important point with Billericay losing. But don’t forget Horsham are definitely in the mix too.

Onto Whitehawk next weekend. For those going, I’m hoping to hear you loud and proud if there’s live commentary. We can do this!

[Mark Sweet]

Does anyone know why Olly was out

[Bagdhad Billy]

Does anyone know why Olly was out

Injured Mark

[Grassbank]

Have just watched the highlights back. How lucky were Folkestone? The keeper is nowhere with the final goal and a defender tries to handle the ball, but can't quite reach. I find it hard to believe the linesman called that as offside, bit missed so much more that happened during the second half.

[Lars Resort]

Like, he was interested in that Billy.

[Tony H]

An important point that I, like many, would have settled for at half time. So very disappointed that Folkestone saw fit to employ the sort of tactics that put them right up there with the likes of Hungerford back in the NLS (remember?) If only we could find a winner in those hectic last few minutes, but the points tally keeps building and that’s what we need to do and we’ll see where that puts us come 27th April.

[Lars Resort]

Probably one of the worst teams seen at PP for years. No wonder they have been sitting in this league with a mid table finish year on year if that's anything to go by.

[ozymandias]

What a lot of trot Folkestone dished out yesterday. They were already partaking in delay tactics and hitting the ground long before they went a goal up and then realising that actually if we attack we may score.
Having found that out they went on and scored again.
But their second half performance was one to be forgotten by all and sundry, including their supporters I would imagine. An absolute 54+ minutes of dross. Total dross.
Hoodwinking the Referee time and again, although I must admit, the Number 12's antic's trying to get a foul on one occasion was absolutely laughable and the ref saw it.
Still, a grand performance from the lads to get back to 2-2 and could have gone on to win it had the referee played the 15= minutes instead of the 9.

[Tony H]

…and a word from me on the referee and his team. Totally out of their depth imho. Hardly saw anything throughout except the absolutely obvious fouls. Credit where it’s due though, and as gutting g as it was, very brave of the Lino to flag our 99th minute goal offside in a very crowded six yard box with all sorts of shenanigans going on!!

[Tony H]

…and how poorly were Folkestone supported, for a Kent derby as well. Credit to those that turned up but given the very sparse numbers on show you’d have thought they’d have to travel beyond the moon to the game! Probably a reflection on how poorly their season has gone despite a huge wage bill on scumbags like Rance, Hoyte and Henley.

[ozymandias]

A trivial issue. When Sammy Okoye was substituted he was standing right in front of me. The disappointment in his face and probably in his voice (inaudible) said it all.
One of our quicker players he looked forlorn walking around the pitch.
My issue is, why after 36/40 games are the editors of the programme getting his name wrong ?

[tommytollbooth]

First half they did a good job on us, but second half we gave the cheating skanks a battering. I'm surprised Ade didn't send on our subs earlier the game was there to be won. Looking at the highlights the disallowed goal in a crowded box was close did the linesman simply guess. Thankfully Tom Bonner and his merry men did us a big favour, hopefully they won't take it back on Easter Monday. This League is gonna be close.

[Spike]

Yes it was a great comeback and an enthralling game, but only in the sense that it turned into a battle between good and evil. Folkestone were quite good in the first half and deserved their lead. What a shame they resorted to full scale sh*thousery for the entire second half. Diving, feigning injury, time-wasting, holding, pulling and every trick they could think of to prevent any chance of football occurring. Without doubt, the most horrible team I've seen this season. As for the ref, he completely lost control of the game and looked totally out of his depth. The shenanigans that were going on at our corners were farcical. For some reason, referees have some time ago unanimously decided to ignore defenders holding and pulling at corner kicks, it has become commonplace in every game, every week and I never got the memo explaining why this is now deemed okay. Neverthless, Folkestone took it to a level far beyond ridicuous and I'm sure that if the letter of the law was applied even partially, we would have got about a dozen penalties. Gavin Hoyte (No 2) was clearly desperate to get his hands on a Dartford shirt as he spent most of the game grabbing hold of the nearest one with both hands, but he was by no means the only one. In the end it was a good day for us and our situation has improved, but it's a shame that Folkestone's antics were rewarded with a point.

[BrianL]

Back from a family and friends visit down south, with an excuse to get to my second match of the season. Good to be there and see improvements to food hubs (although I don't go to eat), but difficult to say that I enjoyed the game. We must obviously have been playing better to justify our top position; seemed too bunched in midfield and too many hopeful long balls to Callum who was closely shackled by sometimes two defenders, with their spoiling holding tactics. Samir not at his best with passes and lost possessions.
As others have said, their defenders could see they would get away with their tactic to frustrate and annoy, where a stronger ref may have clamped down harder with the threat of more bookings and/or penalties. Too much futile complaining to the ref from both sides and stops for injuries, feigned or otherwise, so not a great watch overall.
First half frustration with so nearly a goal at the death, but a stirring second half comeback with another so nearly a winner in the last minute of not enough added time, left a feeling of what could have been, but uplifted by realising we had actually extended our lead at the top, so still all in our hands over the final four games.
Maybe down for the last match, hoping all will be settled as I'll be away during any play-offs. Keep going you Darts to the end!