Play off Final - Dartford v Dover Athletic Mon 5 May 2025

[Harry]

Disappointed but we can be stronger next year, a great season with many of players coming from the academy.

Overall it's a positive season, brilliant to see the ground full once again, club is definitely on the up, although it may not feel like it now.

Hopefully we can have a positive start next season, however Ade and his coaching team have given us real hope for the next couple of seasons.

[Grassbank]

Very disappointing end to a season when we came so close to being champions. We huffed and puffed a lot today, but had very little to show for it. I am not sure that either keeper had to make a particularly good save. Not sure how their player had such a free header for the second goal. I don't think he could believe his luck. This was a poor spectacle for any neutrals that chose to tune in.

I am still not a fan of the play-off idea. It appears to be a money-making scam for the league. Billericay finished second and deserved to be promoted together with champions Horsham. Dover came a distant fifth, yet it is they that will be in a far better league next year. Why did clubs agree to turn a league competition into a mini knock-out cup for the nearly runs? Cups are knockout competitions and leagues do not need to be.

Hope that we can find a fifteen goal plus striker next year and that we can keep the nucleus of the current squad.

Thanks to our captain Josh for his efforts. Sorry that you could not finish on a high.

[Number Six]

Disappointed but we can be stronger next year, a great season with many of players coming from the academy.

Overall it's a positive season, brilliant to see the ground full once again, club is definitely on the up, although it may not feel like it now.

Hopefully we can have a positive start next season, however Ade and his coaching team have given us real hope for the next couple of seasons.

Agreed ! not sure we’ll be able to keep Hayden & Louis as I suppose they’ll return to their parent clubs. I shouted to Josh at the end about giving us another season and he did give a thumbs up so maybe he’ll reconsider his retirement fingers crossed

[Tall Dart]

Very disappointed that we didn't win today, Box was kept out of the game by the no.5. We never really got anything going today, we looked tired and lacking the energy levels required to overcome le dovre defence.

We had a big task this season and we just missed out, the team must be devastated after coming so close.

I only played a bit part this year, but I have been impressed with the clubs reconnection with the fans, and the improvements made on match days. We should be proud of what we have at Dartford.

Up the darts

[Eagle88]

Very disappointing end to a season when we came so close to being champions. We huffed and puffed a lot today, but had very little to show for it. I am not sure that either keeper had to make a particularly good save. Not sure how their player had such a free header for the second goal. I don't think he could believe his luck. This was a poor spectacle for any neutrals that chose to tune in.

I am still not a fan of the play-off idea. It appears to be a money-making scam for the league. Billericay finished second and deserved to be promoted together with champions Horsham. Dover came a distant fifth, yet it is they that will be in a far better league next year. Why did clubs agree to turn a league competition into a mini knock-out cup for the nearly runs? Cups are knockout competitions and leagues do not need to be.

Hope that we can find a fifteen goal plus striker next year and that we can keep the nucleus of the current squad.

Thanks to our captain Josh for his efforts. Sorry that you could not finish on a high.

I totally agree I have never been a fan of the play off system.

[Sleightly Deceptive]

I hate the play offs too. It’s a massive scam at all levels. At our level, top two MUST go up. Scrap this nonsense. But they won’t. ££££££££

[Lars Resort]

You can't go 80+ minutes before you get your first effort on goal. Very disappointed

[DartfordHero]

Disappointed seems to be the feeling on here today and rightfully so. I think we were lucky for George to only get a yellow card for his challenge early on so it could be even more of a hard watch today. One shot on target just isn’t going to cut it. Certainly hope some players will stay on for the campaign next year. As someone else said, we will need an out and out striker to hopefully work alongside someone like Callum and make all the effort he gives week in week out worth it

[Paulcanary]

Gutted ……

[Babylon]

The play offs are here to stay,unfortunately.
As for the game , we were dissapointing, we huffed and puffed but didn't really trouble the Dover keeper too much.
Dover had a game plan which unfortunately from our point of view worked for them.

Our lads have done well this campaign but imho we need 3/4 additions to the squad so that hopefully we can win the league next year and not have to get involved with this play off lark.

[MickW]

Well that's taken the shine off my Bank Holiday weekend.
Samir tried hard but it was obvious that he wasn't fit enough to be on it - I think that the rest of the team did OK without being exceptional and Dover were really quite poor. If we had to lose it would have been more acceptable to a couple of well taken goals instead of a penalty and a scramble.
Denzelle just gets my MOM vote.
We are so much better when we keep the ball on the floor but how we could do with a big strong no 9 for Ollie and Callum to play off.
Most players would be welcome to stay in my book though we have to accept that Bullas and Dunne together with Josh won't be there. Hopefully Ade has spotted likely new additions and will start the rebuild tomorrow.
A good crowd today and it would be excellent if even half those irregular attendees would be at home games next season - some hope I suspect.
Finally a word on the board.- they said that they would listen and they proved that they did by improving the Dartford 'experience'. It may not be perfect but it's been a vast improvement this season.
Looking forward to seeing you all next season.

COYD

[Tony H]

What will be will be. Just come up short at the end of it but great season. Thank you all - let’s make 2025-26 one to remember.

[danson7park]

Obviously very disappointed, thought it was a very Flat performance from both Teams whether that was nerves, both attacks were would say powder puff very little flare on show. A neutral watching would be amazed thinking these 2 Teams are actually playing to win promotion, no sour grapes Dover probably shaded it winning 1 nil and by a penalty but 2 nil a little flattering. I do wish that we would play with old fashioned wingers that caused havoc, Ryno where are you ?, we just don't attack in numbers.

[Lars Resort]

Yes Tony, a great season. Ade gave us a great shout.
5/6 players for next season. Starting with Denzelle

[ozymandias]

After two years of negative football Ade gave me a reason to go watch the Darts again.

[88 Dart]

I think we edged the 1st half but once dover scored there really was only going to be one winner .
Why do we seem to constantly play long balls instead of playing it on the deck , I'd imagine it comes predictable to the opposition which makes it easier for them to play against us.

[Park Life]

I'm a big fan of the play offs because i remember all too well the last third of the season became a total non event for over half the teams with nothing to play for, it was a total bore fest.
However I'd put 2nd place straight into the final at home, third straight into the semi at home to 4th and the winner away to 2nd and that would be it.

As for today, i thought we edged the first half but without really troubling them too much.
Second half again not really many chances form either side but they capitalised on the few they had.
It was a cagey game and i don't think there was anything to choose between the sides, but we were at home in the final and needed to do more.

MOTM will mean nothing to the players who must be as disappointed as we are, so no vote from me today.

I expected us to make the play offs this season but all credit to Ady, his management team and the players who have given it a real go and gave us a title challenge right up until the last game, better than i expected for this season. Well done

However, going forward i want to see more from the people running the club to give Ady the best chance of promotion, as imo every season we spend in this division is below the level our club should be.

[Spike]

I hate football

[Ken Shabby]

Followed this on the commentary so no idea how it transpired, but it sounded as if Dover came with a game plan which worked perfectly for them. They seemed to have our atracking threat closed down and taken their goal and promotion.
Gutted, but you have to say the team and manager turned this around. I'd have bitten your arm off for a play off place in October.
But we're stuck here for next season. Let's hope we build on the foundations.

And that's exactly why the club is where it is at

Relegated after fighting playoffs to the National Prem for years and people are happy with Isthmian playoffs, knowing what will happen with our playoffs record.


We were awful all over the pitch. 2nd best to everything and Dover deserved the win.

That's exactly why the club is where it is?
Really?
Because I said we turned the season around and hugely improved since October? Did that not happen? Do you think the players took their feet off the accelerator because it was okay just to be here.

As you've chosen to criticise, I'll reply. You idiotic reply suggests a self entitled 8 year old who expects to win every game and whines when it doesn't happen. Did you think Dover would roll over for us? Or Cray VPM? We rebuilt the squad with a new manager this year and finished third. As Grassbank said, if two went up, Billericay finished second.so they should have gone up, but Dover played two away matches, won both and go up on merit.
That's how football works, and no team wins every time.
If you don't like it, you'll probably enjoy playing FIFA25 on the play station. If you set the level to easy, you can win all the games and be happy. If you'd rather complain about how bad everything is, go tell the directors you want more wins. I'm sure they'll welcome your well thought out whining.

[Paulcanary]

What will be will be. Just come up short at the end of it but great season. Thank you all - let’s make 2025-26 one to remember.

Sadly I don’t feel the same … we should never have relegated last season and to fail to come straight back up is ……….being honest …..is very poor. We are Dartford FC remember I may feel better tomorrow but now I feel sick. Totally sick