Dartford v Braintree Town Mon 2 May 2022

[Sleightly Deceptive]

As much as I don’t like to admit it I actually agree with what B&WArmy / Up The Darts or whatever he’s called has posted today.
I’m sorry but only a fool would make so many changes from Saturdays 0-6 winning team to what was put out today and I’m afraid Steve King you are that fool.
To make 6 changes from a team that has won by that score line is absolutely crazy, to put your 2 strikers from Saturday who scored 3 of the 6 goals both on the bench and replace at least one of them with an out of form Azeez is downright bloody stupid I’m afraid. It was mentioned a few times today that Marcus Dinanga had a slight thigh strain and if that’s the case then why was he on the bench, you either play him from the start if he’s fit enough for the bench or you don’t list him due to injury and have to bring somebody else in but purely due to injury. Marcus did make an impact when he came on but couldn’t do a great deal.
When 3rd place with one less game was in our hands we put in a gutless performance with hardly a shot on target again. The only 2 players to come out with any credit today is Tom Bonner and definitely the keeper Reice Charles-Cook who was my MOTM, had it not been for his saves the score would’ve been higher.
As somebody else mentioned we performed today like a team with absolutely nothing to play for, as though we didn’t really need the win as we wouldn’t get anywhere with it, we’ll we certainly got what we deserved today and that was fk all.
It just goes to show the difference between those teams that really want it and those that don’t when Ebbsfleet manage to claw it back from 1-0 down to win 1-2 away and for Dorking to come back from 3-0 down away to Dulwich win 3-4.
I honestly don’t hold out much hope for us in these play off’s and it hurts me to say it but we haven’t really been in form for a while now.

I can’t wait to hear Steve’s interview regarding this match, if he even does one.

Nothing wrong with negative posts from anyone particularly after that dross today but to do it immediately after a goal goes against us and while the game is still going on is not right

Absolutely right. But I was thinking similar long before that goal went in. Tony H will concur. I just stood there and laughed. And then went home! What a shit show.

[M1 South]

Bonner getting a fair share of the vote!! For what? Getting booked again?

So you don’t expect your centre back to get a few yellows during the season, for getting stuck in & doing his job??
Why don’t we just invite the other team over for a game of chess or something instead?

[Undercover Elephant]

We was very poor, I was positive after the way we played on Saturday and expected a couple of changes BUT we delivered nothing that was credible and was expect nothing in the play offs!

To P@@@ed off to say anything else, so angry we should be flying but for the last few months we have been very lame!

See you all Saturday for an improved performance (god help us)

[rambo]

Tbh we had no answer to the way Braintree played.
They just played for corners and throw ins. They won nearly every first ball snd almost all the second balls
We missed Kiaran massively and there should have been a place for greenidge somewhere in the this game
I am glad to be in the playoffs but can’t say I am looking forward to it

[Tony H]

Tbh we had no answer to the way Braintree played.
They just played for corners and throw ins. They won nearly every first ball snd almost all the second balls
We missed Kiaran massively and there should have been a place for greenidge somewhere in the this game
I am glad to be in the playoffs but can’t say I am looking forward to it

They were very predictable tbh and we completely got our game plan wrong - simples! I’m so pis**d off still I’m going to switch off. Telly and bed lol.

[Tall Dart]

On further reflection, if we can learn from where we went wrong today, we are still in the playoffs regardless. So if we can bring everything to the table in the playoffs then we have a chance (easier said than done lol).

I suspect we will learn that many players needed a rest today and if that means missing them today to have them back before the play offs then so be it. However it wasnt long ago when we looked at our bench and we had many more options than we do today.

Shame dan Robert's didnt get a run out, I would have liked to see him get a go...

still to play for lads.

coyds

[Taunton Dart]

Sorry to hear that this was a below par performance - but as a supporter viewing from afar I can only say that if we don't go up through the play-offs I will be quite happy as the nearest away game next season will be 2 miles away from me at Taunton Town. If we go up it will be a bit further at Yeovil. On the bright side, as far as I'm concerned, both will be closer than Bath City

[The 5th Searcher]

As much as I don’t like to admit it I actually agree with what B&WArmy / Up The Darts or whatever he’s called has posted today.
I’m sorry but only a fool would make so many changes from Saturdays 0-6 winning team to what was put out today and I’m afraid Steve King you are that fool.
To make 6 changes from a team that has won by that score line is absolutely crazy, to put your 2 strikers from Saturday who scored 3 of the 6 goals both on the bench and replace at least one of them with an out of form Azeez is downright bloody stupid I’m afraid. It was mentioned a few times today that Marcus Dinanga had a slight thigh strain and if that’s the case then why was he on the bench, you either play him from the start if he’s fit enough for the bench or you don’t list him due to injury and have to bring somebody else in but purely due to injury. Marcus did make an impact when he came on but couldn’t do a great deal.
When 3rd place with one less game was in our hands we put in a gutless performance with hardly a shot on target again. The only 2 players to come out with any credit today is Tom Bonner and definitely the keeper Reice Charles-Cook who was my MOTM, had it not been for his saves the score would’ve been higher.
As somebody else mentioned we performed today like a team with absolutely nothing to play for, as though we didn’t really need the win as we wouldn’t get anywhere with it, we’ll we certainly got what we deserved today and that was fk all.
It just goes to show the difference between those teams that really want it and those that don’t when Ebbsfleet manage to claw it back from 1-0 down to win 1-2 away and for Dorking to come back from 3-0 down away to Dulwich win 3-4.
I honestly don’t hold out much hope for us in these play off’s and it hurts me to say it but we haven’t really been in form for a while now.

I can’t wait to hear Steve’s interview regarding this match, if he even does one.

Nothing wrong with negative posts from anyone particularly after that dross today but to do it immediately after a goal goes against us and while the game is still going on is not right

Normally I don’t agree with his posts at all but today I do I’m afraid. I think it’s just a case that he could probably see the way most of us could is that we was never going to score today even if we’d played a further 90 minutes.

[Harry]

Sums up the season for me, an outstanding performance on the Saturday followed by an average performance on the Monday.
We may still sneak up via the play offs, in a one off game we can beat anyone but after today we have made it more difficult for ourselves.

[Babylon]

After 30 minutes today I came to the conclusion that the best result we could get was 0-0.
We simply weren't bothering Braintree"s defence. (apart from Bonner missing a sitter.)
It has all been said regarding all the changes but we have no choice but to get a result at Eastbourne so that we finish 4th and are at home in the play off quarter final.
Ironically it was Braintree who finished 7th about 3/4 years ago and then won all 3 play off games to win promotion.
and yes they beat us 1-0 in the final
SO IT IS ALL TO PLAY FOR
COYDssss

[The 5th Searcher]

Ozymandias - that’s an insult to Sunday League mate.

Cookie did play well, Captain Tom wore his heart on his sleeve as usual(got my MoM vote). Jack Jebb tried to make things happen. Unfortunately, too many journeymen in the team that likely won’t be with us next season!!

I too didn’t hang around at the end. Who won the season awards? Anyone? Bugger all on the Clubs socials as usual!!

Home Player
1st Dan Wilkes
2nd Tom Bonner
3rd Jack Jebb

Ernie Morgan Trophy (Away Player)
Exactly as above

Presidents Club Award (think that’s what it was called)
Kory Roberts

MOTM
Tom Bonner

[The Duke]

I started to do a detailed post but like most of the team today I couldnt be ar..ed , its all been said and IF Steve King thinks he is still the Messiah then he is mistaken , team selection today abysmal !!!!!!!!!

I will be at Eastbourne on Saturday hoping for an Ebbsfleet cock up to give us a home game in the Play Offs

[Ajaxman DFC]

Hard to believe a good man-manager like Alan Dowson is currently out of work.
Anyway, back to today's game and what an abysmal affair it was.
Anyone neutral would be forgiven for thinking this was a run of the mill, end of season game with both sides having nothing to play for.
Basically we've gone from beginning the current campaign looking like a side more than capable of holding it's own in the National League to a club better off where it is now, especially after today's Dog & Duck performance with one game to go, rather than going on to suffer being embarrassed week in week out in non-league football's top flight next season.
For starters, why on earth didn't the inform Marcus Dinanga start today? Far better to let him score his regulation one goal per game, bag the points and then rest him for Jake Robinson later on.

[M1 South]

Is Dowson the Geordie with the super thick accent who no one can understand & brings that twat commentator Parry with him wherever he goes??
Please no, we haven’t sunk that low yet have we??

[M1 South]

Why not give the job to Ozymandis, we won’t win Fcuk all but could get the Fair play award at the end of a relegation season!!

[Spike]

Whilst I'm not remotely interested in commenting on trolls who neither support the club nor attend games (Up The Darts) or naysayers that are so ill informed that they are still predicting things that have already happened weeks ago, still won't happen, the rest of the negativity on here is understandable.

We were absolute sh*te today it's true, but the score doesn't reflect the game at all. It should have been at least 0-4 to Braintree and would have been but for Charles-Cook's brilliant display that kept the score respectable. With the exception of Charles, Tom Bonner and to some extent Jack Jebb, we were pathetic and Braintree could have played Stevie Wonder in goal and still kept a clean sheet.

Steve King is undoubtedly a better football manager than I'll ever be, but this squad rotation policy just doesn't work for me, I just don't understand how it benefits us. We have some fantastic players but I do wonder if the lack of continuity is why the whole is so often significantly less than the sum of all the parts.and why performance levels are so erratic. After Saturday's 5 star victory, today's team selection didn't really make any sense to me, even though I tried to support the manager by offering justifications for it to the equally bemused fans around me. In truth my heart sank when I heard the team and I feared the worst. What followed was embarrassiing and I was so angry at the end of a game that for the first time in my 56 seasons, I left before the presentations. Absolutely devastated at how we just threw this opportunity away. I don't know about the team, but it's going to take a while to restore morale to the supporters.

[M1 South]

I just called to say I love you.
I just called to say how much I cared…..,,

[Silverado]

I wonder if SK reads this forum...? If not, perhaps someone should drop a word in his ear.
I know TB prohibited his players from reading it, but I'm sure he must have followed it at least a little himself.

[Sleightly Deceptive]

I said a while ago that I’d voted for Dan Wilks as player of the season. It seems that many agree. THAT says all that anyone needs to know about this current DFC set up. Please understand that I mean no disrespect to Dan, of course I don’t, I voted for him, BUT, there’s absolutely no way that a championship title / play-off contending team’s player of the season should be a goalkeeper. He should be ‘admired silently’ for his occasional interaction whilst those at the other end of the field go about their business, just as they did in the opening two months at PP and on the road. The fact that only Tom Bonner and Jack Jebb come close to Dan also speaks volumes for the complete madness of having nearly fifty players feature in a disjointed, disorganised shambles following early promise. Too many of those players do not have the Dartford FC mentality or deep-seated understanding of what it means to represent this club. This is Dartford FC people, NOT some also-ran, run-o’-the-mill, make up the numbers organisation like Braintree, Concord, Hemel or Chippenham. FFS, Kingy, get a team and stick with it for the next four (hopefully, three,) games!

[Ajaxman DFC]

Quote from Hakan Hayrettin, Maidstone manager after winning the title in his first full season in charge.

"I have stuck with the same squad, I have probably used the least number of players, and they have worked tirelessly for me."