London & SE Regional League, 1st Division South
Manager: Dan Edwards, Coach Steve Sales
Team: Talisha Hickson, Annie White, Charlie Torry, Robyn Smitherman, Molly Smith, Amy Reader,
Georgia Culpitt, Emma Healy, Aimee Ascott, Lizzie Nugent, Hannah Cleary
Subs: (all played) Shannon Dunham, Ellie Hinkley, Elise Killick, Milly Penfold, Abi Potter-Scarborough
Against a team that, on the day, produced clinical finishing from their hat-trick hero Charlotte Lee it was a defensive slip-up that left Bromley striker Charlotte Lee beautifully placed in the centre of the penalty area to easily slot home Bromley’s first goal. That was in the 14th minute and although the final score was 3-1 to Bromley, Dartford did have some really good moments and opportunities to take this match to Bromley in a very competitive performance.
On 16 minutes a long-range free-kick from Hannah Cleary was just a little too close to the goalie, who made a good save by getting her full body behind the ball
On 18 minutes, within four minutes of Bromley’s opener, Darts had levelled the score after Emma Healy had sent a great ball down the left wing for Lizzie Nugent to run onto, beat her defender and then send a great cross into the 6-yard box. It was hit low and hard and arrived at the far post where Aimee Ascott finished off the move slotting it home.
Only three minutes after drawing level, a great run by Emma carried the ball into the Bromley half but just waited that split-second too long before releasing an excellent pass to Aimee, who unfortunately was just inches offside.
Then just minutes after that, Darts’ produced another good display of passing and understanding with each other. Playing comfortably across the back Charlie Torry fed the ball to Annie White, in turn to Robyn and on to Amy Reader. Amy delivered a lovely ball through to Lizzie Nugent and the ball had not yet reached the 18-yard box when the goalkeeper had committed herself and launched herself at the ball. She succeeded in shifting the ball’s flight away from Lizzie with a rather fortunate ricochet off of Lizzie’s body and a couple of bounces later took the ball into the penalty area where the goalie was able to smother and deny the Darts of gaining the lead.
Dartford were getting some great balls through and splitting the Bromley defence but the elusive second goal wouldn’t come for them, and so for the rest of the half Darts equalled Bromley and had efforts that, with a little more luck might have secured goals.
HT 1-1
However good Darts were in the first half, Bromley seemed to step up a gear in the second and the speedy and forceful running of their scorer, Charlotte Lee, proved to be Bromley’s ace card. At times she was the star on the pitch and Darts’ failed on a couple of occasions to keep her tied down and before Darts knew it she had completed a well-deserved hat-trick.
Darts were never really in the running of fighting back, as Bromley kept their ‘purple-patch’ going through the half and were well deserved winners by 3-1.
Darts’ players heads though never dropped and they put up a good fight to the end and there was certainly no shame in this defeat. Bromley, one would think, on this form would be up there with the front runners of this season’s campaign and Darts can gain some real positives from their first-half showing, and to some degree their show of resilience in the second half.
Report by Tony Brown
Photo by Alex (ABC Video)
Aimee Ascott scorer of Darts' goal