Tag: Erith Town

Dartford are back in the Isthmian League Cup for the first time in 15 years on Tuesday night with a local derby against Erith Town.

The Darts make the nine-mile trip to Bayliss Avenue in Thamesmead on their quest to challenge for the Alan Turvey trophy. Adrian Pennock’s side will take on the Dockers, who were promoted via the playoffs last season and are now in the Isthmian South East. Having exited three cup competitions in the last month, the Darts are hoping to progress into the last sixteen.

It will be the first time these two sides have met in a competitive game. A decade ago, Dartford and Erith Town were five divisions apart. The Darts have dropped from the National League, whilst the Dockers have worked their way up a step from the Southern Counties East. Both sides have little experience in this competition with Dartford entering for only the fifth time and Erith Town making their debut.

In previous editions, the Darts have never gone beyond the fourth round. If their last fixture in the League Cup is anything to go by, then it should be entertaining under the floodlights at Bayliss Avenue. Dartford lost a nine-goal thriller in the third round at home to Aveley. Adam Burchell scored a brace in the 5-4 defeat that saw Danny Harris and Allan Tait also finding the back of the net. In the eleven ties the Darts have been involved in, there has been three or more goals scored in every game.

Pennock’s side return to action after a ten day break and will be desperate to end a run of seven games without a win. Last time out Dartford were blown away inside the opening 21 minutes against Wingate and Finchley. The Princes Park crowd were stunned when the visitors went 3-0 up with less than a quarter of the match gone. The Darts battled back with a goal from Oliver Box and another from Ade Yusuff, his first for the club.

A week earlier Dartford picked up a draw at home to Hendon which controversially saw two goals ruled out for offside and Jeremiah Pinder sent off. The club successfully appealed against Pinder’s dismissal, so the midfielder was able to play just over a week ago. Meanwhile, defender Mert Apat has left the club after making just four starts and a substitute appearance since joining in the summer.

Although Tuesday night will be the first time the Darts take on Erith Town, paths almost crossed in 1996. The year Dartford won promotion out of the Kent League, Woolwich Town transferred from the Spartan League in time for the following season. After one campaign the Dockers changed their name to Erith Town after moving to their new home, the Erith Stadium. Since then the club has never really settled in one place having shared grounds with numerous teams including Greenwich Borough, Thamesmead Town, Cray Valley Paper Mills and VCD Athletic.

The two times Kent Senior Trophy winners are now playing at their highest ever level after last season’s playoff success. The Dockers beat Glebe 2-1 in the semi-final before defeating Corinthian on penalties. This term Erith Town sit seventh in the Isthmian South East after Saturday’s win at home to Broadbridge Heath. An early Ollie Milton goal settled the game handing the Dockers all three points.

During October, Adam Woodward’s side have alternated between results, winning, drawing and losing two each. Erith Town were beaten at Eastbourne Town to begin the month, picked up a point against Merstham and won at home versus Deal Town. Another away draw followed with Sevenoaks Town before defeat at Ben Greenhalgh’s Margate, but that disappointment was put behind them on the weekend.

In Erith Town’s debut match in the League Cup, they beat Sittingbourne in round two coming from behind to win 4-1. The Brickies led at half-time by a goal from debutant Antony Martin. The Dockers overcame their youthful opponents in the second-half with goals from Hayden Bullas, Thomas Ash, James Dyer and Rahman Kareem. Sittingbourne’s Harvey Earle also saved a penalty to keep the score down for the visitors.

Current Form (all competitions)

Statistics

• In normal time, Dartford have won 5, drawn 2 and lost 4 in the Isthmian League Cup
• The Darts have won two out of five away ties in normal time and progressed once in a penalty shoot out on the road in the Isthmian League Cup
• Dartford have progressed in this competition each time they have played a Kent side (W3, D2)

On This Day

Elliot Bradbrook was the hero in the North West Kent F.A Cup derby 13 years ago. The midfielder’s match winning penalty against Ebbsfleet United sent Dartford’s rivals out in the fourth qualifying round replay. In the previous three cup games on this day, prior beating Fleet, the Darts went out against Bromley in the F.A Cup (2011), Crawley Town in the Southern League Cup (1996) and Deal Town in the F.A Vase (1996). Leading up to that losing streak Dartford had only lost one in eight cup matches on 29 October. The Darts qualified for the F.A Cup first round with wins over Tooting and Mitcham United (1983), Slough Town (1988) and Dagenham and Redbridge (1989). In 1970, Dartford lifted the Kent Senior Shield securing victory with a 2-2 second leg draw against Bexley United, winning 4-3 on aggregate.