New Isthmian Premier leaders Dartford hope to continue their remarkable unbeaten run when they host Hashtag United this weekend.
The Darts are now 18 games without defeat and have risen from thirteenth to the summit in that time. Manager of the Month for December and January, Adrian Pennock has guided his side to nine straight wins in the league and haven’t lost at Princes Park since mid-October.
Hashtag United have also climbed the standings since early November. The Essex club were second from bottom on Guy Fawkes night, now they are sixth after Tuesday’s draw at Bognor Regis Town. The Tags have won five of their last seven in the league to take them within nine points of the playoff places.
Dartford had the opportunity to move to the top of the table last Saturday and took it with a 3-1 win at Bowers and Pitsea. Results elsewhere helped the Darts climb from third to first and lead the division by a single goal with a game in hand.
After extending his loan until the end of season, Louis Dunne started for the injured Samir Carruthers (hamstring) in the only change to the side that impressively beat Billericay Town a week earlier. Carruthers was unable to complete a full half in the previous two games, so Pennock decided not to risk the influential midfielder on an artificial surface. Gabe Campbell also made a cameo appearance as a substitute in the final moments, his first appearance since late November after returning from a loan spell at Ashford United last week.
Dartford took an early lead on 12 minutes when central defender Luther Williams received a short throw in, put in a cross for Denzelle Olopade to nod home his sixth of the season in all competitions. The advantage was doubled with half hour played, Olly Box was composed enough to square the ball to Callum Jones, who netted his third goal in four games.
Late on, January’s goalkeeper of the Month, Jacob Marsden was denied a second clean sheet in a row. Former Dart, Alfie Evans scored twice in the reverse fixture and he netted again with seven minutes to go. But the potential comeback by the hosts was short lived when Jez Pinder made it 3-1 after coming off the bench. Yet again a substitute found his name on the scoresheet, the tenth this season and fifth in as many matches. In doing so, Pinder also scored Dartford’s 24th goal by an academy graduate in all competitions this term.
Marsden saved the day last time Dartford faced Hashtag United in an enthralling 3-3 draw. The reverse fixture in Essex went back and forth, but both sides had to settle for a point in the end. Sam Odaudu provided the Darts with a first-half lead. Then Pennock’s side had to show character after falling behind twice in a hectic final 25 minutes. The Tags equalised through Toby Aromolaran and went in front after Joshua Rusoke scored. Three minutes later Olopade drew Dartford level before Ayo Olukoga put the hosts 3-2 up in the 87th minute. In the final moments Box made it all square again and there was still time for last ditch heroics when Marsden made an incredible save onto the crossbar.
Looking ahead to the next two games, against Hashtag United and the game in hand versus Chichester City, assistant manager Roland Edge is expecting a tough challenge from both opposition. When speaking to Dartford FC TV, he said: “Hashtag are a decent side, we drew with them 3-3 at their place, Jacob (Marsden) made a fantastic save last kick of the game and Chichester was a tough game away as well. So we know what’s coming up. Now is about training hard in the week and to get ready for them to come to us”.
Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV
Searching for a fourth consecutive win at home, the Darts have scored four in their last two home outings. Dartford closed out January with a 4-0 victory against then league leaders Billericay Town. They also comfortably beat Whitehawk 4-1 at the start of last month. Dulwich Hamlet remain the only away side to take points off the Darts in the last seven matches at Princes Park.
Hashtag United’s slow start to the campaign is a thing of the past. The Tags have shown more consistency since the last time they played Dartford and have gained ground on the playoff places. Captained by former Dartford midfielder Max Cornhill, who played 66 times for Darts scoring nine goals, the Essex club have been one of the form sides in the division behind Dartford, Chichester City and Horsham.
On Tuesday night, Hashtag United showed plenty of character trailing late in the game against Bognor Regis Town. Harvey Rew gave the Rooks an early lead and with 15 minutes remaining Chad Field made it two. It looked as though the Tags were going to fall to defeat versus the side at the bottom, but Misha Djemaili halved the deficit with three minutes left on the clock. Then a couple of minutes later former Dart, Mert Apat equalised. The defender signed for Dartford in the summer and made five appearances before leaving Princes Park. Apat was also on the scoresheet for both sides in the 3-2 League Cup quarter final defeat to Chatham Town recently.
Last weekend, Thomas Anderson scored the only goal of the game to help Hashtag United take maximum points at home to Cheshunt, his 16th career goal in a Tags shirt. Whilst Josh Osude could be one to watch having picked up back-to-back Player of the Month awards for the club. Victory over the Ambers was their third consecutive home win in the league having previously beaten bottom side Bognor Regis Town and Dover Athletic, who were top of the standings at the time.
On the road, Hashtag United suffered their first defeat in seven when they lost 1-0 at Carshalton Athletic last month. Prior that loss they had impressive wins in Kent at Chatham Town and at title challengers Cray Valley Paper Mills, who they beat 5-1. By contrast they also drew with strugglers Whitehawk as well as Bowers and Pitsea in the two away games leading up to those triumphs.
| Dartford (WWWWWW) | Hashtag United (WWWLWD) | ||||
| Bowers and Pitsea | A | 3-1 | Bognor Regis Town | A | 2-2 |
| Billericay Town | H | 4-0 | Cheshunt | H | 1-0 |
| Wingate & Finchley | A | 2-1 | Carshalton Athletic | A | 0-1 |
| Whitehawk | H | 4-1 | Bognor Regis Town | H | 4-2 |
| Chatham Town | A | 2-0 | Dover Athletic | H | 2-1 |
| Canvey Island | A | 1-0 | Chatham Town | A | 1-0 |
Head to Head
Dartford wins: 0 / Hashtag United wins: 0 / Draws: 1
Previous Meetings
Hashtag United 3 – 3 Dartford (12/11/2024 – Isthmian Premier)
Statistics
- Dartford have won nine league games in a row for the first time since March/April 2018, when they won the final nine games of the season
- The Darts are 18 matches unbeaten, their best run since 2007/2008 when they went 21 matches without defeat.
- Dartford have won their last three home matches and are unbeaten in eight. Their longest unbeaten home run in the league for two years, when they went ten games without defeat between September 2022 to New Year’s Day 2023
On This Day
Max Cornhill was in the side that helped the Darts record a famous victory on this day 11 years ago. Dartford travelled to the Racecourse Ground to take on Wrexham in the National League. Now their worlds are miles apart making the triumph in 2014 even more special. Having lost the reverse fixture 5-1 in November, Dartford were also at the wrong end of the table needing points. Once again, the Darts could rely on their captain Elliot Bradbrook to come up with the goods. It was Andy Pugh who opened the scoring, but Joe Clarke levelled for the Welsh side. Bradbrook scored the winner on the stroke of half-time to secure a memorable away win.
