Tag: Isthmian Premier (Page 1 of 10)

Dartford v Wingate and Finchley

October 8, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford hope to get back to winning ways against Wingate and Finchley at Princes Park this weekend.

After an excellent run of seven wins in a row, the Darts came crashing down to earth with a shock F.A Cup exit and a Kent derby loss. Tuesday night’s reverse has seen Ben Greenhalgh’s side slip to third in the Isthmian Premier.

Wingate and Finchley will be pleased to get back to league action after almost a month in cup competitions. The Blues bowed out of the F.A Cup in midweek, but will now be focusing on climbing the standings.

Ex-Darts Hit Back

It was a night for former Dartford players and one in particular on Tuesday evening. Callum Jones came back to haunt his former club with the match winning goal that condemned the Darts to a third league defeat this season.

Greenhalgh made three changes to the side that suffered the F.A Cup shock against Tadley Calleva. Emmanuel Oke was back after nursing an injury, Tyler Ibe and Ikechukwu Orji also returned to the lineup. Featuring on the bench was new dual registration signing Vladimir Paternoster from National South side Braintree Town. The 20-year-old defender moved to the Essex club from Luton Town under 21’s.

The evening started well for the Darts, Oke cleverly flicked in the opener after just five minutes. By half time the Rams were in front, the first coming whilst Dan Smith was off the pitch having treatment to an injury. Ramsgate took advantage of having an extra player and Billy Munday equalised. A minute before the break Jones came back to haunt his former side with an acrobatic finish.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Home Blues

Dartford have lost two of the last three matches against Wingate and Finchley including the previous two at Princes Park. The Blues were the first visiting side to beat the Darts last season. An injury time strike ended Dartford’s 11 game unbeaten league run at the time.

A tight first half saw the score level at the break, but the deadlock was finally broken by the hosts on 69 minutes. Wingate and Finchley failed to clear a free kick and when Jacob Bland anticipated Eddie Dsane’s scuffed shot he tapped home his first for the club.

The visitors levelled when Caoilan McGettigan squared for an unmarked Logic Hernandez who slotted the ball through Jonny Henley’s legs. Wingate and Finchley grabbed a winner through Romeo Akinola’s curling shot from just outside the box in second half stoppage time.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

In March, Wingate and Finchley completed a double over the Darts. First half goals from Mackye Townsend-West and Camilo Restrepo and an early third in the second half by Ryan Lowe left Dartford with too much to do. Dan Smith scored a consolation in the 3-1 loss.

Turning Point

During the 2024/2025 season, a second half fightback became one of the turning points in Dartford’s campaign. The Darts found themselves three down at home after just 21 minutes. Andronicos Georgiou scored a brace and Ben Frempah added a third. In the second half Olly Box and Ade Yussuf pulled goals back for the hosts. After that game Dartford went on a club equalling 21 match unbeaten run in the league. Frempah went on to play for the Darts last season making 11 appearances before rejoining Wingate and Finchley.

Cup Distractions

It’s been almost a month since Wingate and Finchley played a league fixture. That was an entertaining 4-3 away victory against Aveley. Both Scott Kashket and David Oupoh scored a brace. The Blues let a 3-1 lead slip before Oupah netted an injury time winner.

Since then Ahmet Rifat’s side have played six matches across three cup competitions. In the F.A Cup second qualifying round they knocked out National South side Hemel Hempstead Town in a replay, drawing 1-1 in Hertfordshire before winning 2-1 at home.

Two clean sheets followed on the road at Real Bedford in the F.A Trophy third qualifying round, then at Cockfosters in the London Senior Cup. The Blues progressed in each competition beating Real Bedford 3-0 and Cockfosters 1-0.

Giantkilling Denied

On the weekend, the Blues came close to causing their own cup upset against National North side Bedford Town. Anointed Chukwu gave Wingate and Finchley the lead twice, but two George Moncur penalties made sure the tie would go to a replay.

Bedford Town took a two goal lead on Tuesday night. First, Louie Kudiabor put the Eagles in front, then Moncur netted again a minute before the interval. Two minutes into first half stoppage time Ashley Nzala halved the deficit. Kudiabor added another ten minutes into the second half to end Wingate and Finchley’s F.A Cup progress.

Tough Schedule

In league action Wingate and Finchley have already come up against their fair share of in-form teams. After an opening day draw against Cray Wanderers they were beaten by Carshalton Athletic. They have also been defeated by both Enfield Town and Welling United. The Blues have also been involved in some high scoring games, winning 3-2 at Chatham Town and in their last league fixture they won 4-3 at Aveley.

Manager’s View

In recent games Tadley Calleva and now Ramsgate have benefitted from set pieces. Ben Greenhalgh acknowledges his side need to be more physical in those situations, he told Dartford FC TV: “You saw on Saturday, at the moment we’re probably not physical enough dealing with set pieces” and that’s been answered”. After falling behind before half time, the Darts found the second half frustrating and Greenhalgh was unhappy with the performance, he added: “I am disappointed and I have given a bit of criticism in the bravery from everyone. People have to step up in their moments and show a bit more quality”.

Greenhalgh is expecting plenty of hard work in training ahead of this weekend’s match and is determined to get the Darts back on track, he commented: “We will be there to bounce back. We need to show desire. I don’t want the fans coming to a game at home and not seeing that extra bit of effort that gets us over the line”, he continued: “It’s back-to-back losses, we’ve had that before this season and had a brilliant bounce back. So we need to put ourselves in a similar position”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

Dartford are still without defenders Ben Swift and Joe Tennent, who continue their recovery from long term injury. Vladimir Paternoster awaits his debut after signing on dual registration.

Current League Form

DARTFORD (LWWWWL)			WINGATE & FINCHLEY (DWWLLW)
Ramsgate	H	1-2	Aveley	A	4-3
Whitehawk	H	2-1	Welling United	A	1-4
Enfield Town	A	2-0	Enfield Town	H	1-4
Carshalton Athletic	A	3-0	Chatham Town	A	3-2
Chatham Town	H	1-0	Dulwich Hamlet	H	1-0
Burgess Hill Town	A	1-2	AFC Whyteleafe	A	2-2

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 4 / Wingate and Finchley wins: 5 / Draws: 2

Previous Meetings

Wingate and Finchley 3 – 1 Dartford (07/03/2026 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 1 – 2 Wingate and Finchley (08/11/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Wingate and Finchley 1 – 2 Dartford (18/01/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 2 – 2 Wingate and Finchley (19/10/2024 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 1 – 0 Wingate and Finchley (26/04/2008 – Isthmian Division One North)
Wingate and Finchley 0 – 2 Dartford (03/11/2007 – Isthmian Division One North)

Statistics

Dartford have lost three of the last four against Wingate and Finchley (W1)
The Darts have lost their last two home games against the Blues, their only two home losses versus the North London side
Both teams have scored in 9 of the 11 meetings. Dartford are the only team to have kept a clean sheet in this fixture, both games in the 2007/2008 Isthmian North title winning season.

On This Day

Dartford last won on this day in the pre Princes Park era. Almost a month before the Darts’ homecoming they beat Tonbridge Angels 3-1 in the Isthmian League Cup second round. Since then, Dartford were knocked out of the F.A Cup against Chelmsford City in 2009 after a 4-1 home defeat. During Covid, the Darts drew 0-0 away at Hampton and Richmond six years ago.

In 1891, Dartford hit double figures in a friendly against Stone with a 10-2 victory, The Darts have scored ten or more in 11 matches, eight of them before 1906. Only twice have they scored ten or more after World War Two (11-1 v Faversham Town in 1966 and 10-0 v Crawley Town in 1975).

Dartford v Ramsgate

October 5, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford aim to finish the evening back on top when they welcome Ramsgate to Princes Park on Tuesday night.

The Darts were in F.A Cup action on the weekend and suffered an upset, bringing their outstanding run of seven straight wins to a crashing halt. At the same time they slipped off the summit in the league due to results elsewhere. However, Ben Greenhalgh’s side will be desperate to return to winning ways and claim a fifth consecutive victory in the Isthmian Premier.

Ramsgate manager Adrian Pennock returns to Princes Park with a number of former Darts looking to avenge the Kent Senior Cup defeat a fortnight ago. The Rams are outside the playoff places after a defeat on the weekend.

They Think It’s Call-eva

For the fourth time in eight years Dartford bowed out of the F.A Cup to lower league opposition on Saturday. The Darts visited Tadley Calleva in the third qualifying round and despite leading through an early George Whitefield goal, the hosts came from behind with a late winner.

Greenhalgh made four changes to the side that beat Whitehawk with Adrian Gyamera, former Ramsgate loanee Jordan Higgs, Lorenzo Duncan and Jez Pinder returning to the starting eleven.

Whitefield scored his first of the season heading the Darts in front from a Greenhalgh cross after four minutes. In the second half, Ryan Sandford saved Kieran Rodgers’ penalty. Tadley Calleva equalised with 15 minutes left, Charlie Barlow levelling. The Romans caused a shock in the 88th minute with Brad Passfield netting the decider.

Defence v Attack

Although disappointing to have fallen to defeat on Saturday, Dartford have been in great form. After consecutive losses leading up to the Bank Holiday, the Darts have shown before that they can bounce back. Greenhalgh’s side went on their seven match winning streak across four separate competitions.

Four of those wins have been in the league with the Darts overcoming Chatham Town, Carshalton Athletic, Enfield Town and Whitehawk. In those fixtures only the Hawks have managed to breach Dartford’s defence, the joint best backline in the league.

However, the defence will be tested against Ramsgate, the division’s second highest scorers. Former Dartford striker Callum Jones has scored six of those goals and sits joint top in the league’s goalscoring charts.

Future Darts Shine

Dartford have successfully kept Ramsgate out already this season beating them 2-0 in the Kent Senior Cup. Both teams made plenty of changes with the Darts displaying a youthful side. Greenhalgh handed six debuts to academy players during the 2-0 win. Lorenzo Duncan netted the opener and his maiden Dartford goal. Wrapping up the win, Louis Atkins celebrated his first senior start with a first senior goal for the club.

Narrow Kent Derby Win

Pennock was in the Dartford dugout in the last league meetings between the two sides. The former Darts boss claimed a home win when Denzelle Olopade scored the only goal of the game. Also lining up for Dartford that day was Jonny Henly, Callum Jones and Dave Winfield. The trio followed a Pennock to Ramsgate over the summer. A further three have also represented the Darts in the past, Jacob Bland, Rowan Liburd and Tom Clifford.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Eight Goal Thriller

The reverse fixture on the Kent coast was a more dramatic affair. Nine man Dartford earned an entertaining 4-4 draw helped by an Eddie Dsane hat-trick. The Darts came back from 3-1 down at half time, then after falling behind again they needed a stoppage time strike from Dsane to take a point. The Rams also ended the game one player short due to a red card.

Ram Raided

Ramsgate were in league action on Saturday and lost 3-2 to Carshalton Athletic. The Robins led twice in the first half yet still went in at the break all square. Nathan Young-Coombes put the Surrey side ahead only for Alfie Paxman to equalise. Carshalton Athletic went in front again through Tope Fadahunsi, but this time Cameron James pegged the visitors back. Finally, the Robins edged into the lead once more and this time they made it stick after Hani Hechachena scored five minutes from time.

Ady’s Familiar Woes

Pennock’s poor cup and away record last season with Dartford has seemed to have resurfaced on the Kent coast at Ramsgate. Winless in their previous four outings, the Rams have already exited the F.A Cup, the Kent Senior Cup and F.A Trophy.

The former Darts boss may have gone one better in the F.A Cup by beating Bracknell Town, the side he lost to a year earlier at Dartford, but Ramsgate were beaten in the next round against National South side Tonbridge Angels. In the F.A Trophy his side lost to Leatherhead on penalties.

Away from Southwood Stadium, the Rams won their first road trip of the season against newly promoted Stanway Rovers. Since then, they are winless in six attempts in all competitions.

Manager’s View

A disappointed Ben Greenhalgh spoke to Dartford FC TV after Saturday’s cup upset, he said: “The second half was inexcusable. We didn’t show enough energy, we didn’t win enough second balls and we didn’t battle enough. We got beaten up”.

By contrast the first half was better for the Darts, but missed opportunities cost the side especially after a poor performance in the second half, the player manager added: “I said at half time, I was happy with where we were at because we needed to be patient and we were creating loads of chances. I believed if we had continued in that manner we’d have won the game, but looking back now we have got to score those chances”.

Greenhalgh does not want to see a repeat of what happened after the interval, he continued: “We’ve been on a brilliant run, so I’m not going to question too many things, but that can’t be seen again”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

Emmanuel Oke was a late withdrawal on Saturday and will need to be assessed to see if he can take part on Tuesday. Ben Swift and Joe Tennent remain out injured.

Current League Form

DARTFORD (LLWWWW)			RAMSGATE (WLWDWL)
Whitehawk	H	2-1	Carshalton Athletic	H	2-3
Enfield Town	A	2-0	Maldon & Tiptree	H	2-0
Carshalton Athletic	A	3-0	Burgess Hill Town	A	2-2
Chatham Town	H	1-0	AFC Whyteleafe	H	5-1
Burgess Hill Town	A	1-2	Welling United	A	0-1
Welling United	H	0-3	St Albans City	H	4-0

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 23 / Ramsgate wins: 15 / Draws: 9

Previous Meetings

Dartford 2 – 0 Ramsgate (22/09/2026 – Kent Senior Cup)
Dartford 1 – 0 Ramsgate (03/03/2026 – Isthmian Premier)
Ramsgate 4 – 4 Dartford (25/08/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Ramsgate 0 – 3 Dartford (05/04/2011 – Kent Senior Cup)
Ramsgate 2 – 2 Dartford (10/11/2009 – Isthmian League Cup)*
Dartford 4 – 0 Ramsgate (18/04/2009 – Isthmian Premier)

Statistics

Dartford are unbeaten in their last seven matches against Ramsgate (W5, D2)
The Darts are unbeaten in eight at home against the Rams (W6, D2)
Dartford have won the last four home games against Ramsgate without conceding (an aggregate score of 10-0)
Dan Smith could make his 50th Dartford appearance. The striker has scored 16 goals in 39 starts and ten substitute appearances.

On This Day

Dartford’s first ever fixture took place on this day in 1888 at Brent Recreation Ground, a 3-1 friendly defeat at home to Erith. Alf Mace made history as Dartford’s first ever goalscorer.

The latest ever opening league game took place on this day six years ago. Covid delayed the start of the 2020/2021 season and when the campaign finally got underway, the Darts beat Chelmsford City at Princes Park. Lockdown prevented any supporters from attending the 1-0 win, Kyjuon Marsh-Brown scoring the only goal of the game.

In 2012, the Darts claimed a memorable victory over Grimsby Town in the National League. Dartford went up to Blundell Park and came home with all three points thanks to goals from Tom Champion and Adam Birchall.

Dartford v Whitehawk

September 28, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford can go top of the Isthmian Premier when they host Whitehawk to close out September.

Unbeaten in eight games in all competitions and on a run of six consecutive wins, the Darts will reach pole position with just a point at Princes Park. The league has taken a backseat over the last fortnight with Ben Greenhalgh leading Dartford through to the next round in three cup competitions.

The Hawks have struggled since late February and their poor form spilled into this season. However, Jay Lovett will be hoping some green shoots are starting to emerge after consecutive victories ended a winless run of 21 matches.

Victory Road to Wembley

Dartford’s cup exploits will be interrupted on Tuesday night after making it through in the F.A Cup, Kent Senior Cup and more recently the F.A Trophy. The Darts eased into the third qualifying round of the trophy on the weekend with a 3-0 win at Southern Premier Central side Leiston.

Greenhalgh made nine changes to the side that beat Ramsgate 2-0 in the Kent Senior Cup a week ago. George Whitefield and Lorenzo Duncan remained in the starting eleven, Duncan the only difference from the 4-2 F.A Cup win over Hayes and Yeading United. Sam Odaudu made his 150th appearance for the club.

Duncan scored against Ramsgate and in his first league start he set up Max Fiddes to open the scoring. Dan Smith was unselfish in the build up to the second, the striker made it easy for player manager Greenhalgh to net his third in his last four games. On Jez Pinder’s 100th appearance for the Darts, the midfielder assisted Fiddes for his second of the afternoon and fourth goal in his previous two matches.

Seven Heaven

Dartford have won seven in a row against Whitehawk and the last four at Princes Park. Last season, Olly Box returned from suspension, grabbed a brace and set up the third in a 3-0 victory. The forward fired a shot in the top corner before curling another beyond the Whitehawk keeper. Box then set up Callum Jones to add further gloss to the scoreline.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Double Delights

The return fixture completed a third consecutive double over the Hawks. Once again Box scored twice, but this time in a 2-1 triumph. In the previous season, Josh Hill scored the goal of the season in the 4-1 victory at Princes Park and three months later it was Box once more who found the net in a 1-0 win. In the 2017/2018 National South campaign the Darts won 4-0 at the Enclosed Ground and 3-1 at Princes Park.

Returning to League Action

Since the Bank Holiday, the Darts have also been in good league form. Greenhalgh will be hoping they can extend their winning run in the Isthmian Premier to four matches.

In the previous three league outings Dartford have beaten full timers Chatham Town 1-0 in the last minute, defeated an in form Carshalton Athletic 3-0 and took all three points against leaders Enfield Town. In each of those games Dan Smith has netted from the penalty spot and Ryan Sandford has kept a clean sheet.

Hawks Fall

Seven months ago Whitehawk were in tenth place and four points shy of the playoffs. The Hawks had just enjoyed a derby day win over Lewes and things were looking up under Shaun Saunders. Little did the Sussex side know that was to be their last win until a fortnight ago.

Saunders stepped down in the summer and former Burgess Hill Town joint boss, Jay Lovett arrived at the Enclosed Ground. The new Whitehawk manager had to wait for his ninth game to claim a win, then two came along at once.

Ryan On Song

The Hawks will arrive at Princes Park having beaten two of the newly promoted sides, Three Bridges in the league and AFC Whyteleafe in the F.A Trophy. The star man in those games has been Kamarni Ryan. The forward scored all four against AFC Whyteleafe on Saturday and a brace in the 3-2 win over Three Bridges two weeks ago.

An away win at Princes Park coupled with a draw between AFC Whyteleafe and Brentwood Town on Wednesday night will see the Hawks climb out of the bottom four.

Manager’s View

After a long journey and an interrupted warm up the Darts knocked Leiston out of the F.A Trophy, Ben Greenhalgh was delighted with the outcome, he spoke to Dartford FC TV and said: “It was an absolute superb performance all round. We could have scored more at the end, we could have got loads of goals”.

Dartford now turn their focus back to the league and Greenhalgh wants to end the month on another high, he commented: “We’ve played six games in September with different teams every time. We’ve barely been able to get the same eleven that often. We’ve got four clean sheets in six games and won five out of six. It’s been incredible so far and we’ve got one more job to do on Tuesday to finish off a brilliant September”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

A few players were struggling with minor injuries before the weekend. However, Emmanuel Oke, Adrian Gyamera, Ikechukwu Orji and Tyler Ibe were all able to feature in the F.A Trophy. Jordan Higgs came off at half-time with a dead leg, but Greenhalgh confirmed it is nothing major and the midfielder will need assessing for Tuesday. Ben Swift and Joe Tennent remain out with longer term injuries.

Current League Form

DARTFORD (WLLWWW)			WHITEHAWK (LLLDLW)
Enfield Town	A	2-0	Three Bridges	H	3-2
Carshalton Athletic	A	3-0	Maldon & Tiptree	A	2-3
Chatham Town	H	1-0	Burgess Hill Town	H	1-1
Burgess Hill Town	A	1-2	Enfield Town	A	1-5
Welling United	H	0-3	Chatham Town	H	0-3
Maldon & Tiptree	A	2-1	Aveley	A	2-3

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 9 / Whitehawk wins: 3 / Draws: 0

Previous Meetings

Whitehawk 1 – 2 Dartford (25/11/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 3 – 0 Whitehawk (14/10/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Whitehawk 0 – 1 Dartford (12/04/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 4 – 1 Whitehawk (04/01/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 3 – 1 Whitehawk (27/01/2018 – National South)
Whitehawk 0 – 4 Dartford (05/09/2017 – National South)

Statistics

Dartford have won their last seven games against Whitehawk and have completed a double in the last three campaigns, in which the two sides have been in the same division
The Darts have won their last four home games against the Hawks
Dartford have kept six clean sheets in their last eight games in all competitions.

On This Day

Ben Greenhalgh set up Lee Noble for the opening goal against Weston-super-Mare in 2018. Noble headed in at the far post, but the visitors levelled through Gethyn Hill. The Darts ran out 2-1 winners after Jamie Philpot netted the decisive goal.

Dartford have lost just one of their last ten on this day. A pair of 2-2 F.A Cup draws took place in 2001 and 2007. The Darts drew with Croydon Athletic 25 years ago and with Camberley Town six years later, Brendon Cass and John Guest both scoring. On each occasion Dartford went on to win the replay.

Enfield Town v Dartford

September 14, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford take on Isthmian Premier league leaders Enfield Town under the lights on Tuesday night.

The Darts are four games unbeaten in all competitions and moved up to fourth on the weekend. Ben Greenhalgh’s team have the opportunity to go level on points with Enfield Town by claiming victory at the Dave Bryant Stadium, the first meeting between the two sides in 18 years.

Billy Holland’s side have had a great start to life back in the division. Relegated from the National South last term, the Towners are looking to bounce straight back and are currently on target in these early stages of the season. Enfield Town have won their last six matches in all competitions and are scoring for fun.

Victory on the Road

Dartford secured their biggest away win under Ben Greenhalgh and the player manager was one of the scorers. The Darts put in an excellent performance to defeat Carshalton Athletic 3-0 in Surrey and join their opponents on 15 points.

Jez Pinder scored his second goal in three league games with a good finish. The midfielder curled in the opener as the midway point of the first half approached. Greenhalgh doubled the lead with a brilliant free kick four minutes before the break. Dan Smith was one of three changes to the lineup and his penalty added another.

Darts Defence

Since the double defeat to Welling United and Burgess Hill Town, the Darts have tightened up at the back. Ryan Sandford kept his first clean sheet on the road since returning to the club on the weekend. His defence also kept out Chatham Town and Westfield over the last four outings. In fact, the last open play goal conceded was in the late defeat at Burgess Hill Town five games ago.

Long Time No See

Dartford have won without conceding in their only two visits to Enfield Town. The Towners were formed as the first fully fan-owned football club in 2001 and four years later the Darts crossed paths with them for the first time. In the 2005/2006 Southern League Division One East, Dartford beat Enfield Town 1-0 early in the campaign. The reverse fixture also ended 1-0 to the away side with the Towners taking maximum points.

The last meetings came during Dartford’s Isthmian Division One North title winning season. Current assistant manager, Adam Flanagan scored twice in a 6-1 victory at Princes Park. The remaining goals came from Jay May, Ryan Hayes, Eddie McClements and Brendon Cass.

Flanagan was also on target in the return match with two of his defensive partners. John Guest opened the scoring and Jamie Coyle added a third in a 3-0 triumph.

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Highlights courtesy of sonytino

Top Towners

Enfield Town will provide a tougher test this time. Under new manager Billy Holland they top the standings with by far the best goal difference in the division. The former Waltham Abbey boss was praised for producing an attacking side whilst at the Essex club, a trait he’s been able to continue with the Towners. Already Enfield Town have scored 23 goals in seven league matches. Even though their only clean sheet came in the 4-0 win on the opening day over Lewes, the Towners feel they can always outscore their opponents. Only St Albans City have got the better of Holland’s side, otherwise it has all been victories this season.

Creative Spark

Some of the attacking quality arrived in the summer when the new Enfield Town boss brought along some of the players he’d worked with at Waltham Abbey, former Dartford loanee Amrit Bansal-McNulty is just one example. The Darts saw glimpses of his creativity in 2020 when he made six appearances scoring twice. The midfielder is topping Enfield Town’s assist chart and already has four goals to his name this term, including the winner on Saturday.

At one stage it looked as though Enfield Town would lose their winning streak when they were 2-1 down at home to Cray Wanderers. However, a Sam Youngs penalty and a Bansal-McNulty winner turned the score around. That was the sixth match in a row in which the Towners netted three goals or more. Enfield Town knocked out Essex Senior side Frenford 4-0 in the F.A Cup the week before, put four past Wingate and Finchley and hit Whitehawk for five. They also put three past Brentwood Town and Ramsgate, a great run of form after the defeat to St Albans City on matchday two.

Manager’s View

Going two goals up in the first half on the weekend gave Dartford a platform to take all three points. Ben Greenhalgh spoke to Dartford FC TV after the game and explained he wanted his team to keep up the high standards to produce an all round performance, he commented: “I said at half time that we didn’t want to drop off and we didn’t drop off. That was by far our best performance. We stepped it up again, we pressed well, we won the ball back a lot. I thought defensively we’ve got three academy players and I thought they were unbelievable”.

Enfield Town should provide a tough task and Greenhalgh is expecting nothing less, he said: “We’ve already done a little bit of research and what I’ve heard is they might be one of the best teams in the division at the moment. Clearly they are because they are top of the league, but from the way they are playing, they are a good outfit”.

Yet their opponents current position in the division doesn’t concern the player manager, he added: “We don’t fear anyone in this league. Every game we go into we want to win. Two away games of football with two teams that were both top of the league, I think you would have taken any points, but we look to win these games” of football “, he continued: “It’s going to have to be an organised performance because of the way they move the ball”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

Captain, Ben Swift is out longer than hoped and may not feature for a month or two. Vice-Captain, Joe Tennent is a long term injury after suffering facial fractures last month. Ikechukwu Orji and Brandon Davey may be back available.

Current League Form

DARTFORD (WWLLWW)			ENFIELD TOWN (LWWWWW)
Carshalton Athletic	A	3-0	Cray Wanderers	H	3-2
Chatham Town	H	1-0	Wingate & Finchley	A	4-1
Burgess Hill Town	A	1-2	Whitehawk	H	5-1
Welling United	H	0-3	Brentwood Town	A	3-1
Maldon & Tiptree	A	2-1	Ramsgate	H	3-2
Brentwood Town	H	1-0	St Albans City	H	1-2

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 3 / Enfield Town wins: 1 / Draws: 0

Previous Meetings

Enfield Town 0 – 3 Dartford (15/03/2008 – Isthmian Division One North)
Dartford 6 – 1 Enfield Town (01/12/2007 – Isthmian Division One North)
Dartford 0 – 1 Enfield Town (04/03/2006 – Southern League Division One East)
Enfield Town 0 – 1 Dartford (23/08/2005 – Southern League Division One East)

Statistics

Dartford have won three of the four meetings against Enfield Town (L1)
The Darts have a perfect record against Enfield Town on the road (W2)
Another clean sheet will make it three in a row in all competitions for the first time since March 2025

On This Day

Dartford’s last win on this day came 14 years ago when they shocked Hereford United 4-0 in the National League. In a memorable first season back in non-league’s top division, the Darts finished as the highest part-time team in the country. On 13 September, Ryan Hayes, James Rogers, Danny Harris and Jon Wallis all scored at Princes Park to sweep the Bulls aside.

Carshalton Athletic v Dartford

September 10, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford return to Isthmian Premier action this weekend with a road trip to second place Carshalton Athletic.

The Darts can go level on points with the Robins with a win at Colston Avenue, which would cap off a good fortnight for Ben Greenhalgh’s side. After a Bank Holiday Monday derby day victory, Dartford also progressed to the next round of the F.A Cup.

Carshalton Athletic stayed in this division with a final day win back in April. Under Steve Bates, the Surrey side have been quick out of the blocks, winning five consecutive league games to become one of the early pacesetters. However, the Robins have failed to win their last three fixtures in league and cup.

Dan-cing in the Cup

Although Dartford required a replay to knock out Isthmian South Central side Westfield, they managed to reach the second qualifying round of the F.A Cup last time out. Greenhalgh made four changes to the team that drew in Woking last weekend. Emmanuel Oke returned from suspension, Gianluca Botti replaced Dan Smith up front, whilst Jordan Higgs and Jez Pinder were also named in the starting eleven.

Any nerves around Princes Park settled in the opening 15 minutes when Greenhalgh’s cross was met by Max Fiddes. The striker moved on to four goals for the season to put the hosts in front. In the second half, Dan Smith was introduced and with his first touch added a second of the evening. With cup progression almost secured, Greenhalgh brought on Sonny Smith for his senior debut.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Aiming High

If results go their way this weekend, the Darts could join a number of teams on 15 points at the summit. With an upcoming fixture against league leaders Enfield Town on the horizon there is opportunity to make an early statement. Ryan Sandford kept his second clean sheet in three games on Tuesday night and his defence will need to be on high alert against the top two.

Quickfire Treble

Just over a year ago, the Darts netted three goals in 12 second half minutes to beat Carshalton Athletic 4-1 at home. The result avenged the last day of the season reverse by the same score four months earlier.

The Robins led via a Tommy Bradford penalty, but the hosts were level before the break through Olly Box. A first goal for the club from Dan Smith turned the game around and gloss was added by Pinder and another for Box.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Drama at Both Ends

The two sides had to wait until April for the return fixture, just when both clubs had something riding on the result. A 2-2 draw dented Dartford’s playoff hopes whilst boosting the Robins’ survival ambitions.

Again, Dartford fell behind and changed the narrative with two quick goals. Robert Huke scored for Carshalton Athletic, but the Darts hit back when Sam Odaudu and Rohan Vaughan netted within six minutes of each other. In injury time, the hosts found a leveller through Fabio Saraiva.

Robins Flying

Carshalton Athletic won their opening five games scoring twice in each outing. The Surrey side have yet to take on a team in the upper half of the table in the early stages of the season.

A pair of 2-0 victories kickstarted their campaign against newcomers AFC Whyteleafe and then Wingate and Finchley. Former Dartford midfielder Jack Jebb scored the second in the season opener, one of two he has scored this term. Jebb played for the Darts between 2019 and 2022 and scored nine times in 67 appearances.

Cray Wanderers became the first side to breach Carshalton Athletic’s defence. Even though the Wands put one past Ben Dudzinski, they still lost 2-1. The goalkeeper is another to have represented Dartford making 13 appearances in the 2022/2023 campaign keeping five clean sheets. Stanway Rovers and Brentwood Town were the next victims, leaving Steve Bates and company sitting pretty at the top of the division.

Surprise Defeat and Cup KO

On Bank Holiday Monday, Three Bridges picked up their first win in the Isthmian Premier by inflicting a first defeat on Carshalton Athletic. In a game that saw both sides reduced to ten men, Renedi Masampu getting sent off for the Robins, Bates’ side fell to a 3-2 defeat.

After finding themselves two down, Carshalton Athletic pulled a goal back when Tope Fadahunsi scored. Three Bridges restored the two goal cushion before a late Nathan Young-Coombes consolation.

Last weekend, Young-Coombes found the net again in the F.A Cup at Chertsey Town. However, the Robins were unable to hang onto the lead with the tie needing a replay. Chertsey Town proved too much for Carshalton Athletic winning 2-1 at the second attempt.

Manager’s View

Ben Greenhalgh was relieved the Darts progressed in the cup after the club falling short in recent years. The player manager felt his side should have been more ruthless in front of goal, he spoke to Dartford FC TV after the replay win and said: “First half we created a lot of chances, we got in behind them, we used our width well and should have scored more”. In the end the result was important, something he stressed to the players, he added: “All that mattered and what we said before the game was, in the F.A Cup get through”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

Greenhalgh confirmed the squad has struggled with illness this last week. Although Emmanuel Oke and Dan Smith were two of the players that have suffered, they took to the field on Tuesday night to play a part in the victory. Ben Swift will need assessing, but Greenhalgh is hoping the defender will be available and back in action in one of the next two league games.

Ikechukwu Orji was left out of the squad in mid-week, possibly another suffering with illness. Joe Tennent remains out for the long term and there has been no further updates on Hugo Taylor and Luke Exal.

Current League Form

DARTFORD (WWWWLLW)			CARSHALTON ATHLETIC (WWWWWL)
Chatham Town	H	1-0	Three Bridges	A	2-3
Burgess Hill Town	A	1-2	Brentwood Town	H	2-0
Welling United	H	0-3	Stanway Rovers	A	2-1
Maldon & Tiptree	A	2-1	Cray Wanderers	H	2-1
Brentwood Town	H	1-0	Wingate & Finchley	H	2-0
Three Bridges	A	3-2	AFC Whyteleafe	A	2-0

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 5 / Carshalton Athletic wins: 2 / Draws: 4

Previous Meetings

Carshalton Athletic 2 – 2 Dartford (04/04/2026 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 4 – 1 Carshalton Athletic (23/08/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 1 – 4 Carshalton Athletic (26/04/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Carshalton Athletic 0 – 1 Dartford (24/08/2024 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 1 – 1 Carshalton Athletic (23/01/2010 – Isthmian Premier)
Carshalton Athletic 0 – 4 Dartford (19/09/2009 – Isthmian Premier)

Statistics

Dartford have lost just one of their last seven against Carshalton Athletic (W4, D2)
Last season, the Darts became the first home side to win this fixture in the tenth meeting between the two sides (Total – Home wins 1, Draws 4, Away wins 6)
Dartford are unbeaten in all six away games versus Carshalton Athletic (W4, D2)
After failing to score in the first ever meeting against the Robins in 1991, the Darts have scored in each of the last ten matches in this fixture.

On This Day

Dartford have rattled in ten goals in their last two outings on this day. Nine years ago, Ryan Hayes made his 400th start in a 4-2 win over Eastbourne Borough. Alex Brown, Alfie Pavey, Elliot Bradbrook and Tom Murphy all found the back of the net.

Eight years earlier, Dartford brushed aside Chipstead in the F.A Cup first qualifying round. The Darts ran out 6-2 winners with goals from Hayes, Lee Burns, Billy Burgess, Adam Gross, James White and Rob Haworth.

The Darts have won six of their last eight on 12 September and even the draw resulted in a penalty shoot out win over Folkestone Invicta. The Isthmian League Cup tie in 2006 finished 1-1 with Dartford winning 5-3 on penalties.

Dartford v Chatham Town

August 30, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford conclude the Bank Holiday weekend with a local derby against Chatham Town at Princes Park.

The Darts will want to put their previous two games behind them when they host the Chats. Ben Greenhalgh’s team lost in the Kent derby to Welling United and fell to a late defeat at Burgess Hill Town. Monday’s match gives the side an opportunity to bounce back and aim for a fifth win in a row against Chatham Town.

Kevin Hake and company have aspirations of reaching the National South for the first time and will be keen to take home maximum points. Chatham Town also lost on the weekend, which ended their three game winning streak.

Play Up Popey

Dartford suffered their first away defeat since March down in Sussex on Friday night. A red card and last minute winner proved costly as Burgess Hill Town came out on top.

Last season at the same venue the Hillians won 2-1 and they repeated the score thanks to Ben Pope. The forward was sent off against the Darts in the corresponding fixture last term, this time he grabbed a brace.

Pope hit a superb shot past Ryan Sandford to put the hosts in front, but his strike was cancelled out when Jez Pinder equalised with the final kick of the half. Emmanuel Oke, who started for the injured Joe Tennent, was dismissed in the second half for a second yellow card handing an advantage to the Hillians. In the 89th minute Pope made the extra man count. The forward finished Shamir Fenelon’s cut back to condemn the Darts to consecutive defeats for the first time since December 2025.

Kent Derby Setback

Prior the Bank Holiday weekend both Dartford and Chatham Town picked up three wins from four. The Darts opened their campaign positively winning by single goal margins against Three Bridges, Brentwood Town and Maldon and Tiptree. Set pieces were key in those games as well as the defensive displays to hold on to the victories.

At Three Bridges, the Darts came from two down to win 3-2. The home game versus Brentwood Town saw the visitors have the majority of possession, but an early goal was enough for Greenhalgh’s side. Then in Essex, Dartford had to dig deep at 2-1 up to claim all three points.

However, prior the Burgess Hill Town match on Friday night, momentum was halted just over a week ago with a 3-0 loss at home to Welling United in Dartford’s first Kent derby of the season.

Smith at the Double

Last time the Darts hosted Chatham Town, Dan Smith opened the scoring at Princes Park with a confident finish seven minutes in to the game. A superb solo effort from Box gave the Darts a two goal cushion just before the break.

The Chats got back into the derby through Jordy Robins, but the two goal margin was restored after Smith fired home to complete his brace. There was still time for former Dart, Ben Allen to grab a consolation. However the hosts ran out 3-2 winners.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Darts Strike Early

Joe Tennent scored after just three minutes in the reverse fixture last season. The defender headed home from a corner to give the visitors a foothold in the game. The lead was doubled five minutes later when George Whitefield expertly swept a shot into the net from a Callum Jones cross. Chatham Town halved the deficit in the second half through Sam Sene-Richardson, but a strong Dartford defensive display kept the hosts at bay.

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Highlights courtesy of Chatham Town Football Club

Bank Holiday Comeback

Dartford also did the double over Chatham Town in the previous season winning on Bank Holiday August, then on New Year’s Day. In the first meeting at Princes Park, the Darts left it late to claim a 3-1 triumph.

The hosts had to come from behind when Jamie Vila scored for the visitors. In the second-half Sam Odaudu hit a 25 yard drive to level the score. With six minutes to go Jones fired a shot off the underside of the crossbar to put the Darts ahead. The deal was sealed in stoppage time when Eddie Dsane was fouled in the Chatham Town box. The striker took his chance from the spot to secure three points.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

The return fixture on New Year’s Day saw Dartford win 2-0 thanks to an own goal and a Eddie Dsane strike. The breakthrough came just past the hour when Whitefield’s cross was deflected goalwards and into the Chatham Town net. Dsane entered the game later on and added a second from a tight angle.

Loss at Wingate

Chatham Town were beaten in their first Bank Holiday weekend fixture losing 3-2 at home to Wingate and Finchley. The Chats stay ahead of the Darts on goal difference, two places further up the standings in sixth place.

The Chats fell behind as early as the third minute when Ashley Nzala scored. Wingate and Finchley extended their lead through Billy Cracknell. The hosts needed a good start in the second half and they got it when Jack Lyons halved the deficit. However, the Blues restored the two goal cushion just three minutes later through Anointed Chukwu. Chatham Town’s Ollie Evans made it 3-2, but his side were unable to find an equaliser.

Born to be Wild

Prior the Bank Holiday weekend, Chatham Town had nine points on the board. Ahead of Saturday’s clash with Wingate and Finchley, the Chats were on a three game winning streak. Responding to the opening day 3-1 loss at St Albans City, Kevin Hake’s side scored three in each of their victories.

New summer signing Jimmy Wild will be one to watch having arrived from Chichester City. The striker missed a lot of last season through injury and managed seven goals in 20 appearances. In the two campaigns before last he scored 45 times in 62 games for the Sussex club winning the 2024/2025 Isthmian Premier golden boot . He is already on three this term including a brace in a 3-0 win at Whitehawk. Prior Chatham Town’s win in Sussex they beat Three Bridges and Dulwich Hamlet, both 3-1 at home.

Former Players

Ikechukwu Orji started out at Chatham Town before joining Gillingham in 2023. The defender returned on loan to the Chats to gain more experience. Meanwhile, Ben Allen has mainly been used as a substitute with Chatham Town this term, a role he was familiar with at the Darts. During his time at Princes Park, Allen never made a start but featured ten times as a substitute at the start of 2024/2025 season. Allen was amongst the goalscorers in Chatham Town’s 3-1 win over Three Bridges just over a fortnight ago.

Manager’s View

Ben Greenhalgh was disappointed to suffer a second defeat in a row, but feels his side is due some good fortune. In the previous two outings Tennent was left with a serious injury in which the opponent only received a yellow card. Then on Friday night Oke was given a second yellow card even though Greenhalgh felt the foul should have gone Dartford’s way.

The player manager felt frustrated after his team lost in the last minute despite the hard work the players put in, he spoke to Dartford FC TV and said: “I feel sorry for the boys because we’d started the second half really well. It was us on top”, he continued: “All that hard work in the end was for nothing and it’s disappointing because we came with a game plan”.

That game plan was hindered when Dan Smith was substituted before the break. Greenhalgh revealed the striker wasn’t in perfect condition, but ‘wanted to give it a go’ and some of the squad have been suffering with norovirus.

Greenhalgh acknowledged the importance of Monday’s Kent derby, he explained: “We now need to make sure we get a good reaction against Chatham. If we go and get three points at home, our target in August was to get 12 points”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

Dan Smith has been feeling unwell, but managed some game time on Friday. Emmanuel Oke will be available, but is facing a suspension next weekend.. Joe Tennent is out after suffering facial fractures. Hugo Taylor remains an injury, whilst Luke Exal, Jordan Higgs and Gianluca Botti are all working their way up to full fitness.

Current League Form

DARTFORD (WWWLL)			CHATHAM TOWN (LWWWL)
Burgess Hill Town	A	1-2	Wingate & Finchley	H	2-3
Welling United	H	0-3	Whitehawk	A	3-0
Maldon & Tiptree	A	2-1	Three Bridges	H	3-1
Brentwood Town	H	1-0	Dulwich Hamlet	H	3-1
Three Bridges	A	3-2	St Albans City	A	1-3

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 34 / Chatham Town wins: 40 / Draws: 11

Previous Meetings

Dartford 3 – 2 Chatham Town (06/04/2026 – Isthmian Premier)
Chatham Town 1 – 2 Dartford (27/12/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Chatham Town 0 – 2 Dartford (01/01/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 3 – 1 Chatham Town (26/08/2024 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 1 – 3 Chatham Town (09/04/2007 – Isthmian Division One South)
Chatham Town 2 – 3 Dartford (26/12/2006 – Isthmian Division One South)

Statistics

Dartford have won six of the last seven league meetings against Chatham Town (L1) and are on a winning streak of four against their Kent rivals
The Darts have won three of their last four in the league at home versus the Chats (L1)
Dartford have scored in each of the last seven games against Chatham Town, but have only kept one clean sheet in that time

On This Day

Dartford have struggled in the cup in recent years, but they breezed past Marlow in the F.A Cup first qualifying round two years ago. Ben Allen scored his only two goals for the club that day, Olly Box bagged a brace, Eddie Dsane opened the scoring and Callum Jones netted the last in a 6-2 win.

The Darts were beaten in their last Kent derby on this day when they lost 1-0 to Ebbsfleet United in 2015. But the Darts were victorious against the Fleet when they won 2-0 (5-1 on aggregate) in the Southern League first round back in 1982.

Burgess Hill Town v Dartford

August 27, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford begin the Bank Holiday weekend with a trip to Burgess Hill Town on Friday night.

The Darts will be smarting from tasting defeat at home to local rivals Welling United last Saturday. A result that saw Ben Greenhalgh’s side lose their perfect start to the campaign and drop to fifth in the table.

Burgess Hill Town may have lost their opening game, but the Hillians are unbeaten in their previous three matches drawing the last two.

Derby Defeat

Dartford lost at home in the league for the first time against Welling United since December 2013. From trying to win their opening four games for the first time in five years to suffering their heaviest home defeat in 16 months, the Darts were second best last Saturday.

Greenhalgh made two changes to the side that beat Maldon and Tiptree giving Ikechukwu Orji his debut after signing from Isthmian Premier champions Folkestone Invicta last week. Jez Pinder returned to the starting lineup, Lorenzo Duncan and Scott Wagstaff were replaced. The player manager was also forced to substitute Joe Tennent shortly before conceding the opening goal after he was clattered by Nahum Melvin-Lambert. Dartford’s centre back suffered facial fractures and required cheekbone surgery.

The Kent derby was done within in an hour with Welling United taking the lead minutes before half time then striking twice early in the second half. Nathan Cooper gave the visitors the advantage approaching the break, Melvin-Lambert scored five minutes into the second half and former Dart, Fumnaya Shomotun added a third just shy of the hour.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Dartford will hope last Saturday was just a bad day after winning their first three fixtures. An opening day comeback victory over Three Bridges was followed by a single goal triumph against Brentwood Town. The Darts then went to Maldon and Tiptree and claimed all three points in Essex. Striker Max Fiddes scored twice across those games and will hope he can add to his tally against one of his former clubs on Friday night.

Hill Too Big to Conquer

Last time Dartford travelled to Sussex to take on Burgess Hill Town they fell to a 2-1 loss. The Hillians claimed their first ever home win over the Darts at the fifth attempt, ending the visitors perfect record at Leylands Park.

George Vorster scored a brace either side of Denzelle Olopade’s fantastic strike. The Hillians opened the scoring through a penalty, which Vorster put away. The Darts levelled just before the interval thanks to Olopade. Then Vorster headed a winner in the second half. The hosts held on despite having Ben Pope sent off with half hour remaining.

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Highlights courtesy of Hillians TV

Six Goal Thriller

The reverse fixture at Princes Park included six goals, two red cards, a missed penalty and a late equaliser. Olly Box had a mixed evening by opening the scoring, then getting sent off late on. Callum Jones put the Darts two up before Eddie Dsane missed his spot kick. The Hillians fought back when Marcus Allen was introduced, the defender scored with his first touch and added a second either side of the visitors being reduced to ten. Sam Odaudu’s free-kick put Dartford ahead, but Chris Whelpdale replied in injury time with a free kick of his own.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Stuck in the Wood

The Hillians picked up a second consecutive draw last weekend in their away fixture at Cheshunt. Featuring in the starting eleven was Luther Williams, who spent the previous two seasons with the Darts making over 70 appearances for the club before joining Burgess Hill Town.

It was another signing that gave the Sussex side the lead when Shamir Fenelon headed his first goal for his new team, the forward arrived from Horsham in the summer. With just over ten minutes to go, Tommy Wood levelled from close range.

Mixed Start

A draw continued Burgess Hill Town’s mixed start to the campaign. The opening day didn’t go to plan as they went down to Brentwood Town losing 2-0. However, the Hillians replied with an impressive 3-0 home win against newcomers AFC Whyteleafe. Gary Mansell’s side hosted another promoted side four days later drawing 2-2 with Leatherhead, Whelpdale netted a brace either side of two goals from the visitors.

Manager’s View

Greenhalgh knew what sort of game the Kent derby with Welling United would be, but felt the injury to his central defender was crucial, he spoke to Dartford FC TV after the defeat and commented: “First half was as we expected. I thought it was going to be a feisty game”, he added: “I think a really key part was losing Joe Tennent”. However, Dartford’s player manager admitted his team “went a bit off script” after the break resulting in a “poor performance in the second half”.

Ahead of Friday night’s game, Greenhalgh is hoping his players can return to the form that earned the Darts three victories in a row, he said: “We need to get back to doing what we’re good at. We didn’t get enough crosses in the box, we’ve spoke about set pieces, spoke about crossing the ball and that is something we will look at and work hard at this week”.

With two Bank Holiday fixtures in the space of a few days, Greenhalgh feels it is a good time to show a positive response, he exclaimed: “We’ve got an opportunity against two good teams now to try and react. I expect a really good reaction from everyone in training and we’ve got some decisions to make from there”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

Joe Tennent is out with a broken cheekbone, the defender was due to have surgery in the week. Emmanuel Oke, Hugo Taylor and Luke Exal were missing from last weekend’s squad having been out with injury prior the Kent derby. Jordan Higgs is yet to make his first start since joining in the summer, he has also missed out on the last two matchdays.

Current League Form

DARTFORD (WWWL)			BURGESS HILL TOWN (LWDD)
Welling United	H	0-3	Cheshunt	A	1-1
Maldon & Tiptree	A	2-1	Leatherhead	H	2-2
Brentwood Town	H	1-0	AFC Whyteleafe	H	3-0
Three Bridges	A	3-2	Brentwood Town	A	0-2

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 7 / Burgess Hill Town wins: 2 / Draws: 1

Previous Meetings

Burgess Hill Town 2 – 1 Dartford (24/01/2006 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 3 – 3 Burgess Hill Town (30/09/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Burgess Hill Town 0 – 1 Dartford (14/10/2017 – F.A Cup)
Burgess Hill Town 1 – 2 Dartford (10/01/2015 – F.A Trophy)
Dartford 3 – 1 Burgess Hill Town (25/10/2014 – F.A Cup)
Dartford 7 – 2 Burgess Hill Town (13/01/2007 – Isthmian Division One South)

Statistics

Dartford have lost just once in the league versus the Hillians (W4, D1)
The Darts lost away in the league for the first time against Burgess Hill Town last season ending a perfect record of four away wins out of four in all competitions
The last four league games between the two sides have averaged 6.25 goals per game (Dartford 17 Burgess Hill Town 8)

On This Day

Samir Carruthers was at the double against his former side on this day in 2022. The creative midfielder scored twice at Hemel Hempstead Town in a 2-0 win. First he curled a shot in to the top corner, then he scored directly from a free-kick.

The Darts won a Kent derby at Margate in 2015 with Lee Noble opening the scoring. Lee Burns was sent off ten minutes into the second half, but Elliot Bradbrook secured the 2-0 victory.

Four years earlier, Dartford hosted Bromley on August Bank Holiday Monday. Bradbrook was on target again as well as Charlie Sheringham from the spot and Danny Harris in a 3-1 triumph.

Dartford v Welling United

August 20, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford hope to maintain a perfect start in their first Kent derby of the season against Welling United this weekend.

Ben Greenhalgh has guided the Darts to three consecutive victories leading his side to second in the table. Dartford have become one of the early front runners after wins over Three Bridges, Brentwood Town and Maldon and Tiptree.

Welling United spent most of last season fighting relegation and are expecting a better campaign this time. Under Ryan Maxwell, the Wings have won two of their opening three matches.

Dsane’s Derby Double

The Darts approach Saturday’s local clash with an exceptional record over the Wings. Currently 12 unbeaten in the league against their Kent rivals, Dartford have won nine and drawn three. Last term they achieved the double with a 3-1 triumph at Princes Park in November and 1-0 win at Park View Road in February. Greenhalgh will want to continue that sort of form when he faces one of his former clubs.

Welling United went a goal up inside the opening minutes during their previous trip to Princes Park, Ruben Shakpoke hit a shot in off the post. The Darts hit back in the second half with three unanswered goals including a quick fire brace from Eddie Dsane. The points were secured when Olly Box expertly curled in a third.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

A very late goal from a loanee gave Dartford a derby day win in the reverse fixture. With the game at Park View Road heading for a goalless draw Rohan Vaughan pounced from close range.

Darts End Jammers Run

Last weekend, Dartford became the first side to beat Maldon and Tiptree in the league as a visiting team in over 18 months. The Darts ended the Jammers unbeaten home record of 28 matches with a 2-1 win.

Greenhalgh made two changes to the side that beat Brentwood Town. Scott Wagstaff and Lorenzo Duncan made their first starts since joining this summer, coming in for Adrian Gyamera and Jez Pinder.

Set pieces have been key to Dartford’s early success with another two leading to goals against Maldon and Tiptree. Greenhalgh’s free-kick wasn’t dealt with by the hosts and when the ball fell to Max Fiddes the striker tapped home. However, Maldon and Tiptree equalised before the half was out through Samuel Adeyeye. The Darts grabbed a winner with five minutes left when Ben Swift scored his first for the club. The captain got on the end of Greenhalgh’s corner to claim the decisive goal.

Former Darts on the Scoresheet

It’s been almost eight years since Welling United’s last league win at Princes Park, but they did have F.A Cup success in DA1 back in September 2023. The Wings won 3-2 that day and will want to call on that experience as well as taking momentum from last Saturday.

After a defeat to Isthmian South Central champions Leatherhead, Ryan Maxwell made four changes. One of which was the introduction of former Dart, Fumnaya Shomotun. The winger played 19 times for the Darts during the 2023/2024 campaign scoring twice.

Demaray Anyadike scored in both halves either side of a goal from another ex-Dart, Tyrell Miller-Rodney. The midfielder played alongside Shomotun at Dartford and scored three times in 35 appearances. The fourth arrived when Ade Azeez slotted in after Anyadike missed the chance to claim a hat-trick from the spot. Azeez had a prolific start when he was at Dartford in 2021/2022 and ended that campaign with 18 goals.

Two more former Darts were in the squad, Sam Smith who was at Princes Park last term and John Ufuah, who graduated through the academy in 2017.

Wings Take Leathering

After a solid 2-0 opening day home victory over Whitehawk, the Wings were second best in their only away fixture so far. Leatherhead were four up at the break with two goals from Anas Igozouln, one from James Dickson and another by Mark Waters. Welling United managed a second half consolation courtesy of Ufuah.

Manager’s View

Greenhalgh admitted the first run of games to kick start a busy opening month of the season has been tough. The Dartford player-manager spoke to Dartford FC TV after the win in Essex and said: “We really focussed on getting three points and that’s something we’ve obviously done in the previous two games. We’ve had three games in eight days, so to get maximum points is absolute credit to this group”.

Greenhalgh praised his side’s efficiency and patience to earn the win and highlighted the importance of the substitutes. Those qualities will be needed again this weekend in his first Kent derby as Dartford boss.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

The Dartford squad were given a rest on Tuesday to help recovery. Emmanuel Oke, Hugo Taylor and Luke Exal may benefit the most after being unavailable through injury last weekend.

Current Form

Dartford (WWW)			Welling United (WLW)
Maldon and Tiptree	A	2-1	Stanway Rovers	H	4-0
Brentwood Town	H	1-0	Leatherhead	A	1-4
Three Bridges	A	3-2	Whitehawk	H	2-0

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 28 / Welling United wins: 11 / Draws: 13

Previous Meetings

Welling United 0 – 1 Dartford (28/02/2026 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 3 – 1 Welling United (01/11/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 1 – 1 Welling United (30/12/2023 – National South)
Welling United 0 – 1 Dartford (26/12/2023 – National South)
Dartford 2 – 3 Welling United (16/09/2023 – F.A Cup)
Welling United 2 – 2 Dartford (04/02/2023 – National South)

Statistics

Dartford are unbeaten in 12 league games against Welling United (W9, D3)
In the league, the Darts are unbeaten in ten home games (W8, D2) and have only lost one league match at home (W11, D3) versus the Wings ever
Dartford won half of their Kent derbies in the league last season (W6, D4, L2)
Welling United won just three Kent derbies in the league last term (L9), losing all six against Kent sides finishing in the top six

On This Day

It’s been over a decade since Dartford played on 22 August and the last two at home have been against Gosport Borough. The Darts lost 3-2 with the Bradbrook brothers both getting on the scoresheet 11 years ago. In 1989 at Watling Street, Dartford were more convincing in a 5-1 Southern Premier victory.

In between those home matches, Dartford had mixed results. However, on this day in 2009, the Darts went to the Sussex coast and beat Hastings United 3-1 in the Isthmian Premier League. Lee Burns grabbed a brace and Rob Haworth scored the other to secure three wins out of three to start the 2009/2010 title winning campaign.

Maldon and Tiptree v Dartford

August 13, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

Dartford will have the chance to extend their perfect start when they visit Isthmian North champions Maldon and Tiptree this weekend.

The Darts have won their opening two league games for the first time in four years. Victory against newly promoted Three Bridges was followed up with another win over last season’s playoff finalists Brentwood Town.

Following a difficult summer, Maldon and Tiptree had a disastrous start to their campaign. The Jammers lost heavily to Dulwich Hamlet. However, Mark Hawkes’ side bounced back by maintaining an 18 month unbeaten home record in the league with a late win over Aveley.

Dartford’s Decent Defence

Dan Smith was the match winner on Tuesday night as the Darts claimed a gritty three points. The striker nodded in the only goal of the game at home against Brentwood Town.

Ben Greenhalgh made one change with George Whitefield coming in for Emmanuel Oke. As well as Whitefield, the Dartford defence were exceptional all night and deservedly kept their first clean sheet of the season.

The Darts were fast out of the blocks in both halves, but made it count in the first. Greenhalgh’s corner was met by the head of Smith after just three minutes. Brentwood Town controlled possession for the majority of the game, but Dartford limited their opportunities. Although, Joe Tennent was called into action with a goal line clearance just before half time.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Opening Day Comeback

Greenhalgh has already led Dartford to victory over a title winning side and hopes to repeat that this weekend. The Darts defeated Isthmian South East champions Three Bridges in this season’s opener.

The Bridges went two goals up through a couple of penalties, but Dartford’s player manager sparked a comeback. A well taken strike by Greenhalgh pulled a goal back before half-time. The player manager then grabbed an assist from a free-kick which Joe Tennent nodded home, then Max Fiddes headed in the winner on his debut.

May Saves the Day

Dartford have never played the Jammers in their current guise, but they did face Maldon Town before they amalgamated with Tiptree United. That was back in 2007 when Dartford lifted the Isthmian North title. Tony Burman’s side twice came from behind to draw 2-2. Ryan Hayes followed up a long range effort to level. The winger also put in the corner that resulted in Jay May’s equaliser.

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Highlights courtesy of the late sonytino

Hammered by Hamlet

It’s been a turbulent summer for Maldon and Tiptree. Title celebrations didn’t last long before the club’s co-owners were charged with multiple offences. Manager, Kevin Horlock then quit the Jammers leaving the Essex side little time to prepare for the new campaign. In came new manager Hawkes, who couldn’t have got off to a worse start.

Playing in the Isthmian Premier for the first time as Maldon and Tiptree, the Essex side travelled to Dulwich Hamlet on the first weekend of the season. Just like the Darts visit to Champion Hill last term, the Jammers were comprehensively beaten. The match was sewn up in the first half with Hamlet four up at the break. Nyren Clunis scored twice, David Smith opened his account and former Dart, Luke Wanadio added another. In the second half, Gaspar Mico and Sol Baugh wrapped up the three points with only an hour played.

Fortress

Hawkes made three changes for their county clash with Aveley. Kai Christopher Ray Redgrave, Eze Ebuzoeme and TQ Addy replaced Hedley Ogbebor, Jaden Brissett and Iffy Allen. Former Dart, Ibby Akanbi kept his place in the side, the striker played five times in the 2023/2024 campaign for Dartford.

Up against last season’s runners up and after a heavy defeat, the Jammers bounced back with maximum points. Maldon and Tiptree took confidence from their outstanding home record and extended their unbeaten run at Park Drive to 28 league matches, this time with a late Allen goal.

Manager’s View

Dartford’s narrow win on Tuesday night was far from perfect, but Ben Greenhalgh couldn’t fault his player’s work ethic. The player manager felt his team wasn’t ‘good enough’ on the ball or in their pressing game, but highlighted the squad’s positive attitude, he told Dartford FC TV: “I think all we can talk about is the desire and hunger everyone had and the three points”.

Greenhalgh compared the performance to the last 25 minutes of the win at Three Bridges, where the team had to dig in. He commented: “It happened again tonight, all that matters is we are a new team and we’re building. To have character to win a game like that is incredible at this stage”.

Ahead of the Maldon and Tiptree match, Greenhalgh isn’t reading too much into their 6-0 loss on the opening day, he said: “I warned people that it’s not a bad eleven. They’ve got a lot of players that you would be interested in”, he continued: “We had someone watch the game and they said that they almost just gave up for that Saturday. So we don’t know the goings on there, but when they’re at it they’re going to be good”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Team News

Defender, Emmanuel Oke has a slight shoulder issue and is likely to be unavailable for Saturday. Luke Exal has only featured in the first pre-season friendly due to a hip injury.

Current Form

Dartford (WW)			Maldon and Tiptree (LW)
Brentwood Town	H	1-0	Aveley	H	1-0
Three Bridges	A	3-2	Dulwich Hamlet	A	0-6

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 0 / Maldon and Tiptree* wins: 2 / Draws: 2
*previously Maldon Town

Previous Meetings

Maldon Town 2 – 2 Dartford (22/12/2007 – Isthmian Division One North)
Dartford 2 – 2 Maldon Town (18/08/2007 – Isthmian Division One North)
Dartford 0 – 5 Maldon Town (26/03/2005 – Southern League Division One East)
Maldon Town 3 – 2 Dartford (01/01/2005 – Southern League Division One East)

Statistics

The Darts last won their opening three league games in 2021
Dartford have yet to concede a goal in open play
The Darts have never beaten Maldon and Tiptree in four attempts
Dartford have drawn the last two by the same score (2-2)

On This Day

Dartford have never lost on 15 August in their six previous games on this day. The last outing ended 1-1 three years ago. Manager, Alan Dowson faced his former club and Brandon Barzey was sent off against his old side. Harvey Bradbury put Dartford ahead at Princes Park, only for Dean Inman to equalise before Barzey’s dismissal.

The Darts beat Concord Rangers in 2017 with a goal in either half from Elliot Bradbrook and Lyle Della-Verde. Two years earlier Dartford drew 2-2 with Sutton United having twice led through a pair of Tom Bradbrook goals. In 2009, Dartford won their opening Isthmian North match at home to Horsham winning 3-2. Elliot Bradbrook claimed a brace and Adam Flanagan scored the other.

Dartford v Brentwood Town

August 11, 2026 / Stuart Maidment / 0 Comments

The Darts will be back at Princes Park for a league game on Tuesday night against Brentwood Town.

Dartford have a tough test for their opening home game of the season. Whilst the Darts missed out on the playoffs last term, one of the teams they were unable to catch were this weekend’s opponents.

Brentwood Town followed up their Isthmian North title with a playoff final appearance in May. The Essex side almost won back-to back promotions, but were denied late in extra time by Billericay Town.

Opening Day Comeback

The Darts came from two goal down to win on their opener and spoil Three Bridges’ day. The Sussex side benefited from two penalties in the first half. Emmanuel Oke conceded a spot kick and Charlie Bennett became the first Bridges player to net in the Isthmian Premier. The same player added another from 12 yards after Adrian Gyamera fouled Kevin Riveria in the box.

Player manager, Ben Greenhalgh sparked the comeback on the stroke of half time with his first strike since returning to the club. The equaliser arrived in the second half when Joe Tenent headed home Greenhalgh free-kick. Two minutes later the turn around was complete with Max Fiddes getting his first goal in a Dartford shirt on his debut.

Back of the Nat

Brentwood Town began their camping with a clean sheet and a 2-0 victory. The Blues kept Burgess Hill Town at bay and also needed their first of the campaign on the stroke of half time. Charlee Adam’s free-kick found Bradley Sachs who headed the Essex side ahead. New signing Nat Mardell made sure of maximum points late in the second half with a guided finish.

Fighting Spirit

Last time Dartford entertained Brentwood Town at home they had to show plenty of grit and determination. Back in January, with both sides aiming for the playoffs an entertaining five goal ensued. The hosts had to win it the hard way when Sam Odaudu was sent off with a little over a quarter to play.

Dartford went two up with the first coming from Sam Okoye after a couple minutes. The advantage was doubled when Olly Box put the Darts in control. Yet the visitors came back through Kymani Thomas, then Daniel Ogunleye after the hosts were reduced to ten men. The winner was finally struck by Eddie Dsane after a brilliant solo run from Dan Carter.

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Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Draw in Essex

The earlier meeting last season saw the two sides draw 1-1. At the time, Dartford were looking for some form after a slow start in Adrian Pennock’s second full campaign in charge. Brentwood Town fresh from their league title maintained momentum and led the Isthmian Premier.

Samir Carruthers put the Darts in front with a free-kick. Charlee Hughes equalised for the Blues to share the spoils.

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Highlights courtesy of BrentwoodTownTV

Summer Changes

The fact that the goalscorers from both games last term have all left their respected clubs highlights the changes to both squads over the summer. Dartford have replaced Box and Dsane with Gianluca Botti and Max Fiddes. Brentwood Town lost Ogunleye up front and taken a punt on former Stanway Rovers top scorer Nat Mardell.

Keith Rowland has also bolstered his squad with promotion winners. The Blues have added Mikey Berry from champions Folkestone Invicta, whilst Tommy Davis and Ben Steward were signed from Billericay Town. He has also introduced new faces from the National South bringing in Malachi Linton from AFC Totton, Harry Gibbs from playoff winners Hornchurch and Charlee Adams from Chelmsford City.

Manager’s View

Ben Greenhalgh was delighted with how his players responded to adversity on the weekend. He spoke to Dartford FC TV after the win and said: “We showed a little bit of everything, positive and negative. One thing we spoke about is the graft and character these boys are going to have and that’s attacking and defensively”.

The player manager admits the opening ten minutes was ‘too emotional’ when a decision didn’t go Dartford’s way. Harry White in the Three Bridges goal could have been sent off. Afterwards the Darts found themselves two down. At that point the team ‘could have imploded’ according to Greenhalgh.

Dartford’s boss was pleased with how his side saw the game out at 3-2 up, he commented: “The comeback is great, but it’s also the mentality to accept for the last fifteen minutes we had to defend for our lives. For us not to let in an open play goal is credit for the group”.

Brentwood Town visit the Darts on Tuesday night. Greenhalgh is expecting his players to be fully focussed, he explained: “There are good teams in this division and we have to accept that. We have to not be complacent against anyone. We’re going to go to Princes Park and we’re going consistent. We go again Tuesday and hopefully get another three points, it will be a brilliant start”.

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Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 4 / Brentwood Town wins: 2 / Draws: 3

Previous Meetings

Dartford 3 – 2 Brentwood Town (31/01/2026– Isthmian Premier)
Brentwood Town 1 – 1 Dartford (11/10/2025– Isthmian Premier)
Brentwood Town 1 – 2 Dartford (25/11/2017 – F.A Trophy)
Dartford 0 – 1 Brentwood Town (29/03/2008 – Isthmian Division One North)
Brentwood Town 2 – 2 Dartford (05/02/2008 – Isthmian Division One North)
Brentwood Town 2 – 1 Dartford (08/03/1969 – Southern League First Division)

Statistics

Dartford’s win in January was their first in the league against Brentwood Town in 58 years (D3, L2)
The Darts have hosted the Blues four times in all competitions and have a 50% win rate (W2, D1, L1)
Dartford have lost just one of their last 11 opening home games (W5, D5), but are winless in their last three (D2, L1)

On This Day

Dartford have played four time on this day all at home. Six years ago, the Darts drew 0-0 with Hemel Hempstead Town. Three years earlier a goal from Tom Bradbrook after six minutes saw Dartford beat Eastbourne Borough.

In 2012, Dartford’s long awaited return to the National League ended in defeat against Tamworth. Peter Till and Adam Cunnington put the Lambs ahead. Elliot Bradbrook scored a free-kick before Cunnington added a third for the hosts. Harry Crawford set up a tense finish. In another season opener, the Darts drew 1-1 with Yeovil Town in the Southern Premier back in 1973.