Tag: Potters Bar Town

Dartford go again on Tuesday night with a trip to Kings Langley to face Potters Bar Town in the Isthmian Premier.

The Darts will be hoping to build on the League Cup win over Erith Town and Saturday’s draw with Cray Valley Paper Mills. However, they currently sit bottom of the form guide having picked up just two points in the last six league matches. Tuesday’s reverse fixture against Potters Bar Town will provide an opportunity for Adrian Pennock’s side to avenge defeat to the Scholars back in August. Meanwhile, Max Mitchell’s team have recovered well from an opening day humbling to climb up to seventh in the table, five points ahead of Dartford.

Just under three months ago, the Darts were beaten in their home opener against Potters Bar Town, who had just been thrashed 8-0 on matchday one against Dover Athletic. At Princes Park, Dartford were unable to produce any clear chances in the first half, which helped the visitors grow in confidence. Just before conceding, the Darts had a warning when Ore Bello raced through on goal only to miss. Two minutes later Potters Bar Town went ahead through Steve Cawley for the only goal of the game. Although Eddie Dsane came close in the second half it was the visitors who took home all three points.

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On the road, Dartford are unbeaten versus the Scholars in their two visits. Alex O’Brien inspired a comeback last time the Darts travelled to Potters Bar Town. The Isthmian Division One North title run-in was heating up in April 2008 and every point was crucial. The hosts were ahead after a couple of minutes when Sam Adejoken tapped in. In the second half Junior Dadson scored to heap pressure on the Darts. After a few positive substitutions, Jay May halved the deficit to give Tony Burman’s side hope. Then late on Adam Flanagan nodded the ball down to O’Brien to make it 2-2. A fortnight later Dartford were crowned champions.

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On the weekend, Dartford’s winless league run continued stretching to six matches with the 0-0 draw at home to Cray Valley Paper Mills. Once again, the Darts drew a blank in front of goal whilst keeping a clean sheet, their second goalless draw in three league matches. Jacob Marsden returned in goal replacing David Aziaya, who kept a clean sheet in Dartford’s previous game against Erith Town in the League Cup. Adrian Pennock made eight changes to the side that progressed in the cup, but just four alterations to the team selected for the last league outing. As well as swapping the goalkeepers, in came Luther Williams, Oliver Box and Ade Yusuff. Midfielder, Tyler Christian-Law featured as a substitute on Saturday and he could face Potters Bar Town, one of his former clubs.

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The Darts had to dig in defensively and did well to hold onto a point against Cray Valley Paper Mills. Assistant Manager, Roland Edge was pleased with the draw and spoke to Dartford FC TV after the game, he said: “You know what you’re going to get when Cray turn up. They are a very strong, physical, and well organised side, so we knew we was in with a tough day. The real pleasing thing, and I know everybody wants to score a goal, is that we kept another clean sheet. They threw everything at us, and I think we dealt with it really well”.

Edge believes going two unbeaten in all competitions lays a foundation for short term form to improve, he added: “We said to the boys ‘this is a platform’ and we’ve got to build from it. We’ve got to go to Potters Bar and get three points”.

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Potters Bar Town had an attempt to put their heavy opening day defeat at home to Dover Athletic behind them on the weekend. This time the league leaders won by a three-goal margin without reply. Ruben Soares-Junior, Alfie Matthews and Francis Mampolo kept the league leaders on top, whilst the Scholars are now a point shy of the playoff places. In all competitions Max Mitchell’s side are winless in four having exited the F.A Trophy to Biggleswade Town and the League Cup on penalties against Cheshunt. In October, Potters Bar Town drew at Chatham Town and beat Cheshunt in the league.

Although recent form has been inconsistent, the Scholars put a run of positive results together starting with their Princes Park win in August. Potters Bar Town went on to win six of their next eight in the Isthmian Premier, including a 5-0 thrashing of early pace setters Lewes. Cawley, who netted the winner at Dartford has scored in five of the six league matches in which the Scholars have won.

Current League Form

Dartford (LLLDLD)			Potters Bar Town (WLWWDL)
Cray Valley (PM)	H	0-0	Dover Athletic	A	0-3
Wingate & Finchley	H	2-3	Chatham Town	A	2-2
Hendon	H	0-0	Cheshunt	A	1-0
Billericay Town	A	0-4	Lewes	H	5-0
Bowers & Pitsea	H	1-2	Whitehawk	A	0-2
Dover Athletic	A	1-5	Bowers & Pitsea	H	1-0

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 2 / Potters Bar Town wins: 2 / Draws: 1

Previous Meetings

Dartford 0 – 1 Potters Bar Town (13/08/2024 – Isthmian Premier)
Potters Bar Town 2 – 2 Dartford (05/04/2008 – Isthmian Division One North)
Dartford 4 – 0 Potters Bar Town (27/10/2007 – Isthmian Division One North)
Dartford 1 – 2 Potters Bar Town (11/03/2006 – Southern League Div One East)
Potters Bar Town 1 – 4 Dartford (08/10/2005 – Southern League Div One East)

Statistics

• Dartford are unbeaten in their two visits to Potters Bar Town (W1, D1)
• The Darts have kept four clean sheets in their last nine league games. The same number of clean sheets than their previous 36 league outings.
• Dartford have failed to score in three of the last four Isthmian Premier matches

On This Day

Dartford have won their last four league matches on Guy Fawkes. Two years ago they put on a fine display at Princes Park beating Braintree Town 4-1 with ten men. Charlie Sheringham’s penalty was the difference before Tom Bonner was sent off just past the hour. Luke Coulson scored a screamer, then the Iron pulled a goal back. The Darts need not worry though as Samir Carruthers scored twice in stoppage time.

Three years earlier, Dartford beat Hampton and Richmond Borough 2-1 on the road. Ky Marsh-Brown and Elliott Romain netted either side of the host’s equaliser. Jon Wallis and Jacob Erskine helped the Darts come from behind at Salisbury City in 2011. Whilst 19 years ago, Dartford defeated Aveley 5-1 in the Southern League Division One East.

Also on this day, Dartford faced higher league opposition in consecutive seasons. Both F.A Cup first round ties ended in a home loss. Swindon Town won 5-1 in 2017 and a year earlier Sutton United were 6-3 winners.

Dartford are back at Princes Park on Tuesday night in their Isthmian Premier home opener against Potters Bar Town.

The Darts got off to a winning start on the weekend in a local derby at Cray Valley Paper Mills. Adrian Pennock handed out eight debuts to new signings and academy graduates as his new look side beat the Isthmian Division One South East champions.

Injury to goalkeeper Jacob Marsden in the final pre-season match meant late loan signing from Sutton United, Matt Kerbey made his first appearance. Duane Ofori-Acheampong and Samir Carruthers will be unavailable on Tuesday night, but Oliver Box made a return on Saturday and an impact.

Box linked up well with new striker Callum Jones in the first half and the pair combined for Dartford’s first goal of the season. The away side went in at the break ahead, but it could have been more than 1-0. Early in the second-half Cray Valley Paper Mills had Hassan Ibrahiym sent off, however the Millers still managed to equalise controversially through Tom Chambers. Then a moment of magic by Denzelle Olopade won Dartford the game when he curled home a shot from 30 yards.

Pennock couldn’t have wished for a better start, especially the first half an hour of the match, he spoke to kentonline after the victory and commented: “We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience. I thought the first 25-30 minutes was excellent and we should have been 4-0 up by half-time”. The Dartford boss added: “We’ve got to be very pleased with the three points. You always want to start with a win. If we were standing here and it was 1-1 after playing against ten men for so long, we’d be disappointed”.

Potters Bar Town had a disastrous start to their campaign losing 8-0 at home to Dover Athletic. After half an hour the match was all square until the Scholars collapsed and went in at half-time 4-0 down. Goalkeeper Seb Stacey was signed on loan from Milton Keynes Dons just 24 hours before kick-off. Dover Athletic’s George Nikaj helped himself to a hat-trick, whilst Luke Baptiste, Ruben Soares-Junior, Harrison Pont, Joe Tennent and Jaiden Drakes-Thomas all got in on the act.

Manager Max Mitchell apologised to the fans who travelled to Kings Langley to watch the home defeat. He said: “It was a performance that left me a little bit shell-shocked, in all honesty, to go from a team competing last Saturday against St Albans to today was two completely different sides”.

It’s been 17 years since the Darts hosted the Scholars in what became a title winning season under Tony Burman. Dartford went on to lift the Isthmian Division One North and in that campaign they beat Potters Bar Town 4-0 at home.

Junior Kadi, Ryan Hayes and Brendon Cass combined to set up Jay May for the opener. Cass doubled the lead and Kadi added a third from a tight angle. Elliot Bradbrook rounded up the scoring by netting the fourth. The previous ‘home’ match against the Scholars ended in a 2-1 defeat pre-Princes Park in 2006.

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Since then the Darts have climbed to the top of non-league before relegation returned them back to the Isthmian Premier last season. Meanwhile Potters Bar Town were runners up of the Isthmian Division One North in 2018. A reorganisation of step three meant the Scholars didn’t need to participate in the playoffs that season. Instead, they won promotion and for the first time reached the Isthmian Premier. The Scholars have recently spent four full campaigns in the Premier finishing between thirteenth and sixteenth in each season.

After one month of last season it looked like the Hertfordshire club were in for a long campaign. Six straight defeats from the opening day left the Scholars joint bottom, but they finally got off the mark against eventual runners up Chatham Town mid-September. Potters Bar Town went on to lose just four from the next 26 fixtures. However, early season form returned as they finished the campaign with one win and nine defeats.

Head to Head

Dartford wins: 2 / Potters Bar Town wins: 1 / Draws: 1

Previous Meetings

Potters Bar Town 2 – 2 Dartford (05/04/2008 – Isthmian Division One North)
Dartford 4 – 0 Potters Bar Town (27/10/2007 – Isthmian Division One North)
Dartford 1 – 2 Potters Bar Town (11/03/2006 – Southern League Div One East)
Potters Bar Town 1 – 4 Dartford (08/10/2005 – Southern League Div One East)

Statistics

• Dartford are unbeaten in the last two matches against Potters Bar Town (W1, D1)
• The Darts kept the only clean sheet in this fixture the last time they hosted the Scholars at Princes Park
• Dartford have won one of their last 11 home league games and that was on the final day of last season (D4, L6)

On This Day

Pierre Fonkeu was at the double two years ago on this day when the Darts beat Cheshunt 2-1 at Princes Park. Dartford have won both their home games on 13 August and recorded the same score in 1968, the Darts beat Guildford City in the Southern League First Division. In between those victories Dartford have been on the road winning three all on the opening day. Whitstable Town were defeated 3-1 in 1994 and Arlesley Town 1-0 in 2005. Six years later, Elliot Bradbrook, Tom Bonner and a Charlie Sheringham brace sealed a 4-0 triumph at Weston-super-Mare. Aldershot Town were victorious in 2013 and the Darts claimed a 1-1 draw at Chelmsford City in 2016, Luke Wanadio scoring for Dartford.