An FA Cup shock occurred at Princes Park as Dartford lost to Uxbridge of the Southern League Division One Central in the 2nd Qualifying Round.
The home side were dispatched by the side 44 places below them with a back to the walls display. Jon-Jo Bates’ 14th minute goal was the difference and Tom Gardiner saw red for Dartford as the underdogs pulled off an almighty shock in the Kent sunshine.
The Darts were looking to put away their abject display in their last home game against Truro with a resounding performance against their lower league opposition. The Darts started well and with 3 minutes on the clock, Elliot Bradbrook got on the end of Ryan Hayes left wing free kick to head just inches over the bar.
Seconds later, Andy Pugh was inches away from finding Ryan Hayes in the middle before the latter then fired just wide from a resulting corner. It was a positive start for the home side, with the away side appearing overawed with the occasion and the power of the home side.
A goal was all that was missing from turning a good start from the Darts into a really good one and by surprise Uxbridge took the lead in the 15th minute. Confusion between Gardiner and Mcnaughton with a bouncing ball into the area led to Jon-Jo Bates having all the time in the world to volley past Ibrahim from 6 yards out.
From the restart, Darts almost equalised, George Sykes running at the heart of the defence before forcing McCarthy in goal to save with his feet to his right hand side.
In a frenetic 2 minutes, Uxbridge nearly scored again. After Tom Gardiner hauled down Matt Woods down the left, the resulting free kick found Wayne Carter at the back post unmarked but his header hit Ibrahim and the keeper somehow kept it out.
The goal had knocked the stuffing out of the National League South team as Uxbridge began to win all the loose balls and pin the home side back.
As the first half wore on, the Darts began to exert pressure again with Pugh dribbling into the box from the right looking for support but to no avail as he was soon surrounded by Uxbridge defenders.
The Darts were exerting pressure and Ebrima Adams shot from the edge was deflected inches wide from the bottom right hand corner as we approached half an hour.
Ryan Hayes was next to come close with his shot being deflected behind before Andy Pugh was inches wide with a header after a good short corner routine from Ryan Hayes and Jack Simmons.
An equalising goal seemed inevitable as the defending was getting more last ditched and Adams again went close from the edge of the area after Sykes had miskicked Simmons pull back, forcing the visiting keeper to tip the ball over the bar.
Andy Pugh was the next to threaten and he really should have scored. He lifted a quick throw over the defender before being one on one with the keeper, his shot beat the keeper but somehow hit the recovering Mitchell Wiseman close to the goalline and behind for another Dartford corner.
The visitors held out until half time and a shock was very much on the cards if the luck continued to evade the home side.
Five minutes into the second half and Dartford continued the pattern of the first half, Eliot Bradbrook breaking through and crossing for Sykes to miss yet another chance for the Darts as he shot wide from the centre of the area.
The away goal seemed to be living a charmed life as Bradbrook volleyed against the crossbar 2 minutes later from Simmons corner, with the ball cannoning off the keeper’s back before being cleared by Wiseman on the post. Sykes again went close, volleying over from the angle as the Darts pushed for an equaliser.
The Darts were getting closer, Dembele forcing a fantastic save seconds after coming off the bench with a downward header low to the keepers left.
From the clearance, disaster struck for the Darts. Tom Gardiner hauled down Matt Woods when through on goal for a second yellow card and the Darts were down to 10 men for the remaining 30 minutes and facing a shock early exit.
Even with 10 men, it was all the home side. With 20 minutes remaining Dembele forced another save from the keeper, cutting in past the right back, the parry from the save fell to Tom Bradbrook who got the ball out of his feet and his shot was cleared off the line again as the home side began to think that today was not going to be their day.
The visitors really were living a dream as the keeper made another save, this time stopping his own defender from scoring an own goal from a corner as the home side became desperate as they entered the last 10 minutes.
With 5 minutes remaining, the visitors nearly made the game safe when McCalmon put in Woods but Ibrahim made a comfortable save at his near post.
The Darts hustle and bustle could not find an equaliser and with Danny Harris heading over from under the crossbar in injury time, the lower league side triumphed for one of the biggest results in the club’s history.
There were calls at the full-time whistle from some sections of the Dartford support for manager Tony Burman to leave.
Dartford: Ibrahim, Burns, Wynter, Gardiner, Mcnaughton, Adams, Hayes, E Bradbrook ©, Sykes ( T Bradbrook 58), Pugh ( Harris 76), Simmons ( Dembele 58)
Subs not used: , Vint, Francis, Turner, Golding
Yellow Cards, Gardiner x 2, Adams
Red Cards Gardiner
Uxbridge: Mccarthy, Wiseman, Scott, Bailey, Dennison, Warner (Phillips 78), Cole ( Mccalmon 69), Bates, Woods, Carter ( Julienne 59), Thomas
Subs not used: Howes, Peden
Yellow cards: Bates, Thomas
Referee: Mr Lloyd Wood
Attendance: 503