It was a sorry afternoon for The Darts as they succumbed to back-to-back defeats with a resounding three-nil reverse to visitors Wealdstone on Saturday afternoon.

A first half Bradley Bubb double and a sublime second half finish by Jeffrey Monakana handed Wealdstone their first away win of the 18-19 campaign.

The Darts’ home record against Wealdstone is such that the visitors still have not lost this fixture in years gone by.

With similar records for the 2018-19 campaign coming into this game Darts fans would have been perhaps the more confident having seen their side register an unbeaten record to date this season taking four points from a possible six whilst visitors Wealdstone taking a solitary point on the road.

The Stones were the better side throughout and thought they had taken an early lead in only the third minute only for Bubb to see his side-footed effort disallowed for offside.

The Darts responded well as moments later Chez Isaac shot first time from range and although The Stones’ goalkeeper Jonathan North dived to avert the danger Isaac’s shot sailed narrowly over the crossbar.

Bubb wasn’t deterred by his earlier disappointment giving his side the lead just after the quarter-hour mark, evading the challenge of Deren Ibrahim on the touchline and in making his way inside the six-yard box stroked the ball home from a tight angle.

The Stones were in the ascendency and buoyed by their early ventures as Daniel Green found space on the left-corner of the penalty area but could only shoot straight into the mid-drift of Ibrahim who comfortably saved.

During a period of a flurry of corner-kicks The Darts were again indebted to Ibrahim as he dived athletically to palm away a diving Connor Stevens effort.

Despite being on the back foot The Darts did manage to threaten their visitors final third as Ben Greenhalgh struck from range to sting the palms of North whilst Tom Murphy showed confidence to cut inside from the right-hand touchline only to see his well-struck effort well blocked by The Stones’ back line.

The period for The Darts however took a turn for the worse as they again had to thank Ibrahim as he palmed away a well-struck goal-bound effort by Monakana but for the ensuing corner The Darts failed to clear their lines and Bubb turned inside the six-yard box to lash the ball home into the back of the net.

The Darts will have undoubtedly looked for early success in the second period and showed glimpses of it as Delano Sam-Yorke used his strength to hold the ball up well on the edge of the penalty area, laying the ball off to Billy Roast but Roast diverted his side-footed effort over the crossbar.

But within ten minutes of the second half The Stones put the game beyond doubt after a fine individual moment for Monakana.

Picking up the ball on the left-hand touchline he cut inside and fully twenty-five yards out curled a sublime effort over the diving and helpless Ibrahim glancing the underside of the crossbar on its way to settling into the back of the net.

The Darts made a double change as Alfie Cue and Manny Ighorae came on as they looked to get back into the game and in doing so the game began to open up. With it Monakana’s pace and trickery came to the fore. Intercepting the ball on halfway he raced clear down the left. Crossing into the box to two unmarked team-mates Bubb could only steer his header over the angle of post and crossbar.

In a rare foray for the hosts substitute Cue shot at goal but his effort was tame and comfortable for North.

The Darts were struggling to handle the pace and ability of Monakana and were surely glad to see him substituted, although inside the final ten minutes, but not before he gave the hosts another scare going on a mazy run poking a shot that tricked narrowly wide of the scampering Ibrahim’s far post.

Aside to The Stones also substituting fellow scorer Bubb with a three-nil lead the visitors were content to see the game out whilst the down and out hosts backed by an inevitably subdued and quite following were unable to make an impression on the game as the final whistle brought about celebration from The Stones and their following.

 

Dartford: Ibrahim, Driver, Onyemah, Roast, Vint, Bonner ©, Greenhalgh, Oyenuga, Murphy, Sam-Yorke (Cue, 64), Isaac (Ighorae, 64)

Sub not used: Philpot, Nicholls, Mensah

 

Wealdstone: North, Tyler, Grant, Stevens, Okemo, Poku, Monakana (Mitchell, 83), Ahmide, Pratt, Green, Bubb (White, 86)

 Subs not used: Mambo, Clark, Lench

 

Referee: Jacob Miles

Asst Referees: Alexander Bradley & Conall Bartlett

 

Att: 981