Dartford are still searching for their first win of the season but kept their unbeaten record at home but only just as second favourites for the title Havant & Waterlooville came very close to winning.
The game took a while to get going with Dartford having the better of the first half but the second half possession wise was Havant with Dartford just holding on after taking the lead.
The game started slowly & the first half chance of the game came in the 21st minute when Ross Worner’s goal kick was held up in the wind allowing Adam Cunnington 30 yards out to control & then saw his shot go just over the bar. Havant had their first chance in the 28th minute when Nicky Bailey on the left crossed to the back post where Dean Beckwith was on his own but fortunately for Dartford the ball hit him rather than he hit it & Mark Smith saved it easily. Two minutes later a corner into the Havant 6 yard box found Norman Wabo who turned sharply & from 3 yards his shot saw pushed away by Worner, in the next minute another goal kick held up by the wind fell at Wabo’s feet & his chip went over Worner & the bar. In the 36th minute Luke Allen 40 yards out turned the defender & from 25 yards saw his shot pushed away by Worner. Dartford took the lead in the 40th minute in a contentious way, the ball came down & Andy Drury controlling it on his chest was adjudged to handled it so a free kick was awarded & from 35 yards out Ben Greenhalgh floated the ball into the area where Cunnington rose & headed in. In the first minute of added on time Havant had the chance to equalise when Drury’s free kick centrally from 19 yards first hit the wall came back & his shot was easily saved by Smith. Half time arrived & the Dartford managers would have been happy with the scoreline but would have probably wanted a bit more possession while Havant’s manager would have probably laid into his team knowing they can do better.
The second half saw Havant take control of the game, they enjoyed the majority of possession & created a lot of chances while Dartford seemed to rely on breaks which were sparse. In the 58th minute Roarie Deacon received the ball from Bailey on the edge of the area & his shot was parried away by Smith. Havant finally equalised when some neat work on the left saw the ball come to Jonah Ayunga & from six yards he stroked the ball into the net. The rest of the game saw Havant in total control, in the 73rd minute Ayunga25 yards out turned the defender & his shot whistled over the bar. In the 84th minute Havant nearly took the lead when Deacon on the right cut inside & his curling effort beat Smith but came back off the post. Dartford in a rare attack themselves nearly took the lead when a long ball forward saw Luke Wanadio latch onto it & he went into the area & from an acute angle hit the side netting. The final whistle went & the Dartford players, supporters & management were overjoyed with the result & the real positive to take into the next game was the defence, they defended if their lives depended on it while Havant will go back home wondering why they had not taken the points.
DARTFORD:
M.SMITH 2. J.WYNTER 3. L.WARNER-ELY 6. T.BONNER 8. L.ALLEN 10. L.WANADIO
11. B.GREENHALGH 15. J.HILL 16. A.CUNNINGTON (72) 19. A.NASHA 20. N.WABO (80)
SUBS USED: 9. C.SHERINGHAM (72) 17. A.PUGH (80)
SUBS NOT USED: 5. R.VINT 7. R.HAYES 18. C.BRODIE
BOOKINGS: 15. J.HILL (28) 6. T.BONNER (45)
HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE:
R.WORNER 2. B.READ (79) 3. A.STRAKER 5. D.BECKWITH 6. S.MAGRI 7. W.FOGDEN
8. A.DRURY 10. J.AYUNGA 11. R.DEACON 14. N.BAILEY 17. J.TAYLOR (64)
SUBS USED: 20. A.RUTHERFORD (64) 12. B.TARBUCK (79)
SUBS NOT USED: 4. S.WALTON 15. J.COOK 19. C.PAUL
BOOKINGS: NONE
REFEREE: Mr S.TALLIS
ASSISTANTS: Mr K.DEMPSTER & Mr P.STRATTON
ATTENDANCE: 873