Despite another hard-fought performance, Dartford remain in the relegation zone after being held to a stalemate by former manager Alan Dowson.
The Darts did well to draw level early in the second half after Hemel broke the deadlock ten minutes from half-time but could not craft a winner from a host of chances.
Winger Funmaya Shomotun started the game in lively fashion, causing Hemel’s right-hand side all sorts of problems. He delivered a great ball to debutant Ollie Bray in the box, but the on-loan striker could only hook his shot into the gloves of Craig King.
It was Shomotun that really should have opened the scoring. He waltzed inside from the left and unleashed a shot seeking the bottom corner, but saw it blocked off the goal line despite beating King. He was presented with another great opening via a Luke Coulson set piece delivery, which he sliced well wide of Hemel’s goal.
Hemel struggled to get into the game, reflected by the number of early Dartford chances. Luke Coulson picked out a lovely ball over the top of the Tudors’ defence for Alex Wall, who brought it down before firing a shot at goal from a tight angle, which was subsequently saved.
After some tweaks were made to their 3-5-2 shape, however, they began to cut Dartford apart in the midfield. Josh Williams sent a tantalizing ball into the path of Michael Folivi from the left, but Leyton Orient’s Rhys Byrne dived into action to claim the cross.
Pierre Fonkeu was another returning face to Princes Park, but the forward was forced off through injury early in the half. His replacement, Joe Iaciofano, wriggled past Harrison Sodje and Ronny Nelson and slid a great ball across the box for Folivi, but the striker failed to get a touch.
Folivi, despite his misfortune in front of goal, was the player of the moment when he opened the scoring in the 34th minute. George Williams sliced through the heart of the Dartford midfield and poked a ball through to Folivi, who lifted the ball over Byrne and into the back of the net.
After going into half-time a goal down, the Darts emerged in the second half seemingly reenergised.
A goal line scramble saw them almost equalise – Wall’s ball across the box was met by Shomotun, whose shot at goal was blocked. The ball was crossed back in, but Rooney was unable to convert.
Shortly after, the latter did find the back of the net. Ike Orji’s failure to clear the Dartford free kick was Rooney’s gain, as he took it past the defender and calmly guided his shot into the bottom right corner. Of the 1,310 in attendance, the Dartford contingency finally had something to sing about.
Hemel did react well, however. Folivi laid the ball on a plate to an onrushing Iaciofano, but the substitute could only blast his shot over the bar.
Wall was presented with yet another chance in the box thanks to Coulson. He rifled a shot at goal in search of King’s near post, that instead flew over.
The Darts certainly felt hard done by when referee Nathan Oakes decided not to dismiss Anton Dworzak. Dworzak was booked in the first half for kicking the ball away and escaped a second yellow after clattering into Taylor Maloney. Coulson’s attempt from the resultant freekick sailed narrowly above the crossbar.
Dartford: Byrne, Block, Nelson, Rooney, Sodje, Wynter (Smith 89’), Maloney, Shomotun, Bray, Wall (Allen 79’), Coulson
Subs not used: Statham, Wray, Nembhard
Yellow: Wall, Sodje, Wynter
Hemel Hempstead: King, Williams, Hill (Re 46’), Williams, Gyamfu, Smith, Orji, Folivi (Matthews 78’), Dworzak, Fonkeu (Iaciofano 16’), Sendles-White
Subs not used: McKenzie, Macauley
Yellow: Dworzak
Attendance: 1,310
Referee: Nathan Oakes
Assistants: Bogdan Khymich & Nick Reece