Danny Harris’ sixth goal of the season secured Dartford a point against a Stockport County side who belied their lowly league position to extend Tony Burman’s side almost to their limits.

County took the lead on 17 minutes when Marcus Bettinelli in the Darts goal fumbled Adnan Cirak’s shot into Mark Cullen’s path who gleefully fired home.  It was a lead that the visitors were to hold until the 71st minute, when Harris muscled into the box and although his initial shot was blocked by the Stockport defence and almighty scramble ensued and it was Harris who claimed the credit as the ball was scrambled across the line.  Overall it was a deserved point each, but both sides will wonder if they perhaps missed the chance for the win.

The Darts could have been in front as early as the 7th minute.  Ryan Hayes and Lee Burns combined brilliantly down the right, and the overlapping Burns sent in a fine cross which the unmarked James Rogers headed over from six yards.

Cullen’s rebound then put the visitors in front and for the rest of the first half Dartford struggled to come to terms with their visitors football.  Cullen almost doubled the lead within a minute as Bettinelli flapped at a cross, before Cullen turned provider as his cross was met by a flying Jon Nolan, who’s header went fractionally wide.

Cullen himself then headed wide before County came even closer when Danny Whitehead’s low drive seemed to have crept into the corner of the net beyond Bettinelli’s drive, but the giant keeper just got finger tips to the shot and tipped the ball round the post.

The second half began with Dartford responding to Tony Burman’s words and they upped the tempo just it took them ten minutes to threaten the County goal when Hayes angled drive flew across the face of goal.

On 67 minutes Harris was denied an equaliser by a fine piece of defending by James Tunnicliffe (who along with his central defensive partner Johan Hammar was outstanding) – an Adam Green free kick flew inches wide after Harris’ flick was flicked wide by the defender.

From the resulting corner, Hayes forced keeper Richard O’Donnell into a desperate punch behind, but from the third corner it was so very nearly resulted in Stockport doubling their lead.  Cullen broke from the defenses clearance, and as he sprinted into the box his low shot was brilliantly parried by Bettinelli who relieved when the rebound went fractionally behind the onrushing Whitehead.

Harris then scrambled the equaliser and the Darts had been level for less than a minute when keeper Bettinelli pulled off the save of the night to deny full back Matty Mainwaring’s stinging drive.

And as the ball disappeared to the corner, it was as though Stockport’s night went the same way – it was almost as if conceding the goal knocked the stuffing out of the visitors, and the Darts could easily have claimed all three points.

From another Hayes corner, Tom Champion saw a header brilliantly headed off the line by Sean Newton, and moments later Harry Crawford had an effort scrambled clear, again from a Hayes cross. 

Substitute Nathan Collier could have won the game for the home side in the closing minutes cutting in off the left only for his curling shot to just beat the far post with O’Donnell floundering.  Some will look at the result and say its two points dropped and they’re probably right, but it was one of those games where neither side deserved to lose.

DARTFORD – Bettinelli, Green, Champion, Bonner, Hayes, Wallis (Evans), Bradbrook, Harris (Collier), Rogers (Erskine), Burns, Crawford

Subs – Arber and Sutton

STOCKPORT – O’Donnell, Halls, Newton, Hammar, Tunnicliffe, Whitehead (Hackney), Kenyon, Cullen (Macken), Nolan, Cirak, Mainwaring

Subs – Ormson, Fagbola and Marshall

Referee – Paul Rees
Assistants – Gary Parsons and Peter Lavelle
Fourth official – Simeon Potter

Attendance – 757