Things are going from bad to worse for Dartford and manager Tony Burman, who now sit seven points from safety in Conference National following a 2-1 defeat against nine-man FC Halifax, and having used up their game in hand.
Dartford’s fourth consecutive league defeat since Christmas Day had looked a long way off when Harry Crawford stabbed home a ninth minute opener. FC Halifax levelled through Matty Pearson on 32 before the visitors were reduced to ten men with Lois Maynard’s controversial dismissal.
Substitute Scott Boden put Halifax ahead on 68 from the spot, although the award of the penalty was another contentious moment, and the visitors went down to nine men just three minutes later. Try as they might though, Dartford rarely looked like finding an equaliser against a resolute Halifax defence.
For the first half hour, Dartford didn’t look like a side facing a relegation fight, and seemed to have taken absent skipper Elliot Bradbrook’s programme notes to heart. Bradbrook, missing a league match for the first time this season, and facing a couple of weeks on the sidelines, had called for the side to start pulling in the same direction, and the Darts were certainly the more positive side in the opening exchanges.
A quick throw down the right wing saw Danny Harris flick a pass into Harry Crawford’s path. Crawford played an early cross to Nathan Green, whose shot was blocked for a corner. Lee Noble swung his corner in from the left side, for Matt Mitchell-King to head into the 6-yard box. Crawford was quickest to react to the dropping ball, and stabbed the ball into the roof of the net to give Dartford the lead in the 9th minute.
Halifax didn’t put a shot on target until the 20th minute, with Danny Schofield’s shot skidding into Deren Ibrahim’s arms, after a long throw from Marc Roberts.
With the wind and driving rain behind them, Dartford were finding success playing the ball in behind the Halifax defence. Harris broke through and seemed to be favourite to get to the ball first, but Matt Glennon was quickly off his line to deny Harris, and the keeper also won the follow-up challenge to deny Crawford. The ball broke to Ryan Hayes, who lifted his shot over the bar.
FC Halifax equalised on 32 following a sustained spell of pressure. Paul Marshall’s ball in to Richard Peniket allowed the forward to spin past Mitchell-King, and Peniket’s left foot shot drew a save from Ibrahim, one-handed to his left. The ball ran away from the keeper allowing Matty Pearson to tap home.
The visitors were reduced to ten men on 40, as Lois Maynard was dismissed following a seemingly innocuous clash with Lee Noble. The two players were jostling for position waiting for a throw near the Dartford bench, when they both fell backwards to the ground. The referee, Mr Whitton, took a moment to think before producing a red card for the Halifax forward; for what can only be assumed to be an elbow.
This incident lit the touch paper as Scott McManus went into the book for a challenge on Mitchell-King, and Peniket seemed intent on revenge following a clash with Rory McAuley, before being calmed down at the interval.
Despite being a man short, FC Halifax started the second half confidently and McAuley had to deflect a shot from Peniket over the bar. Although a Hayes cross caused a moment of discomfort for Glennon, it was Halifax who were looking the better organised, and Peniket’s run and cross allowed Marshall to curl a shot goalwards, but straight at Ibrahim.
The Shaymen made two changes on 64, and were looking like the side believing that they could win the game. Their opportunity came on 68, as Schofield’s miscued shot from outside the area bounced off Noble, and as Lee Burns went to clear the ball, Mr Whitton pointed to the spot with the Dartford bench and players looking on in disbelief. Scott Boden, only on the pitch for 4 minutes, confidently jogged up to take the penalty, sending Ibrahim the wrong way.
Three minutes later, and FC Halifax found themselves down to NINE men with the dismissal of right-back James Bolton following an over-the-ball challenge on Max Cornhill. At first it appeared that Mr Whitton was allowing play to continue, but suddenly the whistle was blown and the red card brandished.
On 79, Dartford almost over-committed, as the Shaymen broke from a Dartford corner. Pearson found Peniket as Halifax found themselves in a 3-on-1 attack against Mitchell-King. As Darts defenders tried to recover their position, Peniket and Boden seemed to get the ball stuck under their feet, and Schofield’s shot hit Mitchell-King’s head, deflecting wide.
Too often Dartford resorted to long crosses, without ever managing to find a way in behind the wall of defenders. Even when a cross found its way into the middle, there was the head of Marc Roberts or Steve Williams rising high to clear. Chances started to arrive deep in stoppage time, as Crawford found Noble bursting into the box, but the Darts midfielder could only stab a shot goalwards, without any real power, allowing Glennon to fall on the shot.
Tom Bradbrook had a header at the left post, having climbed above the Halifax defence, but he couldn’t direct his effort on target, and Kevin Roberts threw his body across a Crawford shot to ensure the Shaymen earned a vital three points.
The two sides won’t have long before they meet again; back at Princes Park on 24th January in the last 16 of the FA Trophy, where Dartford will be hoping their Cup form will be enough to change tonight’s result.
DARTFORD: Deren Ibrahim, Lee Burns, Callum Driver (Tom Bradbrook 82), Matt Mitchell-King, Rory McAuley, Ryan Hayes, Max Cornhill (Peter Sweeney 73), Lee Noble, Nathan Green, Harry Crawford, Danny Harris.
Subs not used: Tony Kessell, Luke Daley, Nathan Collier.
Goal: Harry Crawford 9.
Booking: Peter Sweeney 79.
FC HALIFAX: Matt Glennon, James Bolton, Scott McManus, Marc Roberts, Steve Williams, Adam Smith (Kevin Roberts 64), Paul Marshall (Scott Boden 64), Matty Pearson, Danny Schofield, Lois Maynard, Richard Peniket.
Subs not used: Phil Senior, Ross Dyer, Sam Hillhouse.
Goals: Matty Pearson 32, Scott Boden 68(pen).
Bookings: Scott McManus 42, Danny Schofield 90.
Dismissed: Lois Maynard 40, James Bolton 71.
Attendance: 811
Referee: Mr Rob Whitton
Assistants: Mr Andrew Parker and Mr Anthony Da Costa
4th Official: Mr Stuart Pawley