A tough afternoon for Dartford saw fellow playoff-chasers Hampton and Richmond Borough edge the Darts out to win an even game.

Luke Wanadio put the Darts ahead early on but goals from Danilo Orsi-Dadomo and Ryan Hill turned the game around in the first half. Elliot Romain was sent off in the second half to compound Dartford’s woes.

On a sunny afternoon at Princes Park Steve King made a couple of changes to the team that won last week. Giovanni McGregor came in for the suspended Amrit Bansal-McNulty and Wanadio started in place of Liam Nash.

As early as the 6th minute Dartford took the lead following a great run down the left from Darren McQueen who was able to beat his man and put a brilliant cross into the box. Wanadio leapt the highest at the back post and had the simple task of nodding the ball into the net.

A superb pass from Tyrique Hyde over the left back gave Wanadio a chance to score his and Dartford’s second. He twisted and turned and got a shot away that was saved by the legs of goalkeeper Dion-Curtis Henry.

As the visitors tried to get back into the game Sam Deadfield had a couple of shots from outside the box. The first deflected wide for a corner and the second a half volley went about a foot wide.

The game was end to end and Dartford had a chance from a corner after more good work from Wanadio. Josh Hill managed to head the long corner back across goal only for McQueen to see his headed effort go wide.

The usually dependable Alhaji Sesay nearly gifted an equaliser after dropping a simple catch but Dartford were able to scramble the ball clear.

Dartford didn’t really recover from that mishap and some nice passing on the edge of the box ended with Orsi-Dadomo getting on the end of a great through ball from Jake Gray. He had the composure to slot the ball past Sesay to level the game.

A shot from McGregor from the edge of the box was saved by Henry as Dartford tried to restore their lead. They almost scored fortuitously when a cross from Wanadio hit the corner of the frame of the goal.

Three minutes before half time Hampton took the lead. Ryan Hill ran down the wing, got behind the defence and managed to finish from a tight angle.

Early in the second half McQueen had a chance to level the score after getting behind the defence but was denied by Henry.

Hampton’s defence had tightened up in the second half as Dartford struggled to break them down and an effort from Niko Muir was comfortably saved by Sesay to stop Hampton extending their lead

The home side’s task was made a lot tougher when the referee adjudged Romain to dive and gave him his second yellow with 25 minutes to go.

The visitors almost sealed victory when Gray had an opportunity in the box but his effort was hit straight at Sesay.

Dartford weren’t finished and a corner saw Hill head wide and a final opportunity came when Wanadio received the ball on the corner of the box but his effort was poor.

Hampton held on for the win and are now only four points behind Dartford with two games in hand. Dartford remain in 7th place but will see this as three points dropped.

Next week Dartford travel to Essex to take on Billericay.

Dartford: Sesay, Ming, Braham-Barrett (Nash 81), Crook, Hill, Bonner, McGregor (Sheringham 72), Hyde, Romain, McQueen, Wanadio

Subs not used:Vint, Arnold, Noble

Hampton and Richmond Borough: Henry, Cox, Farell, Inman, Wassmer, Gray, Hill (Donaldson 79), Ahmidi (Miller-Rodney 70), Orsi-Dadomo (McAuley 87), Muir, Deadfield

Subs not used: Laarbi, Ruddick

Referee: Joel Mannix

Attendance: 1263