Dartford maintained their unbeaten record against Cambridge United, with an entertaining 3-3 draw against the team currently lying 2nd in the Conference Premier.
Although manager Tony Burman admitted it was disappointing to concede 3 at home, the Darts made the league’s stingiest defence look almost porous by fully deserving the three they scored.
Despite conceding 2 goals inside the first 16 minutes, the home side battled back to be on even terms at the interval, before Danny Harris’ stunning volley put Dartford ahead on 70.
Alan Julian pulled off a wonderful save to deny Cambridge an equaliser from the spot, but the visitors did level with ten minutes remaining. As the weather worsened, it was the visitors who looked more likely, but Dartford held on to claim a fully deserved point.
Burman was overjoyed with the overall performance, saying “It’s not just about playing a certain way, you’ve got to work hard to get results in this league.”
“With the hard work, you’ve got a chance of getting something out of the game. It takes a long time to build that energy and spirit that the team needs, and it takes more than just 5 or 6 being on top of their game, but at least now we’ve got a couple of results in the last week. Let’s enjoy it.”
“We were unlucky that the first goal has come off Kenny’s back, but the second, we were bullied out of it. We didn’t set our stall out for the first 15 minutes, but then we chased everything and got back into the game.”
“Hitting the bar was just the encouragement, but the save their keeper has pulled off from the other freekick was just superb.”
“We’ve found ourselves in a little league of our own now, where there’s 5 or 6 teams, and we’ve got to aim to top that league. If we can perform as we have over the last couple of games, then we’ve every chance of doing that.”
Looking to build on their confidence-boosting victory over Kidderminster Harriers, Dartford got off to the worst possible start falling behind in the 2nd minute, as a calamitous mix-up left Cambridge’s loanee from Portsmouth, Ryan Bird, able to mark his debut with the simplest of tap-ins.
A hopeful high ball was lifted towards the Dartford area and, as Alan Julian called to claim the ball, Kenny Clark ducked out of the way. The dropping ball rebounded from Clark’s back into the path of Bird, who slid the ball under Julian’s despairing dive in front of the travelling U’s fans.
Within moments, it should have been two to the visitors as Tom Elliott’s shot cannoned back off Julian’s right post with the keeper well beaten, and midfielder Liam Hughes climbed highest in the area, but somehow directed his header across the face, rather than at the goal.
It took Dartford 12 minutes to show any sort of threat, which came from an Alex Wall freekick that John Sullivan, another Pompey loan signing, did well to beat away from his right post.
Cambridge doubled their lead on 16 as Bird claimed his second of the afternoon, but once again Dartford’s defending left a lot to be desired. Another long straight ball should have been dealt with by either Mat Mitchell-King or Lee Burns, but Bird managed to outmuscle Burns, and lift a deft finish over Julian into the left corner with the outside of his right foot.
Wall and Danny Harris were looking increasingly isolated and frustrated with Dartford struggling to put any meaningful possession together. A Wall freekick from 30 yards that crashed off the face of the Cambridge bar seemed to give the home side some hope; even if no-one was alert to react to the half-chance that followed.
Wall and Harris then combined for another shot from the Luton-loan striker that Sullivan parried away from goal, just before Dartford were given a lifeline in the game.
Tyrone Sterling’s deep cross from the left saw Sullivan and Jim Stevenson challenge. With the ball allowed to bounce in the area, Alex Woodyard leapt highest and was bundled away by left-back Gregg Taylor’s challenge, which saw Mr Whitton point to the spot. Elliot Bradbrook smashed the ball hard and high down the middle to reduce the deficit.
Harris and Elliott each had a chance to add to their team’s score, but Dartford’s concerted pressure in first half stoppage time told as Max Cornhill powered home the equaliser.
Woodyard’s curling cross from the right found Cornhill arriving late. The midfielder’s run allowed him to outjump Josh Cowson, and although Sullivan got a hand to the ball, it nestled in the bottom right corner.
Dartford’s defence relaxed early in the second half as Bird was forced from the field through injury, and both back lines worked to deny their opponents time and space.
Mat Mitchell-King made a timely block to a Gregg Taylor shot, after Tyrone Sterling had denied Nathan Arnold’s break, and Kenny Clark’s header stopped Tom Elliott getting a clear sight of goal.
Almost against the run of play, Danny Harris stunned the U’s travelling support with an incredible moment of improvisation. The Darts’ forward picked up the ball from a quick throw and, realising that Sullivan had strayed from his line, fired a dipping shot from 30 yards on the angle that glanced off the bar and into the net.
Four minutes later, and it was Alan Julian the hero to maintain the lead. Josh Gillies weaved his way across the front of the area and went down over Cornhill’s challenge, with Mr Whitton once again pointing to the spot to the dismay of the home crowd.
Ashley Chambers stepped up, but Julian threw himself full-length to his right to save by the right post.
Cambridge United brought the scores level with 10 minutes remaining, as Gillies’ free kick into the box was glanced home by the unmarked Luke Berry, and this was the lift the visitor’s needed.
As the weather worsened, with thunder, lightning, driving rain and hail being blown into the Dartford faces by a strengthening wind, Gillies had an opportunity from another freekick that Julian did well to save flying to his right.
But Dartford’s tireless effort ensured United were restricted to shots from distance that rarely troubled the goal.
Now, with leaders Luton Town and promotion challengers Wrexham and Aldershot coming up in the next couple of weeks, this was much more like the Dartford performances from last season, when they upset a number of the leading contenders.
DARTFORD: Alan Julian,, Lee Burns, Tyrone Sterling, Kenny Clark, Mat Mitchell-King, Max Cornhill, Elliot Bradbrook, Alex Woodyard (Lee Noble 83), Jim Stevenson, Danny Harris, Alex Wall.
Subs not used: Nathan Collier, Ben Swallow, Tom Wellham, Ishmail Kamara.
Goals: Elliot Bradbrook 25 (pen), Max Cornhill 45+2, Danny Harris 70.
Bookings: Kenny Clark 81, Jim Stevenson 90+1.
CAMBRIDGE UNITED: John Sullivan, Gregg Taylor, Josh Cowson, Ian Miller, Ryan Donaldson (Luke Berry 70), Tom Champion, Tom Elliott, Richard Tait, Liam Hughes (Josh Gillies 62), Ashley Chambers, Ryan Bird (Nathan Arnold 51).
Subs not used: Kevin Roberts, Will Norris.
Goals: Ryan Bird 2 & 16, Luke Berry 80.
Attendance: 2,023
Referee: Mr Rob Whitton
Assistants: Mr Samuel Ogles and Mr Neil West
4th Official: Mr Adrian Quelch