Coming back from two down, Dartford defeated visitors Cray Valley PM in extra time in their Isthmian Premier League play-off eliminator.

Things weren’t looking good for the Darts until a key incident, with just over twenty minutes remaining, turned the game on its head. Crossley Lema elbowed Callum Jones off the ball in the penalty area. Although the referee didn’t see it, his assistant did and once they had conferred, Lema was dismissed and a penalty awarded. Samir Carruthers converted and the Darts were back in the game.

They then showed their persistence when scoring with the last kick of time added on before scoring two more in extra time. The Millers pulled one back with three minutes remaining but it was too little too late. 

Jacob Marsden was the first goalkeeper to be called into action when making a save from Daniel Bowry after Danny Waldren had drifted deep and headed a Millers corner back across the face of goal.

That should have been a warning to Dartford but it wasn’t heeded as Cray repeated their corner routine in the seventh minute and Waldren again peeled off. This time he headed back inside the far post. He was credited with the goal by the stadium announcer, although Freddie Parker might have got the last touch.

Denzel Gayle had a shot pushed out by Marsden before Josh Hill had Dartford’s first meaningful effort with a long range shot that went wide. Sam Okoye created their next one with a low cross that was stabbed wide by Jeremiah Pinder then the Darts striker chased a long Sam Odaudu throw in down the line and shot across the face of goal.

Tom Beere hit a free kick over for the Millers before Hill met a Dartford corner at the far post and headed down and wide. Barney Williams had the last shot of the first half with a shot that started going wide and swerved further away. 

Three minutes after the interval, Cray scored their second which was almost a carbon copy of their first goal. Again, they formed a queue from a corner before Waldren drifted away to meet Beere’s deep corner and head back inside the far post. 

Gayle then broke down the wing and cut in before his fierce drive was held well by Marsden. 

Okoye got to the bye-line and pulled it back to Olly Box whose first time shot went just wide of the near post before Cray then went close with a brilliant slick break. Gayle found Matty Vigor who exchanged passes with Kenny Aileru before the latter fired inches wide of the far post.

Lema then had his rush of blood, was dismissed, and Carruthers sent Harrison Chamberlain the wrong way from the spot. Dartford almost levelled a couple of minutes later when a defensive header looped over Chamberlain and came back out off the bar. 

Time looked to be running out for the hosts after Odaudu shot over but in the seventh minute of stoppage time, they equalised. Odaudu struck a low free kick that took a deflection to take it into the roof of the net.

In the fourth minute of extra time, the Darts went ahead. Odaudu crossed from the left and Hayden Bullas finished from close range. Then three minutes before extra time half time, Dartford scored again. Hill hit a long distance shot that Chamberlain couldn’t hold and George Whitefield bundled it home.

Adam Coombes scored with a great finish for the Millers, but it was only a consolation goal.

Now, Dartford can look forward to the play-off decider against Dover Athletic on Monday and, once the dust has settled, the Millers can celebrate their best league position in their history.

Dartford: Marsden, Okoye (Carruthers 62 (Christian-Law 107)), Odaudu, Hill (Nayler 112), Williams, Whitefield, Jones, Olopade, Pinder (Dsane 53), Bullas, Box (Dunne 98).

Subs not used: None. 

Goal scorers: Carruthers pen (70), Odaudu (90+7), Bullas (94), Whitefield (102)

Yellow cards: Jones (77 foul), Hill (88 foul), Odaudu (105 delay of restart), Bullas (108 delay of restart)

Cray Valley PM: Chamberlain, Williams, Lema, Waldren, Oshilaja, Bowry, Gayle (McKimm 106), Vigor (Cumberbatch 82), Parker (Barrington 82), Beere (Black 74), Aileru (Coombes 86).

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Waldren (7), (48), Coombes (117)

Yellow cards: Bowry (25 foul), Waldren (63 foul), Chamberlain (84 delay of restart), Coombes (90+5 delay of restart), Cumberbatch (115 foul)

Red card: Lema (69 serious foul play)

Referee: Daniel Blades

Assistants: George Lowe and Ben Al-Shaikh

Fourth Official: Joe Burgess

Attendance: 2,002