After a first league win since February on Saturday, Dartford return to Princes Park to play their rearranged fixture with high-flying Worthing on Tuesday.
Ady Pennock claimed his first win as Dartford manager at the weekend, as his side came back from a goal down to beat Havant 2-1 at Westleigh Park.
Goals from Joash Nembhard and Olly Box, as well as a Vanarama Team of the Week performance from Luke Allen, helped secure the Darts’ first three points since February 17th, when they beat Dover by the same scoreline.
Despite the win, Dartford still remain in the relegation zone, but find themselves just one point away from safety.
A win on Tuesday evening would see a feat that the Darts have only managed once this season, being back-to-back victories in the league. This last came in September, when they recorded consecutive wins over Tonbridge and Chippenham, but they have only won on seven occasions since.
In the last game at Princes Park, Dartford saw injuries suffered by Tommy Block and Brandon Barzey. It is likely that the duo will remain out for this clash, as well as Manny Adebowale, Ollie Bray, Tom Wray, and Sam Odaudu, who all missed Saturday’s game. As injury crises go, it could not be untimelier with the non-league transfer deadline having already passed.
Worthing played the part of the league’s party-poopers on Saturday, as they denied Yeovil from clinching the title. The Rebels are currently fifth in the league, and still in the search for a by to the playoff semi-final through finishing in the top three. A win against the Darts would, at the very least, see them almost certainly guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs.
Aarran Racine’s side, inherited from recently departed manager Adam Hinshelwood, are the league’s top scorers, with 94 goals in 43 games. A large contributor to this has been Ollie Pearce, who has notched an astonishing 38 goals so far this season. His achievements have also been acknowledged at international level, with the versatile forward featuring in the latest England C squad.
Earlier this campaign, the Darts emerged victorious from the reverse fixture as they edged a 4-3 encounter via a late Tyrell Miller-Rodney goal. It will likely be a well-fought game, with both teams still having plenty to play for with three games remaining.
Kick-off is at 19:45 on Tuesday, with tickets priced at £10 for adults and £5 for concessions. Admission for under 18s is free.