Dartford won the 2016 Kent Reliance Senior Cup by beating holders Charlton Athletic in an enjoyable Final played at Princes Park in front of another 1,000 plus gate.

Ahead at the midway point of the first half through skipper Elliot Bradbrook’s shot on the turn after the young Addicks didn’t clear a corner, only for Charlton to level eight minutes later when Josh Umerah was on hand to take advantage of a mistake from Darts keeper Dean Gardikiotis.

Charlton responded with a great start to the second half, but Gardikiotis and his defence held firm before sealing the Cup courtesy of two goals in the last quarter of an hour from Man of the Match Ronnie Vint and young sub Ben Francis, who received special praise from Darts boss Tony Burman when KSN spoke to him.

He told us, “I think we got our just deserves tonight – we stayed organised and got through the spell at the start of the second half when they were on top and I’m delighted for young Ben.”

“He’s still only 17 years old and has been threatening to do what he did tonight for a while. We started the season off by saying we’d use as many young players as we could. And I think the “older” boys have been tremendous in doing that all season.”

Given that the Darts can still reach the National League South Play Offs at the weekend with a convincing win at St Albans, the selection that Burman made to play a near full strength side in the game was full vindicated as a delighted manager explained.

“I’m also delighted that we’ve treated the competition with the respect it deserves,” Burman said, “and we’ve got in return what we deserved!”

Charlton boss Jason Euell was gracious in defeat but also paid his own side – who are the club’s under 21s – massive praise.

He told KSN, “For us tonight was about retaining the Trophy, but it wasn’t meant to be and congrats to Dartford. It’s a disappointment for us as it was one of the objectives we set out at the start of the season!”

“We played into their hands a little bit in the second half, and we’ve told them that this whole competition playing every game away from home is part of their learning curve into men’s football which is where they all want to go.”

“To them it’s getting out of the comfort zone of playing under 21 football and experiencing what it’s like to play at this level where you’ve got to become men yourself. But they’re still young and sometimes they have to change the way they play depends who you’re up against – that said for them to get here (into the final) again is a great achievement.”

Indeed it was the young Charlton side who had the better early half chances, the best of which fell to Umerah who fizzed a drive across the face of the Darts goal, whilst at the other end the impressive Becka-Kah Dembele fired narrowly wide from the far side that had keeper Dimitar Miton grasping thin air.

The Darts took the lead on 20 minutes when following a left wing corner, keeper Miton could only claw the ball to the edge of the box where, Elliot Bradbrook hooked the ball back over his shoulder and into the net.

It was a lead though that only lasted eight minutes as Brandon Hanlan’s low cross had keeper Gardikiotis stopping a slice clearance from going in, but he couldn’t hold on and Umerah was on hand to bundle to ball over the line.

Charlton came flying out of the blocks at the start of the second half and Mikhail Kennedy will be disappointed that he couldn’t convert Hanlan’s centre, before Tom Bradbrook’s glancing header from Ryan Hayes centre flashed wide.

The Darts though were not to be denied and went back in front from their next attack as a corner caused chaos in the Charlton box and despite the best and frantic efforts of keeper Miton, Vint was on hand to force the ball over the line.

It meant that Charlton had to push on and a couple of minutes later, the triumph was sealed and referee Paul Yates is to be hugely applauded for his part in it.  A through ball looked like it was going to release Tom Bradbrook, only for the Darts centre forward to be blocked off by a Charlton defender.

Instead of blowing for the free-kick, the official spotted that the ball was running to Francis, and waved play on, allowing the young sub to race clear and coolly drill his shot across the keeper and into the bottom corner.

The final whistle not only meant the Cup was heading back to the Dartford trophy cabinet, it also meant that the 2016 festival of football that has been all twenty of the Kent FA Cup Finals had drawn to a hugely successful close.

 

DARTFORD – Dean Gardikitis, Tom Gardiner, Tom Wynter, Ronnie Vint, Keaton Wood, Lee Burns, Ryan Hayes, Elliot Bradbrook, Tom Bradbrook (Andy Pugh), Barry Cogan (Ben Francis), Becka-kah Dembele (Danny Harris)

Subs – Jack Simmons, Nathan Ferguson

CHARLTON ATHLETIC – Dimitar Miton, Aaron Barnes, Archie Edwards (Regan Charles-Cook), Anfernee Dikjsteel, Josh Staunton, Terell Thomas, Josh Umerah, Joe Aribo, Zak Ansah, Mikhail Kennedy, Brandon Hanlan

Subs – Ezri Konsa. Jordan Beeney, Karlan Ahearne-Grant

REFEREE – Paul Yates

ASSISTANTS – Darren Blunden, Michael Marsh, Saul Kay