THE AWAY END - Dartford

DARTFORD

Nickname: The Darts
Manager: Adrian Pennock
Stadium: Princes Park
Capacity: 4,100

It’s a third consecutive home game against Kent opposition tonight as Dartford make the trip across the Thames to New Lodge. The Darts saw their impressive 11-game unbeaten run come to an end on Saturday but have still enjoyed a strong start to the campaign.

Adrian Pennock’s side sit sixth in the Isthmian Premier Division heading into this evening’s clash, with 24 points from 15 matches. Their first league defeat since 16 August came at the weekend, when a stoppage-time winner saw Wingate & Finchley snatch a 2-1 victory at Princes Park.

On the road, the Darts have found wins harder to come by, recording one victory, a 2-0 success at Cray Wanderers at the end of October, alongside three draws and two defeats from their six away fixtures.

Dartford have been one of the division’s entertainers so far, netting 31 goals, the third-highest tally in the league. Eddie Dsane and Ollie Box have led the charge, scoring ten and nine goals in all competitions respectively. The only familiar face in the Darts squad is Callum Jones, who made seven appearances and scored once for the Blues during the 2023/24 season.

Tonight marks the first time we’ve faced the same opponent twice this league campaign. The reverse fixture in August ended level, with Liam Nash cancelling out Box’s opener to earn the Blues a point in Kent. The last meeting at New Lodge came in October 2024, when Ricay ran out 4-0 winners thanks to goals from Tom Bender, Frankie Merrifield, Moses Emmanuel, and Matt Johnson.

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