Dartford took the points and the derby-day spoils as their quickfire start to this Boxing Day game left the Fleet with a mountain to climb.
A goal inside the first minute was added to within five more and a third by the 11th minute effectively finished the game as a contest, try as Fleet might to respond and work a path back to parity.
Fleet welcomed Chris Solly to the starting lineup after injury, and Greg Cundle returned too, with Franklin Domi deployed as he was against Worthing in a midfield berth. For the Darts, they had recalled goalkeeper Dan Wilks from his loan to take his place between the posts, while former Fleet midfielder Luke Coulson started.
And the visitors got off to the perfect start with the first attack straight from kick-off. Alex Wall put Solly under pressure with the Fleet skipper adamant his shirt was being pulled but referee Kirsty Dowle allowed play to continue and the Darts’ No.9 squared for Luke Allen to smash home.
Things got worse for the Fleet before 15 minutes were complete. On five minutes Wall again got forward to apply pressure as Haydn Hollis and Solly tried to mop up, getting a foot in to find Coulson looming through the middle and he struck the target for Dartford’s second.
And two became three on 11 minutes with some measure of fortune for the visitors. Cousins punched away a high ball after a corner, Coulson’s return ball in was miscued but still skipped through bodies in the box to the toes of Maxwell Statham who turned it into the corner from close range.
Naturally shellshocked by that opening period, Fleet tried to regroup, Cousins down well to gather Coulson’s effort on the break on 15 minutes. Moments later came the home side’s first decent opportunity, Rakish Bingham finding Dominic Poleon from the right but his shot was blocked by Connor Essam in the six-yard box, summing up Fleet’s recent luck in front of goal.
That luck was further emphasised 10 minutes later when Omari Sterling-James’ delightful footwork got him clear to attack from the halfway line; he found Domi who floated an effort towards the top corner that bounced off the crossbar.
Craig Tanner sent a free-kick just wide after Essam’s thudding challenge on Rakish Bingham on the edge of the box earned him the game’s first caution.
Domi’s committed run on 38 minutes fed an inviting through ball for Bingham who edged ahead of the covering defenders to fire a shot towards the bottom corner but Dan Wilks stretched wide to get a hand to that one. And then Dartford extended their lead still further as a long ball up and then a cross by Statham came over towards Cousins’ right post and Wall was in space, free to convert unchallenged with his head.
Fleet responded immediately, Tanner pulling one back three minutes from half-time, finding a gap over Wilks with a well-aimed shot from the blue on the edge of the box that flew in for 4-1. Bingham tried for a second in time added on as he exchanged passes with Cundle in the box but sent that over and Domi sent another into the same place as Dartford saw out the half in control.
The second period began as Sterling sniffed out half a chance that was blocked while at the other end Cousins snuffed out Statham’s effort at the foot of the post, blocking that for a corner.
Another talking point in terms of refereeing came on 52 minutes when Domi again showed some gutsy midfield play to find Sterling out wide – Samir Carruthers slammed into him in the box, sending the Fleet winger to the ground, but Dowle wasn’t interested.
Jordan Wynter dinked an effort just past the post on the hour mark before Tom Bonner snatched at a golden opportunity from close range, swinging a shot wild and wide of the post.
Former Bromley teammates Coulson and Cousins had plenty of exchanges and Cousins won the next one on 66 minutes as Wall released the former Fleet midfielder for a shot on goal. And Cousins was out again to keep Wall at bay from another break upfield on 74 minutes.
With the goals they needed not forthcoming, Fleet kept plugging away but with time ticking down, the Darts could afford to retreat – and although there were efforts on target from Sterling and Toby Edser, goalkeeper Wilks was behind both of them.
The result gives the Darts a three-point lead in the table, with Fleet maintaining a three-match advantage in terms of games in hand – and a chance to right some wrongs when next the sides meet on New Year’s Day.
EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, Solly, Hollis, Domi (Coulthirst 68), N’Guessan (Edser 60), Sterling-James, Cundle (Chapman 77), Tanner, Bingham, Poleon. Subs: Martin, Jombati
DFC: Wilks, Wynter (Fonkeu 82), Carruthers (Murtagh 77), Essam, Bonner, Coulson, Allen, Wall, Statham, Odaudu (Smith 55), Napa. Subs: Rodari, Fonkeu, Sheringham
Attendance: 2,905
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