Dartford host their first Kent derby of the season when they face last season’s runners up Chatham Town on Bank Holiday Monday.
The two sides meet for the first time in 17 years and are are both expected to be challenging for promotion this term. The Darts are looking for a way back to the National South at the first attempt, despite making wholesale changes over the summer. The Chats missed out last time losing the playoff final and are hoping to continue their rise up the football pyramid.
Brendon Cass was Dartford’s scorer last time this fixture was played in April 2007. However, it was to no avail as the hosts went down 3-1 in Isthmian Division One South. The reverse fixture four months earlier went better for Tony Burman’s side as they won 3-2 thanks to goals from Ryan Hayes, Jay May and Lew Watts.
At the end of that season Dartford switched to the Isthmian Division One North and won the title at the first attempt. A couple of years later the Darts were Isthmian Premier champions. After two more campaigns they were up from the National South to the National League via the playoffs. In that same period Chatham Town remained in Isthmian Division One bouncing between the South and North divisions until relegation to the South Counties East in 2017.
Fortunes have changed with Dartford now back in step three joining Chatham Town. The catalyst for the Chats seems to be chairman and now manager Kevin Hake, who took over the club seven years ago following the drop to step five. Hake became manager after the covid years and won consecutive promotions before almost making it three in a row last term.
At the time of writing (before the Bank Holiday weekend), the Darts have already tasted triumph in a Kent derby beating newly promoted Cray Valley Paper Mills 2-1 on the opening day. Although Adrian Pennock’s side fell to defeat in their first home game against Potters Bar Town, they bounced back with a 2-0 home win over Canvey Island ahead of their away fixture at Carshalton Athletic.
Labelled as one of the favourites for the title prior to the start of the season, Chatham Town lost their opening day fixture at Lewes. At a goal down Jamie Yila missed a late penalty for the Chats before the Rooks went on to score another. Their first home match of the season saw Chatham Town draw with another side expecting to be challenging for promotion in Billericay Town. A goal down two minutes into second-half stoppage time, a point was rescued when Kofi Anokye-Boadi made it 1-1.
Four days later two former Dartford players found the back of the net as Chatham Town recorded their first win of the season. Jack Evans and Rowan Liburd scored in a 2-0 victory over Bowers and Pitsea. Evans made 16 appearances for the Darts in the 2012/2013 season scoring twice. Liburd featured just three times whilst on loan in 2019/2020. Two former Premier League players were also involved in the victory in Essex. Freddie Sears once of West Ham United and Stuart O’Keefe who played for Crystal Palace. The pair were signed recently to add experience to the squad from Braintree Town and Aldershot Town respectively. On the weekend the Chats hosted Dulwich Hamlet.
On this day
Dartford are unbeaten in their last five games on 26 August winning four of them. Last season, Harvey Bradbury’s injury time winner against Aveley earned the Darts their first victory of the campaign. Hungerford Town are the only side to take points from Dartford in the unbeaten sequence. The Darts let a 2-1 lead slip with two minutes to go after Darren McQueen and Luke Wanadio both scored in the first-half at Bulpit Lane. Two Elliot Bradbrook penalties helped Dartford beat Hemel Hempstead Town 3-0 on the road in 2019, Alfie Pavey chipped in with the third. In the National League 11 years ago, Danny Harris and Kenny Clark scored in a 2-0 away win at Tamworth. In 2006, Jay May scored the only goal in a home win over Kingstonian in the Isthmian Division One South.
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