Home»All Photographs»Dartford FC 2017-18»Dartford v Swindon Town FA Cup

Sunday 5 November, 2pm KO. Dartford lose 1:5 to League 2 side Swindon Town in the First Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Goals for Swindon Town: Elsnik (12', 26'), Smith (23'), Linganzi (47'), Mullin (50'). Goal for Dartford: Sho Silva (83')

Dartford hoped for better on their biggest cup game at Princes Park in seven years when they took on League Two promotion chasers Swindon Town. It’s only the second time in the history of Princes Park that Dartford have hosted a Football League side in a competitive match, a rare opportunity to become giantkillers. Whilst the Darts go into their F.A Cup first round tie having maintained and stretched their lead at the top of the National South last weekend, their former Premier League opponents are two divisions above in fifth place.

SWINDON Town ended their woeful recent FA Cup record in spectacular fashion this afternoon, roaring into the second round with an emphatic win away at non-league side Dartford. Swindon were 0:3 up at half time. Bradbrook and Wood both saw efforts from distance clear the crossbar although Dartford did pull a goal back eight minutes from time. Tom Murphy's shot came back off the post and there was Sho-Silva to smash home the rebound, so Dartford found a late consolation through centre-back Richard Sho Silva.

Town have fallen at the first hurdle in each of the last five seasons, with three of those early exits inflicted by opposition outside of the Football League. With Dartford sitting top of National League South, they may well have fancied their chances of inflicting more agony on Town, although that was never likely following a classy performance from David Flitcroft’s side at Princes Park.

Interestingly, it was back on 9 December 1933 that Dartford played the Robins in the FA Cup Second Round and lost 1:0. Since then, Swindon Town have had a chequered history, losing to non-league sides on a number of occasions. This year, they were determined it would not happen again!

DARTFORD: Ibrahim; Harris, Bonner, Sho-Silva, Onyemah; Hayes (Mfula 67), Brown (Wood 67), Noble, Bradbrook (capt), Della-Verde (Murphy 55); Pavey. Subs not used: Coxall, Vint, Fulton, Ahwieh.
SWINDON TOWN: Charles-Cook; Purkiss, Lancashire (capt), Preston, Taylor; Dunne, Elsnik (Goddard 38), Linganzi, McDermott (Gordon 74), Mullin (Woolery 54); Smith. Subs not used: Henry, Robertson, Knoyle, Iandolo.
Referee: Darren Drysdale
Attendance: 2,705

Images by Carol White-Griffiths and Peter White