Created 18-Apr-25
207 photos
18 April 2025. Good Friday match Dartford 3 (Samir Carruthers 15', Denzelle Olopade 36', Josh Hill 47'): Dover Athletic 1 (Ruben Soares Junior 79').
It was Derby Day Delight for Dartford, as they beat Kent rivals Dover Athletic to remain top of the Isthmian Premier League table with a fifth win in six games.
With a bumper crowd of 1,878 turning up at Princes Park, neither side failed to disappoint during an excellent game of Non-League football on a lovely Good Friday afternoon. Both teams went at it hammer and tong in a competitive opening few minutes, as George Nikaj fired straight into the arms of Jacob Marsden early on. Olly Box and Samir Carruthers both went close at the other end, before the former’s excellent control and run was abruptly ended by a foul on the edge of the Whites’ box. Carruthers stepped up to send a wonderful curling effort beyond Jordan Gillmore and into the top corner to give the Darts a fourteenth minute lead. The visitors responded via Alfie Matthews who couldn’t keep his header down, before great goalkeeping by Marsden prevented the excellent Ruben Soares-Junior from having a free shot on goal (28). The Dover Captain would prove to be the only real bright spark in his team, and was a constant thorn in Dartford’s side all afternoon. However, despite their efforts, Dover soon found themselves further behind when they failed to deal with a long throw from Sam Odaudu. The ball was flicked into the path of Denzelle Olopade, who doubled the hosts’ lead with his seventh goal of the season (36). Dover responded once again via Soares-Junior, who smacked the Dartford upright with a delightful effort before the break.
At the beginning of the second forty-five, the hosts were forced into an early change in personnel with Louis Dunne having to replace Samir Carruthers (46). Ady Pennock would then go on to swap Hayden Bullas with Jeremiah Pinder (65), Eddie Dsane for Olly Box (74), before Callum Jones left the field to be replaced by Tyler Christian-Law (80). Meanwhile in the opposite dugout, Jake Leberl responded by swapping Alfie Matthews with Francis Mampolo (63) and Fuad Sesay with Tamas Amgbaduba (82). The Whites’ boss then made a triple substitution four minutes from time with Conrad Lucan, Jeremiah Gyebi, and Eniye Amgbaduba all coming on for George Nikaj, Joe Tennent, and Ryan Hanson respectively.
As we return to the restart of the second-half, we find the Darts bursting out of the blocks once again. Olly Box raced down the left-flank, before sending a delightful cross towards the head of Josh Hill. And the commanding Dartford Skipper couldn’t miss with his towering header, as he put his side 3-0 to the good (47). Ruben Soares-Junior pulled one back for the visitors with a delightful and deserved strike with eleven minutes remaining, but it would prove to only be a consolation goal because, the Darts saw out the remainder of the match with another solid defensive display.
Substitute Eddie Dsane almost had the last laugh after stealing the ball away from Joe Tennent, but the Dartford striker was thwarted by an alert Jordan Gillmore in the end (85).
There were many excellent performances across the Dartford squad this afternoon, but another solid defensive unit led by Josh Hill meant that it was the Skipper who was rewarded with a well-deserved Man of The Match award for his efforts on what was a happy Good Friday indeed.
TEAMS
DARTFORD: Jacob Marsden, Sam Odaudu, Michael Olarewaju, George Whitefield, Josh Hill (c), Samuel Okoye, Hayden Bullas, Denzelle Olopade, Samir Carruthers, Olly Box, Callum Jones.
SUBSTITUTES: Luther Williams, Tyler Christian-Law, Eddie Dsane, Louis Dunne, Jeremiah Pinder.
DOVER ATHLETIC: Jordan Gillmore, Roman Charles-Cook, Fuad Sesay, Joe Tennent, Luca Cocoracchio, Luke Baptiste, Alfie Matthews, George Nikaj, Ruben Soares-Junior (c), Jacob Mensah, Ryan Hanson.
SUBSTITUTES: Jeremiah Gyebi, Eniye Amgbaduba, Tamas Amgbaduba, Francis Mampolo, Conrad Lucan.
Referee: Mitchell Terry
Assists: Archie Wayne, Stephen Vera
Att: 1,878
MoTM: Josh Hill
Report: Chris Palmer
It was Derby Day Delight for Dartford, as they beat Kent rivals Dover Athletic to remain top of the Isthmian Premier League table with a fifth win in six games.
With a bumper crowd of 1,878 turning up at Princes Park, neither side failed to disappoint during an excellent game of Non-League football on a lovely Good Friday afternoon. Both teams went at it hammer and tong in a competitive opening few minutes, as George Nikaj fired straight into the arms of Jacob Marsden early on. Olly Box and Samir Carruthers both went close at the other end, before the former’s excellent control and run was abruptly ended by a foul on the edge of the Whites’ box. Carruthers stepped up to send a wonderful curling effort beyond Jordan Gillmore and into the top corner to give the Darts a fourteenth minute lead. The visitors responded via Alfie Matthews who couldn’t keep his header down, before great goalkeeping by Marsden prevented the excellent Ruben Soares-Junior from having a free shot on goal (28). The Dover Captain would prove to be the only real bright spark in his team, and was a constant thorn in Dartford’s side all afternoon. However, despite their efforts, Dover soon found themselves further behind when they failed to deal with a long throw from Sam Odaudu. The ball was flicked into the path of Denzelle Olopade, who doubled the hosts’ lead with his seventh goal of the season (36). Dover responded once again via Soares-Junior, who smacked the Dartford upright with a delightful effort before the break.
At the beginning of the second forty-five, the hosts were forced into an early change in personnel with Louis Dunne having to replace Samir Carruthers (46). Ady Pennock would then go on to swap Hayden Bullas with Jeremiah Pinder (65), Eddie Dsane for Olly Box (74), before Callum Jones left the field to be replaced by Tyler Christian-Law (80). Meanwhile in the opposite dugout, Jake Leberl responded by swapping Alfie Matthews with Francis Mampolo (63) and Fuad Sesay with Tamas Amgbaduba (82). The Whites’ boss then made a triple substitution four minutes from time with Conrad Lucan, Jeremiah Gyebi, and Eniye Amgbaduba all coming on for George Nikaj, Joe Tennent, and Ryan Hanson respectively.
As we return to the restart of the second-half, we find the Darts bursting out of the blocks once again. Olly Box raced down the left-flank, before sending a delightful cross towards the head of Josh Hill. And the commanding Dartford Skipper couldn’t miss with his towering header, as he put his side 3-0 to the good (47). Ruben Soares-Junior pulled one back for the visitors with a delightful and deserved strike with eleven minutes remaining, but it would prove to only be a consolation goal because, the Darts saw out the remainder of the match with another solid defensive display.
Substitute Eddie Dsane almost had the last laugh after stealing the ball away from Joe Tennent, but the Dartford striker was thwarted by an alert Jordan Gillmore in the end (85).
There were many excellent performances across the Dartford squad this afternoon, but another solid defensive unit led by Josh Hill meant that it was the Skipper who was rewarded with a well-deserved Man of The Match award for his efforts on what was a happy Good Friday indeed.
TEAMS
DARTFORD: Jacob Marsden, Sam Odaudu, Michael Olarewaju, George Whitefield, Josh Hill (c), Samuel Okoye, Hayden Bullas, Denzelle Olopade, Samir Carruthers, Olly Box, Callum Jones.
SUBSTITUTES: Luther Williams, Tyler Christian-Law, Eddie Dsane, Louis Dunne, Jeremiah Pinder.
DOVER ATHLETIC: Jordan Gillmore, Roman Charles-Cook, Fuad Sesay, Joe Tennent, Luca Cocoracchio, Luke Baptiste, Alfie Matthews, George Nikaj, Ruben Soares-Junior (c), Jacob Mensah, Ryan Hanson.
SUBSTITUTES: Jeremiah Gyebi, Eniye Amgbaduba, Tamas Amgbaduba, Francis Mampolo, Conrad Lucan.
Referee: Mitchell Terry
Assists: Archie Wayne, Stephen Vera
Att: 1,878
MoTM: Josh Hill
Report: Chris Palmer
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