Created 2-Feb-25
191 photos
1 February 2025. Bowers & Pitsea 1 (Alfie Evans 83') Dartford 3 (Denzelle Olopade 11', Callum Jones 29', Jeremiah pinder 86'). The result puts Dartford at #1 in the Isthmian Premier League.
Dartford climbed to the top of the Isthmian Premier League table, after another solid performance on the road secured a ninth consecutive victory. The fact that the hosts had beaten the Darts in the previous reverse fixture wasn’t lost on Ady Pennock’s men, as they intended to stretch their unbeaten league run to an incredible eighteen games. And on a sunny but cold February afternoon at the Len Salmon Stadium, the visitors controlled a majority of the game. The struggling hosts tried their best to stop the Dartford attack, as the visitors bossed the opening exchanges, but they soon fell behind when Luther Williams’ neat cross found Denzelle Olopade inside the box to head home his fifth goal of the season. The lively Olly Box was unlucky not to have been awarded a free-kick, after Rohdell Gordon had resorted to fouling the youngster after being turned inside out by his trickery (25), before George Whitefield failed to test goalkeeper David Hughes with a header following Louis Dunne’s pin-point cross (28). Two minutes later did see the Darts double their advantage, after Olly Box and Callum Jones combined well, enabling the latter to net his tenth goal of the season (in all competitions).
The second forty-five offered less dominance as far as Dartford were concerned, as the hosts tried to make more of a contest of the proceedings. But, only two efforts were created by Bowers & Pitsea in the opening ten minutes, both of which failed to test Jacob Marsden. In fact, the visitors seemed content on reserving energy while soaking up any pressure, although a brilliant counter-attack should have saw Bowers lose their skipper after 71 minutes… Having been a threat throughout, the excellent Louis Dunne raced clear only to be hacked down by Rohdell Gordon… but the referee, Mr Paul Stratton, gave the skipper the benefit of the doubt and both sides remained even.
Shortly afterwards, Ady Pennock moved to swap Olly Box with Eddie Dsane (72), before Jeremiah Pinder replaced Louis Dunne (77), and both Sam Odaudu and Michael Olarewaju made way for Tyler Christian-Law and Samuel Okoye respectively (87). Then Callum Jones made way for Gabe Campbell deep into stoppage time (90+2), following the youngster’s return from his loan spell with Ashford United.
As we return to the action, we find the hosts pull a goal back via ex-Dartford Academy graduate Alfie Evans’ excellent effort (84). The goal arriving seconds after Denzelle Olopade had struck the upright at the other end with a lovely effort. But any hopes of a comeback for the hosts were extinguished two minutes later, when Jeremiah Pinder fired in a beautiful half-volley from the edge of the Bowers’ box (86) to secure the victory.
BOWERS & PITSEA: David Hughes, Joe Halsey, Archie Johnson, Luca Albon, Yannis Ambroisine, Quentin Monville, Rohdell Gordon (c), Alex Teniola, George Scales, Luke Reeve, TQ Addy.
SUBSTITUTES: Joe Burton, Ryan Richefond, Alfie Evans, Benjamin Staerck, Reon Smith-Kouassi.
DARTFORD: Jacob Marsden, Sam Odaudu, Luther Williams, Michael Olarewaju, Josh Hill (c), George Whitefield, Hayden Bullas, Denzelle Olopade, Louis Dunne, Olly Box, Callum Jones.
SUBSTITUTES: Samuel Okoye, Tyler Christian-Law, Eddie Dsane, Gabe Campbell, Jeremiah Pinder.
Referee: Paul Stratton
Assists: Archie Waine, Lee Jarvis
Match Report: Chris Palmer
Dartford climbed to the top of the Isthmian Premier League table, after another solid performance on the road secured a ninth consecutive victory. The fact that the hosts had beaten the Darts in the previous reverse fixture wasn’t lost on Ady Pennock’s men, as they intended to stretch their unbeaten league run to an incredible eighteen games. And on a sunny but cold February afternoon at the Len Salmon Stadium, the visitors controlled a majority of the game. The struggling hosts tried their best to stop the Dartford attack, as the visitors bossed the opening exchanges, but they soon fell behind when Luther Williams’ neat cross found Denzelle Olopade inside the box to head home his fifth goal of the season. The lively Olly Box was unlucky not to have been awarded a free-kick, after Rohdell Gordon had resorted to fouling the youngster after being turned inside out by his trickery (25), before George Whitefield failed to test goalkeeper David Hughes with a header following Louis Dunne’s pin-point cross (28). Two minutes later did see the Darts double their advantage, after Olly Box and Callum Jones combined well, enabling the latter to net his tenth goal of the season (in all competitions).
The second forty-five offered less dominance as far as Dartford were concerned, as the hosts tried to make more of a contest of the proceedings. But, only two efforts were created by Bowers & Pitsea in the opening ten minutes, both of which failed to test Jacob Marsden. In fact, the visitors seemed content on reserving energy while soaking up any pressure, although a brilliant counter-attack should have saw Bowers lose their skipper after 71 minutes… Having been a threat throughout, the excellent Louis Dunne raced clear only to be hacked down by Rohdell Gordon… but the referee, Mr Paul Stratton, gave the skipper the benefit of the doubt and both sides remained even.
Shortly afterwards, Ady Pennock moved to swap Olly Box with Eddie Dsane (72), before Jeremiah Pinder replaced Louis Dunne (77), and both Sam Odaudu and Michael Olarewaju made way for Tyler Christian-Law and Samuel Okoye respectively (87). Then Callum Jones made way for Gabe Campbell deep into stoppage time (90+2), following the youngster’s return from his loan spell with Ashford United.
As we return to the action, we find the hosts pull a goal back via ex-Dartford Academy graduate Alfie Evans’ excellent effort (84). The goal arriving seconds after Denzelle Olopade had struck the upright at the other end with a lovely effort. But any hopes of a comeback for the hosts were extinguished two minutes later, when Jeremiah Pinder fired in a beautiful half-volley from the edge of the Bowers’ box (86) to secure the victory.
BOWERS & PITSEA: David Hughes, Joe Halsey, Archie Johnson, Luca Albon, Yannis Ambroisine, Quentin Monville, Rohdell Gordon (c), Alex Teniola, George Scales, Luke Reeve, TQ Addy.
SUBSTITUTES: Joe Burton, Ryan Richefond, Alfie Evans, Benjamin Staerck, Reon Smith-Kouassi.
DARTFORD: Jacob Marsden, Sam Odaudu, Luther Williams, Michael Olarewaju, Josh Hill (c), George Whitefield, Hayden Bullas, Denzelle Olopade, Louis Dunne, Olly Box, Callum Jones.
SUBSTITUTES: Samuel Okoye, Tyler Christian-Law, Eddie Dsane, Gabe Campbell, Jeremiah Pinder.
Referee: Paul Stratton
Assists: Archie Waine, Lee Jarvis
Match Report: Chris Palmer
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