MATCH PREVIEW | Cheshunt v Dartford
The rearranged fixture is a must win if the Darts want to move within three points of the top five. A draw will be just about enough to regain the sixth place they lost on the weekend. Cheshunt look set for another campaign in the Isthmian Premier despite losing their last two.
Away Day Blues
Dartford suffered a blow to their playoff ambitions on the weekend when they lost at Wingate and Finchley. A seventh away league defeat of the season coupled with the top five all winning, left the Darts falling further behind. To compound a disappointing afternoon, Burgess Hill Town also won to climb above Pennock’s side.
Changes were made up front with Eddie Dsane and Rohan Vaughan starting ahead of Callum Jones and Olly Box. In defence Michael Olarewaju started his first game since the defeat at Potters Bar Town. Dave Winfield was recalled by his parent club Hornchurch.
An unbeaten run of three came to a halt when Wingate and Finchley put three past the Darts. First half goals from Mackye Townsend-West and Camilo Restrepo and an early third in the second half by Ryan Lowe left Dartford with too much to do. Dan Smith scored a consolation in a 3-1 loss that leaves Dartford six points off a playoff place.
Record Run Ends
The Darts are a world away from the consistent 21 game unbeaten sequence of last season. It was in their last visit to Theobalds Lane which brought an end to that record equalling run. Donell Thomas broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time. The Ambers doubled their advantage when Kenny Coker scored and a third followed from a penalty courtesy of Vas Vasiliou.
Dominant Darts
In September, the Darts got the better of Cheshunt at Princes Park. An early Dsane goal set the hosts on their way to a 2-0 victory. A numerical advantage helped Dartford’s cause when Darion Furlong was sent off before the interval. The Darts had a quick start to the second half with Jez Pinder breaking away on a counter attack to set up Box to slot in the second.
Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV
Double Defeat
Realistically Cheshunt can hope of a mid-table finish in Mel Gwinnett’s first campaign in charge. Although they can still win silverware in the London Senior Cup. The Ambers are nine points clear of the relegation places in fourteenth spot and the same distance away from the top ten.
The Hertfordshire side lost on the weekend at home to a Ramsgate side getting over their single goal defeat against the Darts in midweek. Goals from Solomon Ogunwomoju, Rolando Onu and Tija Jadama condemned Cheshunt to a 3-0 loss.
A week earlier, the Ambers lost to another team pushing for a playoff position. After conceding twice in the first half at Cray Wanderers with goals from Max Fiddes and Alex Hernandez, Cheshunt’s Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite scored a consolation five minutes from time.
Ambers Go for Silverware
Although defeated in their last couple of outings, the Ambers have had better times of late. Between those two league matches they reached the London Senior Cup semi-final with a victory over Combined Counties Premier South side Tooting and Mitcham United. Vasiliou and Matthias Fanimo scored first half goals to seal a safe passage into the last four.
Difficult to Beat
Leading up to the Cray Wanderers and Ramsgate games, the Ambers also went eight league matches unbeaten from the start of the year. The most impressive of those results was at the end of that sequence when they beat Aveley 2-0 with goals from Tommy Wood and Jesse Effa. That eight game run included four wins and four draws.
The Ambers have been competitive, but have recorded the second highest number of draws in the division. If they can turn those into victories then they will have a strong finish to their campaign. At home Cheshunt have only lost four in the Isthmian Premier, as many matches as Dartford have won on the road.
Goalkeeper’s View
Jonny Henly described Dartford’s performance on Saturday as ‘terrible’ after the 3-1 loss against Wingate and Finchley, he spoke to Dartford FC TV and said: “They were miles better than us. The most disappointing part was probably the work rate. Effort wise, they were miles better than us and that shouldn’t happen”.
The goalkeeper views Tuesday night’s fixture as a chance to put things right, he commented: “We’ll be going there and we will be getting ourselves together and I guarantee we are going to put on a good performance, especially work rate wise, and turn it up in that sense”, he continued: “We will be raring to go and get back to being a proper team that we usually are. It’s good to have a game straight after to give you a chance to right the wrongs”.
Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV
Team News
Jacob Bland (broken nose) has been unavailable since defeat at Potters Bar Town and Samir Carruthers and Dean Nayler are out for the rest of the season with injury.
Current League Form
| Dartford (WLDWWL) | Cheshunt (DDWLWL) | ||||
| Wingate & Finchley | A | 1-3 | Ramsgate | H | 0-3 |
| Ramsgate | H | 1-0 | Tooting & Mitcham (LSC) | A | 2-0 |
| Welling United | A | 1-0 | Cray Wanderers | A | 1-2 |
| Cray Wanderers | H | 1-1 | Aveley | H | 2-0 |
| Potters Bar Town | A | 0-1 | Lewes | H | 0-0 |
| Brentwood Town | H | 3-2 | St Albans City | H | 2-2 |
LSC – London Senior Cup
Head to Head
Dartford wins: 4 / Cheshunt wins: 1 / Draws: 0
Previous Meetings
Dartford 2 – 0 Cheshunt (27/09/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Cheshunt 3 – 0 Dartford (22/02/2025 – Isthmian Premier)
Dartford 2 – 1 Cheshunt (09/11/2024 – Isthmian Premier)
Cheshunt 1 – 3 Dartford (07/01/2023 – National South)
Dartford 2 – 1 Cheshunt (13/08/2022 – National South)
Statistics
- Dartford’s only away win against teams lower than Cheshunt in the table was against Welling United (D2, L3)
- Over the last eight league games The Darts have picked up one point more than Ambers (13 points v 12)
- This season in the league, Dartford’s most common away score and Cheshunt’s most common home result is a 1-1 draw
On This Day
Ryan Hayes scored a Princes Park hat-trick on this day in 2007. The winger netted all three goals in the win over Croydon Athletic in the Isthmian Division One South. Hayes set Dartford on their way from the penalty spot, added a sublime curler from range for the second, then skillfully completed the second ever hat-trick at Princes Park by a Dartford player. Brendon Cass was the first two months earlier in a 7-2 win against Burgess Hill Town.