MATCH REPORT | CHICHESTER CITY 2 DARTFORD 2
The Darts started brightly, with both Joe Tennent (2) and Dan Smith (7) coming close to scoring but they couldn’t shake off the attention of goalkeeper Kieran MaGee.
Jacob Bland then fired narrowly wide of MaGee’s upright (10), before a delightful attack by The Lillywhites was capped off be an excellent finish by Isaac Bello to edge the hosts ahead (13).
MaGee then pulled off a fine save to prevent the excellent Dan Smith from equalising just two minutes after the opening goal. Jeremiah Pinder did indeed score for the visitors, only to see his goal chalked off for “offside” (18). And that wouldn’t be the last controversial decision by the referee this afternoon.. !
Dan Smith came agonisingly close to levelling proceedings in the 25th minute, before Joe Tennent saw his close-range effort somehow saved by the excellent MaGee merely seconds later!
The Dartford defender did indeed score the equaliser to net his fifth goal of the season (26), before Kieran MaGee pulled off yet another great save to prevent Denzelle Olopade from flipping the game on it’s head (29)!
Olly Box then brushed aside two defenders, danced his way into the Chichester area before firing agonisingly wide of the post (30), as the visitors had their hosts pinned back during this rather frantic period of the game.
However, Miles Rutherford’s side certainly were making a game of it and looked particularly dangerous on both flanks. And they came close to retaking the lead via the lively Miles Obado, who forced Jonny Henly into a routine save (32).
Ady Pennock was forced into his first change in personnel just two minutes before half-time, when the excellent Dan Smith picked up an injury and was replaced by Eddie Dsane (43).
The Dartford boss would then go on to swap Jacob Bland with Dan Carter (63), before Olly Box was forced off following a nasty challenge to be replaced by Rohan Vaughan (71). Callum Jones would then make way for Evans Kouassi late on (87).
As we return to the action at the end of the first-half, Eddie Dsane made his intentions clear when he fired narrowly wide of the stranded MaGee’s near post (44).
Joe Tennent saw another effort of his blocked by a Lillywhite defender (50) after the restart, before Dsane scored what looked like a perfectly good goal, only for the referee disallow it again (55)!
The striker, understandably frustrated by the officials’ decisions, did get his goal ten minutes later though, when he smashed the ball beyond MaGee to edge the visitors ahead with his fifteenth goal of the campaign.
Another late challenge from a Chichester City player inside their own box had the Darts screaming for a spot-kick… but the referee’s refusal was no surprise to anyone in red (68)!
The hosts began to twist the screw themselves at this point, as they searched for an equaliser. Only a terrific challenge by Sam Odaudu prevented any possible attempt on Jonny Henly’s goal (73), before Joe Tennent remained alert to block Isaac Bello’s strike from going in four minutes later.
Both George Whitefield (80) and Rohan Vaughan (82) came close to adding an extra cushion to the visitors’ lead, before the hosts did indeed find the equaliser via substitute Joseph Clarke with just five minutes of the ninety remaining.
Ady Pennock’s side responded via George Whitefield, but Kieran MaGee was alert once again to ensure that his side earned a share of the spoils (90+1).
The result, together with others in the league this afternoon, means that it’s no longer mathematically possible for Dartford to reach the playoff places. But, there’s a lot of positives to take from this difficult season in the Isthmian Premier League, and Ady Pennock’s players will dust themselves down and go again in our final home game of the season next weekend.
CHICHESTER CITY: Kieran MaGee, Zach Jeanes, Rob Hutchings (c), Joseph Moore, Curtis Da Costa, Ben Pashley, Isaac Bello, Emmett Dunn, Lloyd Rowlatt, James Wild, Miles Obado.
SUBSTITUTES: Ethan Prichard, Olly Munt, Joseph Clarke, Misha Djemaili, Lewis Rustell.
DARTFORD: Jonny Henly (c), Sam Odaudu, George Whitefield, Joe Tennent, Samuel Okoye, Denzelle Olopade, Jacob Bland, Jeremiah Pinder, Olly Box, Callum Jones, Dan Smith.
SUBSTITUTES: Eddie Dsane, Dan Carter, Michael Olarewaju, Rohan Vaughan, Evans Kouassi.
Chris Palmer