Dartford 3-0 Eastleigh

 DARTFORD 3-0 EASTLEIGH

SATURDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2011
Blue Square Bet South

Report by Ray Murphy

Eastleigh fell to their second successive defeat with this fixture at Dartford. Dartford with a hundred per cent home record from their three games so far; suffered their first defeat of the season the previous Saturday away at Basingstoke Town.

Eastleigh welcomed Ross Bottomley back from injury who filled a midfield berth with Sam Wilson dropping to the substitutes bench. Also amongst the subs was 31-year-old Carlos Geteski a Brazilian born midfielder who the club have been waiting for international clearance since arriving in the country from Cyprus side Omonoia Araddippou.

Dartford made the first change of the season to their starting eleven from their opening seven fixtures with striker Elliott Bradbrook making way for Lee Noble. Included in the Dartford line up being ex-Eastleigh winger from last season Richard Graham.

The game started slowly and had little to excite the 1079 attendance. Dartford created an opening in the ninth minute with Ryan Hayes sending a right wing corner under the Eastleigh bar where the Darts' leading goalscorer Charlie Sheringham tangled with Gareth Barfoot but Billy Tsovolos produced a header to clear away the danger.

Dartford did go ahead midway through the opening half and it was Sheringham who had the ball in the net. The goal started with Dartford clearing the ball from an Eastleigh free kick close to the goal line at the Dartford end. Darts full back Adam Green broke clear from his defensive duties as the ball broke his way. Green fed the ball upfield to Graham, who in turn slid the ball into the path of Sheringham who steered a low left foot shot down past Barfoot into the net.

Eastleigh had a chance to pull a goal back within three minutes. Collecting a throw from Henrik Breimyr, Jordace Holder Spooner sent a cross into the box where Jamie Slabber's acrobatic overhead effort was saved by Darts goalkeeper Andrew Young.

Chances were still few though for both sides. On thirty-one minutes Sheringham's header from a Green cross was saved by Barfoot. Eastleigh then had their best chance on thirty-seven minutes. Barfoot's long kick was flicked on by Slabber into the path of Holder-Spooner, who had been switched to the front runners role from his flank position, wasting no time in producing a shot - Holder-Spooner's effort just cleared the bar.

Eastleigh started the second half brightly. Holder-Spooner fed a low cross into the area five minutes into the period, which was inadvertently turned goalwards by Darts defender Tom Champion, but Young was alert to save the danger. Noble then saw a header from a Graham cross saved by Barfoot.

Holder-Spooner was replaced by Ryan O’Hara making his return to the team for the first time since the opening league fixture of the season, whilst Dartford also made two substitutions.

On sixty-nine minutes Dartford added their second goal. One of the substitutes Danny Harris found himself room on the goal line inside the penalty area sending the ball into the six-yard area where Sheringham duly despatched his ninth goal of the season.

The goal signalled the game over as a contest and cruelly Eastleigh conceded a third goal in the second minute of stoppage time. Sheringham was this time credited with an assist as his ball into the area saw another of Dartford's substitutes Lee Burns on hand, but the unfortunate Henrik Breimyr got the final touch past Barfoot for the final goal of the match.
Dartford - 100911

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