Tonbridge 2 Dartford 4

Match 44/11/931 - Tuesday, 31 January 2012 - Kent Senior Cup

Tonbridge (1) 2 Piper 12, Korenteng 47
Dartford (0) 4 Pallen 53 Graham 66, 110 Burns 113
After extra time, score at 90 minutes: 2-2
Att. 380

Entrance: £4 Senior
Programme: £2.00
Mileage: 26/3,602

Match Report

It has to be sods law that on a night of absolutely freezing temperature the game you have braved the cold to watch goes into extra time and isn’t it strange that, despite two pairs of socks, the cold that was starting to attack the toes hurts all the more as the team you support goes 4-2 down.

This was a Kent Senior Cup Quarter Final with an extra incentive, that of a semi-final date at home to League One leaders Charlton Athletic. Kent, London Borough of Greenwich, with a London SE7 postcode, all issues that have been well discussed in the build-up to the game, but suffice to say that the competition is all the better for Charlton, Gillingham and perhaps Millwall next year participating. Over 900 people attended Charlton’s previous round encounter at Margate, albeit that they are using a largely reserve side, so the prize on offer was well worth having.

Dartford are a very strong side and on the night fought back from two goals down to force the game into the extra time that nobody wanted and then have the quality on the bench to make the difference to win the tie. They made six changes from the side that thrashed Thurrock on Saturday to maintain their challenge on Woking’s perceived runaway lead at the top of Conference South, whilst Tonbridge happily (well I am) embedded in mid-table fielded as strong a side as they could muster in search of some silverware from the season’s endeavours.

The first half was an even encounter with Tonbridge taking an early lead through Chris Piper and both sides had opportunities to add to the half time scoreline. Tonbridge lost Joe Benjamin after half-an-hour and their threat from the flanks diminished significantly. Tim Olorunda was drafted into a full back position with the ensuing reshuffle from which he looked uncomfortable throughout, especially faced with Richard Graham who could easily have been thought of as the man of the match.

Tonbridge’s goal came from a surging run through the middle of the pitch by Piper who laid the ball down the left to Ade Olorunda whose cross was only partially cleared back to Piper who drove home from inside the box.

The second half began with further success for the home side after just two minutes. Piper picked out Nathan Korenteng with a fine pass into the box and the winger fired low into the bottom corner to double the advantage. Tonight was only the second time I’ve seen Korenteng and he looks a great signing.

If only Tonbridge could have held that two goal lead into the last 20 minutes the game might well have had a different conclusion but within five minutes Dartford had regained a foothold in the game. Graham was allowed to get in a cross from the left and Jack Pallen scored from close range following Ryan Hayes’ knock back into the centre of the goal.

Tonbridge became further disjointed when Ade Olorunda was forced from the field to be substituted by the returning Jon Main, who had been out of action since September. Dartford levelled the scoreline after 66 minutes, Graham firing high into the net from close range after Lee Burns had crossed from the right.

At this point, Dartford were in such ascendancy it was strongly felt that they would go on to win the game in regulation time, but as time elapsed, Tonbridge also had opportunities to take the tie. Main shot wide from a great position on the edge of the box; top scorer Frannie Collin also shot high and wide having appeared to have done the hard work in creating the opportunity with some deft footwork.

Dartford manager, Tony Burman, used the strength of his squad from the bench with automatic first team selections Danny Harris, Jon Wallis and Elliott Bradbrook introduced to the fray. The extra quality and fresh legs determined the outcome to the game. In the second period of extra time and with 10 minutes remaining, Graham converted a cross from the right from close range with give the Darts the lead for a first time and three minutes later Wallis set up Burns to seal the victory. Two goals adrift and Jack Frost biting at the toes was reason enough to call it a night.

Good luck to Dartford in their pursuit of Woking, it would be nice to see another Kent club in Conference National and with all due respect to our friends from SE7, it would be better if a Kent club won the Senior Cup but we certainly thank them for their participation giving the competition a much needed lift.