Two first half goals from Shaun Williams proved to be the backbone for Gillingham’s annual visit to Princes Park and a five nil away triumph as the Football League kick off came within two weeks.
The Irishman’s double along with strikes along with goals from Tim Dieng, Dom Jeffries and Jayden Clarke made it a great journey home for travelling Gills fans back to Medway as the countdown to possibly the most eagerly awaited League season for years ticks by.
Darts keeper Mitchell Beeney had a busy afternoon and had made two good stops, from Dieng and Williams, inside the opening ten minutes before Williams did score with a deflected shot that left Beeney helpless.
Dieng doubled the lead ten minutes later after Jeffries and George Lapslie combined superbly who buried the chance into the bottom corner and ten minutes from half-time netted his second and the Gills third by meeting Cheye Alexanders corner with a thumping near post header.
The home side themselves went close twice before the break as Harvey Bradbury was magnificently denied by Jake Turner and Lewis Manor went even closer on the stroke of the break, Luke Coulson’s fine run and cross was met by Manor and his header beat Turner only to crash back off the crossbar.
Turner made a fine save from Coulson to start the second period before the game was effectively over as a contest on forty-eight minutes as Jeffries arrived late at the far post to covert terrific work from Alexander and Clarke to slide home number four.
Joe Gbode had a shot deflected onto a post, Alexander was denied by Beeney and Clarke was brilliantly denied by the keeper (after a superb combination from Jonny Williams and Tom Nichols) before Clarke rounded off a great afternoon for Neil Harris’ side five minutes from time. Will Wright and Robbie McKenzie scythed the home side apart allowing Jonny Williams to feed the ball across to Clarke who slotted the fifth to complete a very satisfactory afternoon for those in blue and white.
With just two weeks to go before the start of the two sides respective League season, surely the most important thing to take from this Saturday afternoon is that most of both squads have more minutes in their legs as both sides adjust to fresh faces in their line ups ahead of opening day. But make no mistake any 5-0 win must help.
DARTFORD – Beeney, Wynter (Rooney), Odaudu (Rabbetts), Block (Adebowale), Miller-Rodney (Whitefield), Altintop, Coulson (Herschel), Manor (Box), Bradbury, Barzey (Boulton), Nembhard
Subs – Wall, Wray
GILLINGHAM – Turner, Alexander (McKenzie), Ehmer, Ogie (Masterson), Clark, Shaun Williams (Coleman), Dieng (Wright), Clarke (Chambers), Lapslie (Jonny Williams), Jefferies (Sithole), Gbode (Nichols)
Subs – Morris
REFEREE – Mr Searle