Unchanged Dartford defeated Welling United in an Isthmian League Premier Division derby on Saturday afternoon.
Ade Pennock was able to use the same starting eleven and five substitutes as he had done seven days earlier in his team’s win at Cray Wanderers. However, Rod Stringer made several changes to his team that had been well beaten at Brentwood Town in the FA Trophy. Three of their starting eleven made their league debuts with two more doing so off the bench.
Stringer restored Ruben Shakpoke to the Welling starting line-up, and he repaid his manager’s faith in just the third minute. John Ufuah made space down the left and passed inside to Shakpoke and he fired clinically into the bottom corner.
Samir Carruthers chanced his arm with a free kick for Dartford that Welling goalkeeper Damian Niemczycki claimed comfortably to give him confidence in his first appearance for the club. Jonny Henly, the Darts goalkeeper, then made a brilliant save with his left leg when Ufuah broke in from the wing and arrowed a shot towards the bottom corner.
Shakpoke met a Jack Paxman corner with an overhead kick that missed the target before another Carruthers free kick was headed back in by George Whitefield and Jack Thomas headed off the line. Whitefield came close again when his shot came back out off the far post and Carruthers, following up, could only hit it into the ground and up for Niemczycki to gather.
Luke Allen feasted on a Paxman free kick that was blocked out to him but he hooked his shot wide against one of his former clubs. Shakpoke then made space for himself, however, his effort was saved by Henly.
Eddie Dsane had the last chance of the half for the hosts and Niemczycki did well to turn his shot round the post after it bounced up awkwardly in front of him.
Two minutes after the break, Dartford equalised. Olly Box hit a low cross into the penalty area and Dsane was credited with getting the final touch at the near post.
Three minutes later, the hosts went ahead. Again Box did the hard work down the left before pulling it back to Carruthers. He laid it off to Dsane who gave Niemczycki no chance with a ruthless finish.
Having been in control, the Wings found themselves having to dig in as Dartford looked for a third, however, the visitors might have levelled when Lekan Majoyegbe headed it was cleared off the line by Michael Olarewaju.
Paxman fired into the side netting from a tight angle before Callum Jones got behind the Welling defence and shot wide of the near post.
Eleven minutes remained when Dartford scored their crucial third goal. This time Dsane claimed the assist when playing it out to Box, however, the Darts’ wide man deserved all of the plaudits when he unleashed a brilliant shot from the edge of the penalty area that gave Niemczycki no chance.
That ended Welling’s resistance and the hosts had the better of the latter exchanges. Substitute Dan Carter crossed to the far post and Jones’ volley on the spin was well saved. Sam Okoye shot wide then Carter sent a curling effort just past the post.
Jez Pinder struck a free kick over and Carter blasted an effort high and wide before the Darts saw out the remaining minutes without alarm.
Victory moved the hosts up to fourth place while the Wings remain in twentieth place five points adrift of safety.
Dartford: Henly; Tennant, Olarewaju, Whitefield, Okoye; Bland, Carruthers (Carter 71); Dsane, Pinder, Box; Jones. Subs not used: S. Smith, D. Smith, Sullivan, Atkins.
Goalscorer: Dsane (47) (50), Box (79)
Yellow cards: None
Welling United: Niemczycki; O’Neill (Walker 50), Young, Majoyegbe, Simmons; Thomas; Ebuzoeme, Allen (Scott 85), Paxman (Akinwande 80), Ufuah (Clout 64); Shakpoke. Sub not used: Redfearn.
Goalscorer: Shakpoke (3)
Yellow cards: Ufuah (33 delay of restart), Shakpoke (61 aggressive behaviour), Simmons (74 foul)
Referee: Nicholas Dunn
Assistants: Harvey Ransome and Jamie Wells
Attendance: 1,525
Images courtesy of Kieran North