MATCH REPORT | CHESHUNT 0 DARTFORD 1
Boss Ady Pennock would have been looking for a response from his players following Saturday’s defeat at Wingate & Finchley, and that’s exactly what he got on this cold night in Cheshunt.
With Joe Tennent serving a suspension for yellow cards, George Whitefield slotted into the defence alongside skipper Michael Olarewaju, Sam Odaudu, and Samuel Okoye. And, together with Jonny Henly and the rest of the squad, they dealt with the Ambers’ attack throughout the ninety minutes.
The visitors started brightly and had forced at least four corners within the opening ten minutes. Dan Carter came agonisingly close to scoring after Callum Jones saw his initial strike blocked (6).
Ambers’ goalkeeper Aymen Azaze pulled off a brilliant save to thwart George Whitefield, following good work by Sam Odaudu and Dan Smith (20), before Olly Box was bizarrely booked by referee Mr Chad Greatorex for “simulation” eight minutes later!
George Whitefield then made a fantastic block to prevent Tommy Wood’s effort from troubling Jonny Henly (45), as the half ended goalless.
Cheshunt started the second forty-five on the front-foot, as Matthias Fanimo fired narrowly wide of Henly’s upright just four minutes after the restart.
But the Darts soon continued where they left off to remain relatively solid at the back, while Dan Carter won a corner after Azaze had saved his strike (51).
The excellent Carter was having a good night out on the pitch, as he pulled the strings in trying to help break the deadlock. He combined well with Olly Box, Callum Jones, and Dan Smith, but they just couldn’t find that final killer strike in the final third… Smith came closest at this stage when his header was safely collected by Azaze (63).
Eleven minutes later saw Smith replaced by Eddie Dsane, in what was Ady Pennock’s first change in personnel this evening. The Dartford boss would go on to swap Dan Carter with Sammie McLeod (83), Jeremiah Pinder with Rohan Vaughan (88), and Callum Jones with Luther Williams (90+4).
As we return to the action, we find Olly Box making a nuisance of himself by forcing Azaze into another save (75).
The deadlock was finally broken when Dsane found himself through on goal and fired beyond Azaze to score his thirteenth goal of the season (76)… the striker had only been on the pitch for two minutes!
The hosts tried to rally, but their efforts were in vain as the Dartford defence kept the door firmly shut in a bid to preserve the clean sheet.
In fact, it was the Darts that came close to adding a second goal when Rohan Vaughan’s dangerous cross ricocheted wide of Azaze’s post in last minute.
Jonny Henly did indeed maintain the clean sheet, his ninth of the season and third in four games, as Dartford moved to within three points of the playoff places.
CHESHUNT: Aymen Azaze, Lordon Akolbire, Freddie Cowin, Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite, Darion Furlong (c), Charlie Naylor, Matthias Fanimo, Sam Granville, Tommy Wood, Arthur Iontton, Connor Kurran-Browne.
SUBSTITUTES: Nahum Melvin-Lambert, Raul Da Silva, Antonis Vasiliou, Jesse Effa, Jaiden Myles Owen.
DARTFORD: Jonny Henly, Sam Odaudu, Michael Olarewaju (c), George Whitefield, Samuel Okoye, Denzelle Olopade, Dan Carter, Jeremiah Pinder, Olly Box, Callum Jones, Dan Smith.
SUBSTITUTES: Eddie Dsane, Luther Williams, Elliot Oviawe, Sammie McLeod, Rohan Vaughan.
Chris Palmer