The first edition of Dartford Living Magazine for the new year is out now, and includes the latest Walking With The Darts piece. If you missed the magazine, here is the latest article on all things related to Dartford FC and Dartford FC Women:
Hello again, welcome to another edition of Walking With The Darts, a monthly update on all things related to Dartford FC, courtesy of Dartford Living Magazine.
At the time of writing this piece, everyone connected with Dartford FC are preparing to enjoy the festive period. I say period instead of holidays because, in the world of football there is no such break… the beautiful game doesn’t stop during this wonderful time of the year.
By the time you read this, we will have faced the double challenge of our local rivals Welling United, both home and away in what will, hopefully, be two bumper fixtures on Boxing Day and Saturday the 30th of December. It’s a double fixture in which only six points will make for a very Happy Christmas!
However, on either side of those fixtures lies the extremely difficult challenges of St Albans at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park (Saturday 23rd December) and a trip to Weston-Super-Mare to kick-off the new year (Saturday 6th January). That’s followed by two tough away trips to Kent rivals Maidstone and Truro City, before a run of three home games on the trot will finish the first month of 2024.
The Darts have experienced another month with mixed results since I last wrote in these pages. A superb 3-0 hammering of Torquay United was followed by an equally superb 5-1 success over National League outfit Bromley in the Kent Senior Cup. Table-toppers Yeovil Town then came to Kent, where Luke Coulson and Co held them to a 2-2 draw in another thrilling encounter. Sadly, we were all brought back down to earth by the hands of Tonbridge Angels, as they put us to the sword in a comprehensive 4-0 defeat last weekend (Saturday 16th December).
The success against Bromley in the Kent Senior Cup means that the Darts will now host Sevenoaks Town in the next round. The game will take place on the 30th of January, so do try to get along for that encounter.
As far as the squad is concerned, due to the impressive exploits of Ryan Sandford in the Dartford goal, Mitchell Beeney has decided to leave the club to seek playing time elsewhere. However, Charlton Athletic youngster Richard Chin has arrived on an initial one-month loan deal and striker George Alexander has joined on loan from Bromley until the end of the season. Both have hit the ground running, scoring two goals apiece so far.
Meanwhile, Connor Dymond and Martin McCarthy’s Dartford FC Women side’s season remains on track for success in the league, as they end the year unbeaten in that department.
With their fixture at Saltdean Women FC being postponed due to the adverse weather conditions, they have played only the one league game since I last wrote to you. That was at Ashford Ladies FC, where Lizzie Adams and Co returned home with a 2-1 success. The result of which keeps them at the summit of the London & South-East Regional Women’s Football League. The ladies remain unbeaten, with ten victories and a draw, and are a point clear of Fulham and have two games in hand!
Meanwhile, the Darts remain in the hunt for more silverware, as they face Chatham Town WFC in the Kent Cup at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park in the new year. However, despite a gallant effort at Oxford City in the FA Cup, Connor Dymond and Martin McCarthy’s side eventually fell to a 2-0 defeat in the Second Round proper. Their heroic performance saw them hold on until the 70th minute, yet it just wasn’t meant to be this time around.
The exploits of the ladies also sees striker Emily Vaughan finish the year as the top goalscorer in the London & South-East Regional Women’s Football League. Her haulage of sixteen goals sees her sit above a trio of players on 15 goals – Sophie Manzi (Fulham), Summer Roberts (Dulwich Hamlet), and Rebecca Wyatt (Ashford United).
Emily’s teammates, Shauni Griffiths (7 goals), Gemma Shepherd (6 goals), and Nicha Dyett (5 goals) also sit in the top-25 of the scoring charts, which just goes to show how prolific the team has been throughout the season so far.
So, as another year reaches its conclusion, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year on behalf of myself and everyone at Dartford FC, Dartford FC Women, and Dartford Living Magazine. Enjoy your festivities and look out for each other.
As always, thank you for your continued support and thanks for reading.
By Chris Palmer