VCD Athletic 1 Dartford 0 – Friendly

A young VCD Athletic side beat Dartford in a surprise but deserved 1-0 victory at Oakwood last night. Dartford sit top of the National League South and brought a strong squad to VCD as preparation for the game on Saturday at home to Whitehawk. They set-up in a 4-4-2 formation with Duane Ofori-Acheampong and Warren Mfula leading the attack. It was a chance for the two of them to show Tony Burman what they could do and force themselves in to contention for the first team starting line-up alongside Pavey and Pugh. In the end they probably did not do enough as the VCD defence which included a returning Marc Gorbell limited them to very few opportunites. The one clear chance that they did get fell to Afori-Acheampong and was wasted when he went through one-on-one in the first half and had his effort blocked by the VCD keeper. VCD also came close to scoring in the first half but could only hit the bar from a header after a deep cross on 35 minutes.
A few changes were made to both sides at half time and it was one of the substitutes that was to soon score the first and only goal of the game. On 50 minutes Rashid Kamara cut in from his left side attacking position and fired it low and hard in to the bottom corner from the edge of the area. A great goal that his celebration showed he clearly enjoyed.

Dartford pressed forward for most of the rest of the half. Lyle Della-Verde won plenty of free-kicks in dangerous positions but except for one, that was struck off the top of the bar, the rest were defended well by Keith McMahon’s men. The final few minutes you felt like Dartford could score at any moment but it was not to be and the game ended in victory to VCD Athletic.
There was just the one flash point in the game when tempers were raised following a late sliding tackle but on the whole the atmosphere on the pitch and around the ground was a good one.

Both sides will say it was a good run out and they will now be well prepared for the games this coming weekend.
VCD visit Chipstead and will be hoping to add to their home victory against Sittingbourne last week and this morale boosting win will be the perfect warm-up for that.
Dartford will no doubt start with Pavey and Pugh as they welcome Whitehawk to Princes Park as they attempt to extend their lead at the top of the division.

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