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Dartford 1 Salisbury City 1

Matt Godden Picture: Andy Payton
Matt Godden Picture: Andy Payton

Matt Godden scored on his debut as Dartford came from behind to draw with Salisbury City.

The 22-year-old, on a month's loan from Scunthorpe United, cancelled out Theo Lewis' superb goal with a close-range effort midway through the first half at Princes Park.

Tony Burman made four changes to the Darts team which started at Gateshead on Saturday.

Two of those were enforced, with injury ruling out Matt Fry (knee) and Adam Birchall (hamstring), while Max Cornhill and Danny Harris were dropped to the bench.

Godden was included from the start, having arrived from Scunthorpe on a one-month deal earlier in the day. He partnered Jason Prior in attack, with Ryan Hayes re-instated on the right of midfield. Mat Mitchel-King was named in defence for the first time since August, when he suffered a knee injury at Tamworth.

Inside the opening couple of minutes, Godden almost grabbed a goal when he improvised a volley which sailed beyond Salisbury keeper Will Puddy but also past the far post.

But the visitors, who came from behind to beat Wrexham 2-1 at the weekend, began to move the ball about with real confidence.

A ball from the left set up Miles Storey in a central position but he missed his kick. Dan Fitchett then nodded a right-wing cross into Alan Julian's gloves when he should really have done better.

But the opening goal was worth waiting for.

With 17 minutes on the clock, Lewis picked up the ball 30 yards out and unleashed a magnificent shot which swerved away from Julian and flew in the top corner.

Dartford looked anxious and the home crowd were quiet, but they had an equaliser to cheer just before the half-hour.

Godden met Alex Woodyard's right-wing cross on the volley and although Puddy saved his initial effort, Godden reacted quickest to tuck the rebound into the net.

When play restarted, Ben Wright tried to emulate Lewis' earlier strike but his long-range shot curled just over.

Prior picked up a knock moments later and trudged straight down the tunnel, with Harris taking his place.

Meanwhile, Salisbury lost left-back Callum Hart to injury just before the break and Dartford almost capitalised. A neat passing move down the right culminated with Godden finding space in the box and shooting into the side netting.

After a cagey start to the second half, the game almost burst back into life when Julian had to claw Clovis Kamdjo's 25-yard strike out of the top corner.

Dartford then failed to clear a Salisbury corner from the left. When the ball was pumped back into the box, Kamdjo connected firmly with a header which left Julian standing but, fortunately for the home side, the ball dropped wide.

But the visitors began to turn the screw in their pursuit of a second goal.

Wright set his sights from distance and forced a good low save from Julian, before substitute Brian Dutton had a header cleared off the Dartford goal line.

The visitors had the ball in the net courtesy of a stunning Kamdjo bicycle kick but the goal was chalked off for offside. Fitchett then headed wastefully wide when Dutton's cross from the right found him unmarked, 12 yards out.

Julian held on to another low Kamdjo effort from distance which fizzed straight at him.

The Darts keeper performed heroics at Gateshead on Saturday and he was at it again here, beating out Wright's powerful shot at the near post.

Uche Ibemere, brought on for Hayes, gave the Darts a different attacking dimension and when he drew a foul wide on the Salisbury left, Woodyard's free-kick was headed wide by Kenny Clark.

Harris then had a low shot saved by Puddy in stoppage-time.

But the home side, who came under some serious pressure during the second period, were the happier of the two when referee Colin Lymer blew the final whistle.

On Saturday, Dartford travel to Hereford United.

Dartford: Julian, Burns, Clark, Mitchel-King, Collier, Hayes (Ibemere 75mins), Woodyard, Bradbrook, Noble, Prior (Harris 32mins), Godden (Cornhill 89mins). Subs not used: Hill, Porter.

Salisbury: Puddy, Hart (Dutton 45mins), Clarke, Wilson, Lewis, Kamdjo, Sinclair, Wright, Fitchett (Frear 83mins), MacDonald, Storey. Subs not used: Feeney, Thomson, Bittner.

Attendance: 920.

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