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Dartford 1 Woking 3 match report

Andy Pugh on the ball for Dartford against Woking Picture: Matthew Walker
Andy Pugh on the ball for Dartford against Woking Picture: Matthew Walker

Dartford failed to ease their relegation worries when they lost at home to Woking on Tuesday night.

Nathan Green cancelled out Yemi Odubade's early strike to send the sides into half-time level at 1-1 but two goals from the excellent John Goddard settled matters after the break.

Andy Pugh returned after suspension to start his first game at Princes Park since he suffered a nasty injury playing against Welling on November 11. He took the place of Harry Crawford while Ryan Hayes came in for Danny Harris on the right wing.

Woking were unchanged from their 2-0 win at Lincoln three days earlier.

The home side started positively and Pugh could easily have given them a dream start when Woking's defenders failed to deal with a long ball down the middle. Pugh ran in behind but he let the ball bounce one time too many and that allowed goalkeeper Jake Cole to pull off a crucial save.

That miss looked even more disappointing when Dartford fell behind to a soft goal in the fifth minute.

Elliot Bradbrook was outmuscled in midfield and Goddard raced into the Dartford half before hitting an optimistic shot from outside the box. The ball took a deflection and spun into the path of Odubade, who tucked a neat shot inside Jason Brown's near post.

Yemi Odubade celebrates his goal in front of the Woking fans Picture: Matthew Walker
Yemi Odubade celebrates his goal in front of the Woking fans Picture: Matthew Walker

The visitors lost Joe McNerney to injury moments later but they were bossing the game, with Goddard particularly influential in the centre of midfield.

He linked up well with Odubade to create a half-chance and then fed Joey Jones for a shot which flew wide. Dartford looked sluggish and Jones went close again from 20 yards.

Christian Doidge turned smartly on the edge of the box and found the side-netting with a left-footed effort as the men in white shirts looked to respond.

Cole made a smart save when Green's left-wing cross was turned goalwards at the near post and Kevin Betsy then went close at the other end, rifling a shot across goal and wide of Brown's right-hand post.

Bradbrook got a touch to a whipped free-kick from Hayes but it wasn't strong enough to carry the ball beyond Cole.

For the Cards, Betsy forced a good save from Brown and Josh Payne fired a free-kick over the bar after Lee Noble was cautioned for scything down Goddard.

Jason Brown gets down to save as Dartford come under pressure Picture: Matthew Walker
Jason Brown gets down to save as Dartford come under pressure Picture: Matthew Walker

But the moment of the half arrived just three minutes before the interval. Green foxed two defenders with a terrific turn on the edge of the area and his left-footed finish was even better, flashing across Cole and nestling in the far corner.

Dartford needed to build on that at the start of the second half but it was Woking who came out with fire in their bellies.

They'd already pumped several dangerous crosses into the Darts box when one from the left drifted all the way in, with Goddard claiming the goal.

Things got even worse for Dartford eight minutes later. Goddard got away from Green too easily down the Woking right and his floated cross drifted over Brown's head and dropped under the crossbar for a third Cards goal.

With the game drifting away from the home side, Tony Burman made a triple substitution, sending on Crawford, Harris and Peter Sweeney for the last 20 minutes.

Crawford had a snapshot pushed out by Cole at his near post and Dagenham loanee Doidge should have scored his first Dartford goal moments later but he sent a free header over the bar from six yards out.

Woking were comfortable though. Goddard almost had completed his hat-trick when he burst through midfield yet again and stung Brown's palms with a firm strike from distance.

Dartford: Brown, Burns, McAuley, Dallison, Richards, Hayes (Crawford 70mins), Noble, Bradbrook, Green (Sweeney 70mins), Pugh (Harris 70mins), Doidge. Subs not used: Cornhill, Ibrahim.

Woking: Cole, Clarke, McNerney (Newton 12mins), Jones, Arthur, Betsy, Payne (Murtagh 78mins), Ricketts, Goddard, Odubade (Sole 75mins), Rendell. Subs not used: Banya, Little.

Attendance: 884.

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