Manager Alan Dowson declared he was delighted with Dartford’s first-half display after their derby victory at Dover on Tuesday night.
First-half strikes from Samir Carruthers, Luke Coulson and Maxwell Statham put the Darts in command. Despite a strike from Dover’s Luke Baptiste in first-half stoppage-time, Dartford held on relatively comfortably after the restart to claim the points from the National League South clash which finished 3-1.
Dowson said: “I thought, first half, we were excellent. If we had gone in at 3-0, I think we’d have gone on a bit to be honest, but I was comfortable-ish. “Hess [Whites boss Andy Hessenthaler] is, obviously, a very experienced manager and a good manager so I’m just delighted to get the win, to be honest, against a decent side and a decent club. “Hopefully we kick on.” Dowson was disappointed to concede on the stroke of half-time but Whites never really looked like finding a way through again in the second half. “When they score like that, it’s a big deal for them, scoring with 30 seconds to go.
But I was very positive at half-time,” explained Dowson. “We knew they’d have a little spell with the ball, but I think there’s only one save the keeper, Joe Young, has made and we maybe could have had one or two more on the counter.” Coulson, 28, made it 2-0 to Dartford with his first goal for the club.