Dartford 1 Ramsgate 0 Isthmian Premier match report: Denzelle Olopade scores winner as Darts boost play-off bid

Dartford boosted their Isthmian Premier play-off chances with a narrow win over 10-man Ramsgate on Tuesday night.

The only goal of the game came through Denzelle Olopade in the first half although the biggest surprise was arguably that more goals didn’t arrive given the quality of chances on offer at either end.

Dartford named an unchanged team after winning in stoppage time at Welling United on Saturday with match-winner Rohan Vaughan again on the bench.

Ramsgate made two changes from the side that drew at home to Aveley as Rolando Onu and Greg Cundle replaced Benedict Bioletti and Solomon Ogunwomoju.

The visitors arrived on the back of a nine-match unbeaten league run which had pushed them to the fringes of the play-off race while the Darts were looking to maintain an impressive home record which had seen them beaten just twice at Princes Park.

Ramsgate started brightly and within three minutes, TJ Jadama exchanged passes with Malachai Napa before firing wide from 20 yards.

But Dartford soon responded. Without the injured Samir Carruthers, they looked to Dan Carter and Olly Box for their inspiration on the ball. The pair combined neatly before Box’s shot was blocked, the Darts striker then calling Rams keeper Dillon Addai into action with a long-range shot moments later.

Napa got the better of Darts defender Sam Odaudu down the right before his cross found Alfie Paxman at the far post, his drive clipping the top of the bar was the closest the visitors went in the first half.

Dartford found the breakthrough on 19 minutes when the tireless Dan Smith was played in by Box and his left-wing cross found Olopade arriving at the far post to convert.

Former Ebbsfleet man Greg Cundle twisted and turned before forcing keeper