Dartford assistant manager Roland Edge reacts to 4-3 extra-time Isthmian Premier play-off semi-final win over Cray Valley

Dartford assistant manager Roland Edge praised the character of his players after their dramatic play-off turnaround.

The Darts were heading out after trailing 2-0 to Cray Valley in their Isthmian Premier play-off semi-final.

Even once Cray were reduced to 10 men, Dartford still needed a deflected free-kick equaliser with the last kick of normal time to force an extra half-hour before going on to reach Monday’s final with Dover.

“We were down for quite a fair bit of that game, if I'm honest,” conceded Edge. “But testament to our players, like they've done all year, and we've talked about it on numerous occasions about how together they are. They rolled their sleeves up and they stuck to a game plan.

“Did we get an element of luck? Yeah, but I felt we deserved it, if I'm honest. I thought we plugged away, we did the right things, put the pressure on them. We didn't just bash it down the pitch.

“The free kick's fortunate as well. It's gone underneath and flicked in. But I thought we played some good football.

“I felt that the free-kick was along the floor. I still don't know how it's gone into the top corner, but I'm very happy it has. You just want to hit the target, and that's what we've done.

“A bit of fortune, everyone will agree with that, even the Dartford fans. But then after that, I we carried on where we'd finished the 90 minutes.

“It shouldn't even have been a nail-biting finish (in extra-time). We switched off and they took it ever so well, the third goal. But I thought we deserved it in the end.”

Sam Odaudu was on free-kick duties despite Samir Carruthers being on the pitch at the time and fellow substitute Eddie Dsane also standing over the ball.

Edge felt the latter might have taken it.

“That free-kick can't