Boxing day and my now usual trip to Melbourne Park to see hosts Chelmsford City as it’s local to where I spend Christmas. Today the Clarets hosted Dartford in a National League South encounter on a cloudy but dry mild day in Chelmsford.
The Clarets were on a run of three successive defeats and sat mid table whilst Dartford had been on a decent run which sees them just outside the play off positions in seventh. However the opening ten minutes were fairly low key and the only chance of note saw hosts winger Luke Daley strike over a venomous effort from an angle.
The next few minutes saw barely any chances as both teams were cancelling each other out in a tight opening although on 17 minutes came a hilarious moment to draw giggles from the crowd when the referee collided with a visiting player which saw them both fall to the floor in comical fashion but it was the only entertaining moment in the first twenty minutes if truth be told.
Soon after this both sides created chances but saw both keepers barely tested and this remained the case for the opening half hour of the game which was being played in a rather subdued atmosphere, maybe down to the fact the hosts had been struggling of late perhaps.
Just past the half hour a deep cross from the visitors saw a looping header go just over at the back post, this after the hosts had put some pressure on the visitors defence although again without really troubling keeper Ibrahim. Then on 34 minutes came the best chance by far, and it came for the visiting team when after a mistake from the defence, Andy Pugh was laid in and after cutting inside onto his right foot forced an excellent save from Brown to keep the score at 0-0.
You felt the game was finally starting to warm up and eight minutes before half time the hosts went up the other end and saw a curling effort well plucked out of the air by keeper Ibrahim. Five minutes before half time another Clarets attack saw Mark Haines goes over in the box and the Dartford players were furious claiming the hosts centre half had dived. This caused pushing and shoving between both sides and after the referee had calmed it down he duly booked Haines for a dive.
It had certainly livened up a match which had taken over half an hour to really get going but at the half time break there were no goals in what was a fairly tight battle between to solid sides.
Half Time Chelmsford City 0 Dartford 0
It was the hosts who had the first sight of goal in the second half on 49 minutes when Billy Bricknell almost got in behind the defence and only a great defensive block thwarted the City striker. Moments after this a great move from the visitors saw full back Onyemah burst into the City box and forced a decent save from Brown down to his left.
On 54 minutes Darts player Danny Harris forced another decent save from Brown as the hosts had failed to clear their lines and then just before the hour mark the visitors were really cranking up the pressure as a free kick saw a header saved at the near post from Brown, who was now starting to become City’s busiest player. And then on the hour mark came the breakthrough from the hosts and it had been coming, as Pugh controlled the ball before hammering past Brown from the edge of the box and see the visitors edge in front.
The Darts were well on top now and flashed a dangerous ball across City’s six yard box on 64 minutes as they threatened to increase their lead. City though, whilst only a goal behind, were still always in the game and made a double change with fifteen minutes left when they brought on Morgan and Gordon as they looked to try and find a way back into the game.
Moments later though the visitors could have doubled the lead when Pugh found himself with a decent sight of goal direct from an Ibrahim goal kick but the striker dragged his effort well wide of the hosts goal. Then with eight minutes left the hosts had a decent sight of goal themselves when a long ball saw Bricknell latch onto it but saw his effort comfortably saved by Ibrahim.
A decent Boxing day crowd of 810, most who were willing on the hosts to find a leveller, knew their side only had two minutes plus stoppage time to find that elusive equaliser. On 89 minutes the hosts almost saw a looping header find its way into the far corner. The hosts had been huffing and puffing but had not quite found that final touch in the last third.
In the first of three added on minutes the visitors almost sealed the win after almost capitalising on a defensive slip but saw the eventual cut back blasted way over from twelve yards out. However the Darts held on relatively comfortably to pick up the three points and see them remain in 7th and just two points off the play off positions.
For the hosts it was another defeat and it saw them drop to 14th and only four points above the drop zone. The Clarets will need to try and bounce back when they take on Dartford in the return league fixture on January 2nd.
Full Time Chelmsford City 0 Dartford 1
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