CHARLIE Sheringham’s second half winner gave Dartford all three points at relegation-threatened Stockport County on Saturday.

Prior to kick-off at Edgeley Park there was a vigorous one-minute’s applause in honour of former County player Ray Drake, whose funeral was held earlier in the week. It was a fitting farewell from the crowd of 6,113, County’s best of the season.

Stockport had appealed for a good turnout at their final home fixture of the season and the public certainly responded.

Dartford kicked towards their own supporters in the first half, split evenly between those standing on the terrace and those seated in the covered seating immediately to the left.

County are having a dreadful season fighting to stay in the Conference and their problems could be easily seen in a lack of conviction about their play. They do still have hope of avoiding the drop but need to pick up points at Gateshead or Kidderminster in their two remaining fixtures.

Not that County were always on the back foot.

An early free-kick was headed goalwards but Darts keeper Csaba Somogyi gathered safely.

Mark Cullen then set up Jon Nolan whose effort was wide of the mark, but the nearest County came to scoring was just before half time when a right-side corner was held by Somogyi.

Whatever hopes the home side held were short-lived as Dartford began to exert steady pressure.

In the end it was a simple move which separated the two sides when the decisive moment of the game took place in the 72nd minute.

Ryan Hayes beat his marker out wide on the right before clipping inside to Sheringham, who nodded the ball downwards past Richard O’Donnell in the County goal to seal Stockport’s fate and, at the same time, record Dartford’s sixth away win of the season.

Sadly for them, County could not respond.

Conceding goals has become a habit difficult to shake off.

Also, to be honest, Darts had been firmly in control for much of the game and had remained confident at some point a chance would come their way, which it duly did.

The Darts visit Forest Green on Tuesday and are at home to Nuneaton on Saturday (3pm).

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Dartford: Somogyi, Burns, Champion,, Bonner, Rose, Evans (Harris 87) Wallis, Bradbrook, Rogers, Sheringham (Prior 83), Collier (Hayes 71). Subs not used: Wells, Green. Att: 6,113.