IF a day-trip to the seaside may be beneficial, then an evening one is better.

One up in seven minutes, Darts had to wait almost an hour to put the game safe.

In the meantime, everybody realised one slip could nullify the meagre fruits of visiting domination.

Ryan Hayes saw plenty of ball, alternately getting behind Margate’s left flank and setting up a regular stream of spurned opportunities.

Alternatively, working further back he set moves in motion with clever passing, which unsettled Margate’s rearguard.

This time, though, Darts were on the scoreboard in seven minutes.

A well-drilled free-kick ploy some 35 yards out saw Hayes dummy an in-swinging left-footer but instead side-foot for a run round Margate’s left flank with the final ball being swept home by JamieDay.

The rest of the half saw those Darts’ misses and sporadic home raids, the latter being often set up by their long throw merchant.

Margate’s half-time talk was probably of the ‘only one down so it needs just one to put us back in the game’ variety.

And for 10 minutes it looked positive for Margate as they put in a couple of low, left-side crosses which, sadly for them, came to nothing.

Then Dartford’s secret long-throw dispenser was unveiled.

Margate’s had been sling-shot, Darts was Exocet - John Beales the launching-pad.

His first throw on 64 minutes reached Hayes, who set up Rob Haworth to make it 2-0 from with a close in drive.

A similar missile two minutes later saw Darts go three up with Lee Burns providing the coup de grace.

Haworth was replaced by Allan Tait on 70 minutes, who took all of three minutes to add his name to the scorers, turning in the ball by the far post.

Then it was sic transit gloria mundi.

Nobody really knows what this team will be like when it gels but we’re all looking forward to finding out.

Dartford: Young, Beales, Gross, Flanagan, Coyle, White, Hayes, Day (Noble 79), Haworth (Tait 70), Burns (Birchell 79), Bradbrook. Subs not used: May, Kessell. Att: 653.