PASSING the home dressing room prior to kick-off one could hear the manager exhorting his troops for the battle to come.

Forty five minutes later, the same dressing room was draped in a shell-shocked silence so complete was Carshalton’s agony.

Darts made all the running on a flat surface bathed, initially, in sunshine but the Sporting Gods, realising the lopsidedness of the occasion, retired to Olympus, leaving behind a hazy sky.

The home side’s chief tormenter was Ryan Hayes, who tantalised them for 84 minutes before being retired to receive his personal applause.

Throughout the game Dartford retained their shape and gave nothing away, though the prolific Richard Jolly lobbed a Wes Daly through ball onto the top of Andrew Young’s bar a little before half-time.

By contrast home keeper Matt Reed was busy all afternoon, denying Rob Haworth for a corner, followed by a double save.

He was, however, powerless on 22 minutes when a half-cleared Hayes cross was blasted home by the inevitable Lee Burns from the edge of the box.

Years ago, Peter Taylor and Tony Burman devised the plan B free-kick.

The modern version should be dubbed the ‘Ryno Dummy’, which involves a tap, dummy run and reverse pass and ends up in the opposing net, this time courtesy of Jamie Day in the 38th minute.

Darts visibly eased off but added number three 10 minutes into the second half when Hayes fed Haworth in the home box and he duly slotted home against his former club.

In the dying embers of the game a mesmeric move was turned away for a Dartford corner and the flag-kick was arrogantly headed home by Jamie Coyle to complete the rout.

Dartford: Young, Burgess, Gross, Flanagan (Capt), Coyle, White, Hayes (Noble 84), Day, Haworth (May 85), Burns (Tait 66), Bradbrook. Subs not used: Beales, Kessell. Att: 569.