ON the brightest Saturday of 2010, Dartford overwhelmed second-placed Kingstonian on their own patch to secure their rightful place at level two of the semi-professional game, a status cruelly snatched from them almost two decades ago.

The players had only one object in mind – to win this key fixture in the grand manner. And it worked to perfection.

In many respects, this title was won on the road with 14 wins in 16 attempts and 47 goals scored to 13 conceded.

A goal up in five minutes and a second on 13 set Darts up for the afternoon.

At no time have this Dartford side lost after establishing a two-goal start this season and despite a minor comeback by Kingstonian, Saturday was no exception.

The goal which started it all began with a diagonal cross-field pass from Adam Gross to the irresistible Ryan Hayes, who fed the overlapping Billy Burgess and his centre was smashed home by Elliot Bradbrook.

The already cacophonic Darts faithful went into decibel overload.

Eight minutes later, a John Beales long throw fazed the home keeper and his partial punch was rifled past him from all of 25 yards by Hayes’ left boot.

The celebrations were temporarily reduced 20 minutes later when Simon Huckle halved the deficit with a brave close-in header.

But home hopes were dampened just five minutes later when non-stop Danny Harris headed home a testing Gross cross at the far post.

Early in the second half, home keeper Rob Tolfrey tried a dribble taken from the Maurice Munden Academy handbook, was disposed by Rob Haworth and Bradbrook ran the ball into the empty goal for Darts’ fourth of the afternoon.

Kingstonian rallied and had a couple of chances, one of which hit the base of Andy Young’s left post before home marksman Bobby Traynor made it 2-4 with an in-off goal in the 56th minute.

Some snazzy footwork from Harris with 20 minutes remaining set Bradbrook on his way and his cross was spilled by Tolfrey into the path of Hayes who made it 5-2.

The rout was completed 11 minutes from time when Hayes set up Dartford top scorer Lee Burns who dispatched his cross gloriously home.

With the final whistle, all hell broke loose as the travelling faithful took the party on to the field.

Credit has to be given to the Kingstonian officials for arranging the pitch invasion, and to the home players who took it like true sportsmen.

Dartford: Young, Burgess (Coyle 87), Gross, Flanagan, Beales, Dafter (White 76), Hayes, Shinn, Haworth (Burns 66), Harris, Bradbrook. Subs not used: Noble, Tait. Att: 926.