DARTFORD smashed Sutton United 6-1 last night at Princes Park.

In the opening 20 minutes of last night's fixture the visitors showed precisely how they had cobbled together a six-match unbeaten run.

They played at pace, basing their game on standard Ryman-style football with the midfield being bypassed by long balls out of defence to mercurial front runners.

Sutton had plenty of possession but foundered on an unflappable Dartford defensive unit which yields, on average, just one goal per league game.

It was tough out there and, against a less determined opposition, Sutton would have been a couple of goals to the good in that opening spell.

Having weathered the storm, Darts struck in classic counter-attacking style.

On 18 minutes Lee Noble received a through ball on halfway and ran at goal, drawing Kevin Scriven from his line and slotting home – a masterpiece in cheek.

Before breath could be drawn, Noble was flattened in the United area and Adam Green gave Scriven no chance from the penalty spot.

On the half hour mark, Sutton pulled a goal back when Harry Beautyman headed home a left-side cross.

Just two minutes into the restart Danny Harris got in where it hurts to power head a Noble cross past Scriven.

At 3-1 down Sutton decided that, to win, they had to get at Darts and that left them open to the now rampant Dartford front men.

Goal number four came on 69 minutes when Jacob Erskine was fouled and Luke Wilkinson headed home powerfully from close range, his second goal in two games.

Then came a flurry of substitutions which delayed Darts' fifth until the 81st minute, the goal being a thunderous individual effort from Elliot Bradbrook.

And the massacre was completed four minutes later when Erskine rounded an evening of selfless hard work with goal number six.

Woking won at Weston-super-Mare but Darts are stretching the goal difference – which could be vital – more and more each game.

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Dartford: Wells, Jones, Green, Bonner, Wilkinson, Champion, Noble (Hayes 83), Wallis (Rogers 50), Erskine, Bradbrook, Harris (Burns 77). Subs not used: Garrod, Ibrahim. Att: 1,022.