DARTFORD began life without keeper Andy Young by coming from behind to beat Salisbury City on Saturday.

New signing Louis Wells had a torrid start to his Dartford goalkeeping career on 80 seconds when a long-range effort from City's Stuart Anderson took a diabolical deflection to put the hosts in front.

For a while it looked as though life for Dartford was going to be as gloomy as the overhead skies, but this was a short-lived illusion.

Salisbury, holders of a good home record, are big and mobile outfit with a couple of nippy wingers tacked on.

But they were matched from the start by a good Dartford XI and justice was done when the flukey opener was cancelled out on 25 minutes.

Elliot Bradbrook was fouled out wide on the left and Jon Wallis fired the free-kick inside City's right post.

The ball dipped as on-loan Charlton keeper Conor Gough went to gather it and, to the delight of the vociferous Darts masses in the covered end, it went under his body to level the scores.

Salisbury were never quite the same team from thereon, although they did have their moments, particularly when they forced a couple of corners in quick succession, one of which has hit narrowly wide of Wells' right post.

Soon after the break City surged forward but once Brian Dutton's header was hoofed away, it quickly became clear Darts were the more likely winners.

They were backed by a blustery tail-wind and most of the action was in and around City's goalmouth after the interval.

In one scramble defender Ryan Brett cleared upfield, mobile action replays indicating the ball was well over the line.

Then, just before the hour, Tom Bonner headed over and then Jacob Erskine ended a swift break by chipping just wide.

But he made amends when, a minute later, Erskine back-headed a Bonner free-kick over Gough to give Dartford the lead.

Sadly Gough's follow-through ended with him colliding heavily and, after treatment, he was replaced by Tommy Smith and it was later revealed Gough had sustained possible cracked ribs in the incident.

Thereafter Darts played out the game comfortably enough and the final memory is of a surging by Lee Burns from near his own corner flag the whole length of the right touchline and putting in a very decent cross.

The boys are back in town.

Follow us on Twitter @NewsShopperSprt

Dartford: Wells, Burns, Green, Bonner, Goodacre, Wallis, Noble, Rogers, Erskine, Bradbrook, Harris. Subs not used: Graham, Hayes, Pallen, Jones, Ibrahim. Att: 769