Redbridge 2-1 Dartford

DARTFORD'S promotion hopes suffered another blow as they went down to their second consecutive league defeat at Redbridge on Saturday.

Darts were clearly missing the influential John Guest, whose bug appears to be more virulent than expected.

Tommy Osborne's current run in the side continued and Phil Williams had his first starting outing in Darts' colours.

Having been asked to play down the incline on an afternoon which was to deteriorate as time wore on, Darts found themselves behind after just four minutes when home defender Dave Collins put the Motormen one up.

Redbridge had been first to show and Darts had to clear their defences.

It was from this clearance which Collins threaded past Tony Kessell, the Dartford keeper having his view of things obstructed by a home player generally thought to be offside when Collins got the ball home.

Darts came back immediately and Steve Northwood in the home goal parried a Brendon Cass snap-shot.

It was typical of Darts' afternoon when a goalbound shot was sufficiently diverted by a defender's chest to nestle safely in Northwood's arms.

Then, at the midway point of the half, Williams received the first of a seemingly non-stop run of heavy tackles while in full flight.

Certainly, as the heavy rain set in with a vengeance after the break, the referee's whistle was noticeably non-stop.

In fact, the second half was noticeable for one or two things, in particular Dartford's willingness to move the ball around up the slope, bringing both flanks into play to draw Redbridge out.

Another sign nothing would go right for the visitors came with more than 20 minutes to go when Charlie Bull hit a hefty drive beyond Kessell's outstretched left arm to put Redbridge two to the good.

Ten minutes later, following another hefty challenge on Williams, Northwood had a moment of casualness, let the ball slip and Ryan Hayes claimed the last touch to reduce the arrears.

Darts went in search of a deserved equaliser in a game which could have gone either way to the last.

Early in the season, Darts suffered two defeats on the trot and recovered well.

Why not again?

Dartford: Kessell, Coyle, Norman, Osborne, Flanagan, O'Brien (Hayes), Avery (Bradbrook), May, Cass, McClements, Williams. Subs not used: Moore, Lewis, Green. Att: 232