Dartford 2-1 Ware

A SWIRLING diagonal wind straight from the Siberia spoilt an otherwise intriguing encounter between first and third on Easter Saturday.

Manager Tony Burman drafted in stalwart Tommy Osborne for the suspended Adam Flanagan into the right back berth with Jamie Coyle moving alongside John Guest. Newcomer Nic Barnes sat on the bench.

Ware are a decidedly good side and they played with intelligence, the midfield bringing the front-runners into the game with regularity.

However, Darts' miserly back four showed their usual lack of generosity.

Ware's opening gambit was to lay Mark Green out and when he was replaced by Yohance Lewis, he received the same treatment.

Perhaps the real difference between the two sides was in the captaincy with Alex O'Brien leading by example, encouraging, cajoling, driving forward and fighting for every ball.

His counterpart, the chubby Danny Wolf, showed late in the game the ability to get forward with a good long run, but chose a more negative influence for much of the game.

Ryan Hayes used the wind to great effect, Jay May led his line cannily and Junior Kadi was quietly effective, making many an important tackle, pass or drilling in testing dead balls.

The strong wind had a hand in two of the three goals.

On thirteen minutes, Hayes hit a shot to the Ware keeper's left post and the ball spun off his arm and into the net.

Darts' second came five minutes later when, out on the right, Hayes spotted James Hoad off his line and looped an outrageous header over him and below the bar.

Paul Burton hit a fierce cross from way out left eight minutes from the break which, wind-assisted, evaded everyone and crossed the line just inside Tony Kessell's left post.

Darts countered and both Brendon Cass and May were thwarted by Hoad, who made crucial saves.

After the break, skipper O'Brien hit a shot inches over the bar as Darts gradually assumed control with a series of three and four man moves.

Cass was unlucky with a couple of one-on-ones with Hoad, but Ware came back to keep the best-of-the season crowd of 1,579 on tenterhooks.

The usual late substitutions altered the shape of game and Ware lost a defender to a red card for a rash tackle.

Dartford: Kessell, Coyle, Norman, Osborne, Guest, O'Brien, Hayes (Barnes 86), Kadi, Cass (Piscina 88), May, Green (Lewis 14). Subs not used: Bradbrook, Williams. Att: 1,579