SALTDEAN UNITED 0-1 DARTFORD

[Ajaxman DFC]

What a great day for a trip to the south coast. And a great day to grab 3 points at Saltdean United. Which is exactly what our ladies did under testing circumstances.
To say it was a scrappy affair played out on a pitch which was uninhabitable is an understatement. A blemish on an otherwise area of outstanding beauty on the Sussex Downs.
As for the toilets they looked liked there must have been an unexploded world war two bomb buried under them until very recently. The detonation fuelled by the alcohol content of the hand sanitizer, which was no longer there either.
Before the game had even started our banner technician was ordered to remove the provocative WE STAND WITH DARTFORD flag from behind the goal, while being falsely accused of encroaching on the pitch.
But at the end of the day it was all about getting three points.
Except for the referee, who thought it was all about him.
Condescending, melodramatic, pedantic, over sensitive, thin skinned, he belonged in a camp sitcom and was a liability to our promotion ambitions. This theatrical nonsense has no place in the women's game. His performance was bordering on the misogynistic at times. Because if he managed a men's semi pro game, he wouldn't have dared perform in the same way. If he had he wouldn't have lasted five minutes without throwing a hissy fit and abandonning the game, just because a challenge to a decision had been made in a perfectly civilised manner.
Yes, that's all it took. The official was gunning for our bench the entire game, all but banning them for doing their job. Which is coaching. He literally told everyone to shut up as if they were part of a theatre audience disrupting his one man show.
It's a football match with high stakes, not a bloody library.
Every comment made, however innocuous, was considered a personal attack and another excuse to turn the spotlight on himself.
Our girls battled for every inch of turf on a pitch barely fit for purpose. Bit like the ref really.
It would be fair to say our ladies were the better side. I think the number of corners we forced, which were far superior to the opposition's, speaks for itself.
And on a playing surface that barely left anything of real significance to write about, apart from shear energy snapping hardwork, there were two massive moments.
In the 58th minute Saltdean's centre forward unleashed a powerful volley from the edge of box which crashed against the bar.
Then on 73 minutes came the big one. A corner from the left was taken by Amy Russ. This caused pandemonium inside the Saltdean box. Now freeze frame this. Brionne Fowle at this moment is still out on the far right, just out of the picture. The goalmouth scramble culminates with a shot on target from Shauni Griffiths. At this point Brionne has started her sprint towards the penalty area.
Shauni's shot is saved.
Bri flies in to smash home the rebound. GOAL!
We didn't have our own matchday photographers present at the game.
But Tony Brown has brilliantly captured the goal in it's entirety, from the corner to the final execution on his i-pad.
The big match winner is why Brionne is my player of the match. Her reading of the situation, anticipation, proactive response with speed, started from a position where she was never going to be picked up, was first class.
That alone made the journey to the south coast worthwhile.
Last but not least I would like to wish our warhorse Emily Vaughan a speedy recovery after ending the afternoon with her left arm in a sling.

[Ajaxman DFC]

After some respectful consideration, to avoid the risk of eliciting great mirth from a bunch of school kids somewhere in South East England today, I won't mention any names.
But the pathetic performance of the referee wouldn't have been complete without a sending off, adding to the tension in the final few minutes. After all, he'd been out to get someone from Dartford all afternoon.
He sent one of our girls to the sin bin, effectively reducing us to ten players for the remainder of the game.
What for? Goodness knows. Considering this touchy official seemed offended by everything straight from the school of wokery. I've no doubt it was over something totally ridiculous.
Even though temperatures were well above average for the time of year there was a snowflake in Saltdean yesterday.
It had absolutely nothing to do with climate change either.
Hopefully the player targeted by the man in black didn't enter the classroom this morning to the chorus of, "Miss got binned yesterday!", ringing in her ears.

[TonyDart]

Thanks James for a fabulous write-up and the man in black getting his sought after fame. He was rather poor.

I had heard that Taur and Steve were unavailable for this game so I thought I'd take my rather dated equipment with me, (my 2nd-hand i-pad purchased 15+ years ago). But this (not so) little machine has done wonders over the years.

Then of course, we have the dodgy camera operator (me) having to delete a load of 'unwanted' filming in the Saltdean bar at half time to free up some of its small memory. (The camera not me - ....... seconds thoughts ... both the camera and me!

I did get a bit of a wobble on the video when we scored, but I guess that's what happens when you throw your arms up in the air in wild abandon!
So, apologies for the video going a bit skew-whiff when we scored! Boy, that goal was important, but I suppose every goal from now to the end of the season will be. Cup finals by the dozen!

Well done Girls, you did us all proud today.

CLICK ON THE LINK TO VIEW MY 60 SECOND VID. THE EASIEST WAY TO REPLAY IT IS TO DRAG THE PLAY BUTTON BACK TO THE START

[TonyDart]

The ref even got in the way of my shot of Shauni's shot at goal!

[Ajaxman DFC]

The ref even got in the way of my shot of Shauni's shot at goal!

Well done Tony. Great video. As for the referee blocking your view of Shauni's shot that doesn't surprise me. Whether it was telling the coaching staff to shut up, patronising our ladies by talking down to them like naughty school girls or obstructing the view of supporters at key moments. He had it in for all of us yesterday.
He quite clearly has a problem with the entire Dartford family.
Like Herbert Lom with Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movies.
Maybe he should be sectioned in the nearest Xayla-Rae mental institution.
I'll tell you what. He'll never come out either.
Now I've said that we'll probably have him again against bloody Fulham in the league cup final. Or even worse our last game of the season.
Someone send for the men in white coats immediately and despatch him to the X-R to undergo some serious therapy with a strong dose of no holds barred rehabilitation.

[Lol]

Great posts, Ajaxman and Tony. The main thing is, we came away with the three points so mission accomplished. A few more equally vital missions to go. Never an easy day out to Saltdean. Not a particularly nice journey, to not a particularly nice horse's field, to be hosted by some not particularly nice people. To be fair, most of the team and especially the catering staff, were very nice and welcoming. As one of the players said during the "flag-gate" incident, " it's only a game of football". I look forward to not going there again after we win the league.

[TonyDart]

I think the horse's field would have looked nicer with some buttercups and daisies .......... awaiting a response from Ajaxman on the subject!

[TonyDart]

Closer to the action - but degraded, but can still make out goalmouth scramble - until I throw the i-pad in the air!

[Ajaxman DFC]

I think the horse's field would have looked nicer with some buttercups and daisies .......... awaiting a response from Ajaxman on the subject!

With the referee doing his rendition of Julie Andrews.

[Ajaxman DFC]

I think the horse's field would have looked nicer with some buttercups and daisies .......... awaiting a response from Ajaxman on the subject!

With the referee doing his Julie Andrews impersonation.

The hills are alive................
.......with the sound of his blimming whistle.