SDFL
Premier Division
Buckland Athletic reserves 1,
Dartmouth AFC 1
Dartmouth made the difficult trip to third-placed Buckland Athletic reserves and left with a credible 1-1 draw.
Mark Forrester’s team were without five players and travelled to the game with just 11 players, which included Forrester playing himself in the middle of midfield.
This was an important game for Dartmouth after dropping points at home to Upton Athletic on Tuesday evening and on a big Buckland pitch they started off well, knocking the ball around with confidence in defence and through midfield.
Josh Webber and goalscorer in midweek Jack White supported lone striker Karl Baker at every opportunity and the three tested the Buckland ‘keeper from long range in the first 15 minutes.
Holding midfielders Ben Greeno and Forrester were combining well with wing-backs Freddie and Charlie Smith as Dartmouth continued to trouble the Buckland midfield without creating too many goal-scoring opportunities.
It was all Dartmouth and after a run and pinpoint cross down the left hand side from the energetic Webber, Baker was unlucky to miss his header from eight yards.
From the resulting corner a quick one-two between Webber and Forrester saw the latter arrow a fine shot that was heading straight for the top corner, but somehow the Buckland ‘keeper tipped the player-manager’s effort over the bar.
Against the run of play Buckland scored from their first real attack of the game.
Ryan Walton in the Dartmouth goal produced an excellent one-handed save to tip a powerful strike on to the post, but unfortunately for him the ball ricocheted back off of him and landed to the feet of the home midfielder, who couldn’t miss from four yards out.
Somehow Dartmouth went into the break trailing by the odd goal and knew if they replicated their first-half performance they would leave with some points.
The second half was more evenly matched, but again it was Dartmouth who were playing the better football.
Jordan Frost, Danny Rushe and Ollie Woolland remained solid and layed the foundations for their side to push on for the equalising goal that duly arrived on the hour mark.
Forrester’s corner was met by the head of Rushe, who at the second attempt nodded into the net to bring the away side level.
Buckland looked to respond immediately and a couple of glorious chances inside the Dartmouth area couldn’t be converted. With 20 minutes left to play both teams were harshly reduced to 10 men for an altercation inside the Buckland penalty area.
Karl Baker and the home defender were dismissed from the field of play after they were adjudged to have raised their arms. This only made the end of the game more entertaining for the Dartmouth support as space began to appear all over the pitch.
That said, the closest either side came to winning the game was with 10 minutes remaining.
Brilliant interchange from White and Charlie Smith saw the latter escape his marker and break free inside the box but his strike was cleared off the line by the Buckland defender.
The whistle sounded to leave Dartmouth relatively happy with the one point after a solid away performance with only 11 players.
This week the first team hosted East Allington on Wednesday night, where they earned a 1-0 win, as the games come thick and fast for both Dartmouth teams. On Saturday Dartmouth host top-of-the-table Watcombe Wanderers in what promises to be a brilliant game.
Kick-off at Longcross is at 2.30pm.