DARTS HIT CITY WITH A BUNCH OF FIVES!. CITY WITH OF FIVES!
DARTFORD were made to work for the points after winning an eight-goal thriller at Princes Park.
Goals from Andy Pugh, Elliot Bradbrook, Luke Wanadio and Tom Murphy helped the hosts overcome a plucky Truro City side inspired by a brace from Andrew Neal and a header from Jamie Richards.
Darts manager Tony Burman was relieved to have secured the three points despite his side’s performance.
He told The NLP: “At the end of the day, at this time of the year, it is nice to have the three points.
“Whether you play well or you have not, get the three points. It concerns me that we are not managing the games as well as we should do but it does not surprise me at this stage of the season.”
The White Tigers started brightly and took the lead on 13 minutes when a deep Dan Smith cross was not convincingly dealt with by goalkeeper Deren Ibrahim, who flapped at it to let Neal nod in.
Dartford equalised on the half-hour when Duane Ofori-Acheampong placed his cross onto the head of Pugh who nodded past City stopper Martin Rice.
The equaliser kick-started the Darts’ first half and the hosts took the lead on 41 minutes with a spectacular edge of the area volley from Bradbrook.
Truro continued to press and equalised through Neal on 65 minutes when he headed in an Ollie Knowles free-kick.
Despair quickly turned to jubilation for the hosts when Ofori-Acheampong played the ball across for Wanadio, who blasted his effort home on 67 minutes.
The White Tigers levelled again on 77 minutes through Richards, who acrobatically fired home.
Dartford retook the lead with four minutes remaining through Pugh after Rice was punished for spilling a Ryan Hayes cross into the feet of the striker, who slotted home calmly.
As Truro pushed for another equaliser, Dartford caught them on the counter attack with second-half sub Murphy neatly tucking past Rice.
Truro manager Lee Hodges said: “It’s a difficult one to take. I thought we played well.
“It is so frustrating that we have come here, scored three goals and deserved to get something but concede five goals. It’s just errors.
“They did not carve us open. It is frustrating that we are having to score three goals to get a point or win a game.” STAR MAN: Duane OforiAcheampong (Dartford) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★