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The
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This was an evenly matched contest which could possibly be the last home game ever played at the White Lion and this was one the Wares were determined to win and although they did take the 3 points, Dartford also had cause to celebrate as with nearest challenger AFC Sudbury being beaten 1-0 at Redbrige they clinched the division title.
It was the visitors who had the best of the opening exchanges, Brendon Cass, the Darts top goal scorer this season, had a chance at goal but Darren Bonfield, in goal for the Wares, held the ball, then with only a couple of minutes gone Ben Hayden stopped Jamie Coyle from getting any advantage in front of goal. Junior Kadi had a shot deflected wide and from the resultant corner taken by Ryan Hayes, Coyle’s header was again held by the big Edgware keeper.
At the other end Adam Wallace had a shot stopped by Tony Kessell in the visitors goal and Richard Morton, from midfield, put a telling pass into Greg Ngoyi but the strikers shot was wide with only 5 minutes gone.
It was obvious from the start that this was going to be a tough game for both sides with Dartfords record of scoring goals and Edgware’s of not conceding. However, the visitors did score first. Jay May beat Bonfield from a free kick 24 minutes in. But the Wares were not fazed and a fine run by Ngoyi into the box gave him the slightest of openings at the right hand post and the hit man found the gap leveling the scores just 3 minutes later.
A few minutes from the restart Ngoyi had the ball in the net again, latching onto another of Morton’s incisive balls forward, however, the linesman ruled him offside, much to the relief of the Darts Army who had taken up residence in the shed at the far side of the ground.
The visitors renewed their attack with a concerted effort up to the break, Eddie McClement’s shooting wide and a good move involving Ryan Hayes and Cass set up May but this time Bonfield tipped the ball over the crossbar.
Denis Maharajan and Wallace were causing the Darts defenders some concern and it was Maharjan's speculative lob into the box that almost found Ngoyi 55 minute in with Kessell lucky to beat the striker to the ball.
A minute or so later he was not so fortunate, when Ngoyi again latched onto a ball forwarded from midfield the keeper pulled him down on the edge of the area. Referee Mr Holderness deemed it to be outside the box and gave the keeper a yellow card and Edgware a free kick 6 yards outside. Vince Rispoli took the kick and Maharajan was unlucky to fire over the goal almost on the hour.
Dartford were very much still in the game Kadi’s attack down the flank was marshaled out wide by Gavin Hart and Steve Norman had an effort go wide. May again threatened but Bonfield was quick to stop the threat. It was looking like a draw for the two teams and a point apiece but nobody had taken account of the Wares desire to win this game and in the last seconds Maharajan fired a thunderbolt past Kessell to win the match with his teammates mobbing him to the ground.
This was one of the finest performances from Edgware with every member of the team playing their part and none could be faulted for desire and commitment to the final whistle.
EDGWARE: Bonfield, F Moore, Hart, Rispoli (S Blackburne), McKay, Hayden, Taylor, Morton, Wallace, Ngoyi (Ferneé), Maharajan.
OTHER SUBS: Salih, Lockie, R Blackburne
The BBC were filming at the ground all day for the London News ‘Inside Out’ to be screened on Friday 25th April at 7.30pm. The programme will highlight the plight Edgware find themselves in with the imminent development of the White Lion ground and although they still have a year on the lease they have no funding available to play at the White Lion next season or to relocate the club.
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