Jade Charlton turned in a 91st-minute equaliser as Dartford drew 1-1 before 305 at Princes Park. A day later co-manager Martin McCarthy stepped down.

Dartford’s women took a point from their first ever match at national level on Sunday, and it was their goalkeeper who won it. Jade Charlton turned the ball home in the 91st minute to draw 1-1 with Dulwich Hamlet at Princes Park, in front of 305 people. (Dartford FC match report)

The match was the club’s opening fixture in the FA Women’s National League Division One South East, the fourth tier of the women’s game. Dartford reached it by winning a league and cup double last season, and are in the National League for the first time.

How the game went

Dulwich Hamlet had led since the 59th minute, when substitute Kizzanna Fergus scored from inside the box. Dartford pushed for an hour without reward. Mya Lewis-Powell put a shot over the bar on 65 minutes and debutant Jessica Frances-Weir went close on 79.

The equaliser came from a set piece deep into added time. Abbey Davies floated a free kick into the six-yard box, the ball broke loose, and Charlton had come up from her own goal to get the final touch.

A day later, a manager left

On Monday 17 August the club announced that Martin McCarthy, co-manager of the women’s first team, was standing down with immediate effect. Connor Dymond, his co-manager for the past three years, becomes sole manager. (Club statement, Dartford FC)

The club’s account of it is short and specific:

  • the two men “acknowledged they had different objectives for the team’s first season in the National League” at an internal management meeting
  • McCarthy decided it was best for the team and the club to step away
  • the club says the decision “came as a surprise” but that it fully supports him
  • he will continue to work for the club in a commercial role

McCarthy said he had no plans to step down after last season’s success, “however it became clear in our most recent conversations that Connor and I saw objectives for the club differently ahead of the new season”. He also said he was born in Dartford and lives in Dartford, and that anyone representing the club had to understand what that meant.

The club credits the pair with the most successful period in the team’s history: cup wins, several second-place finishes, and then the double that took them up.

What comes next

The club’s fixture release in July set out the shape of the season (Women’s League Fixtures Released):

  • Stevenage away is next, followed by Luton Town and QPR
  • in the National League Cup, Dartford are in group J with Dulwich Hamlet, AFC Wimbledon and Crystal Palace

One practical warning. At the time of writing the women’s fixture list on the club’s own website returns “No fixtures found for this season”, so kick-off times for the away games are not yet published there. The club’s news pages are the reliable place to check until that is fixed.

What it means for you

  • Women’s first team home matches are at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park, Grassbanks, Dartford DA1 1RT, the same ground as the men’s team.
  • Sunday’s crowd of 305 was for a fourth-tier league opener, so this is a fixture you can turn up to without booking weeks ahead.
  • If you are travelling in for a match, our Dartford roadworks and travel page covers the current closures, and parking in Dartford sets out the town’s car parks and charges.

Sources