A winless run of four games ended in fine style at the Camrose as the Dragons took all three points in a pulsating encounter, condemning the Darts to their first defeat of the season.
Manager Frank Gray praised his side after the game, hailing the spirit in the team and the importance of returning to winning ways.
Town made three changes to the side that had disappointedly drawn against lowly Hampton & Richmond, with Shaun McAuley and Stuart Lake returning. But giving the most heart to the home fans among the nearly 500 crowd was Delano Sam-Yorke, back from injury. His return was dramatic and almost instant as he fired the Dragons into the lead with his fifth goal in five games in the fifth minute. Tim Sills was the provider with Sam-Yorke collecting his flick and the in-form striker did the rest.
The lead lasted only 10 minutes when a ball over the top caught out the home defence and Ross Adams pulled the shirt of Charlie Sheringham. The incident appeared to be outside the area, but referee Chris Powell awarded a penalty when Ashley Bayes saved the shot. The drama continued as the referee ordered a re-take of the spot kick, but Sheringham found the back of the net for a second time.
The game was open with both sides attacking and Bayes was called into action to make a low save. Just after the half hour, the visitors took the lead when Adam Green’s free kick took a wicked deflection off the wall, leaving Bayes with little chance of the save.
The home side showed great spirit and were level within two minutes, Green’s opposite number Toby Little scoring his first goal for Basingstoke also from a free kick. Darts keeper Derin Ibrahim may be left thinking that he could have done better.
Both sides could have added to the four goals before the break, Elliot Bradbrook going just wide for the visitors and David Pratt failing to make contact with Sill’s ball across goal at the other end.
After a slow start to the second half, Town began to assert their authority and were rewarded eight minutes in when McAuley got what was to be the match winning goal. The visitors failed to clear their lines from a free kick and Lake found the mid-fielder on the left side of the area and via a deflection smashed the ball home for his first League goal of the season. Importantly for Town fans, eight different players have now found the net in just seven games.
Just two minutes later and the Dragons could have been out of sight, a diving Sills header from a Wes Daly free kick went just wide. The Darts responded with Ryan Hayes getting into space and the better of Little, but he could not get the better of Town shot-stopper Bayes, who made a fine blocking save. Just past the hour, another chance fell to Sills, but he could not get his header on target.
It was now all Town and Ibrahim kept his side in the game with a superb double save. Firstly, he denied Sam-Yorke brilliantly, saving his header from Lake’s cross. From the resulting corner, he again made a fine save, this time from a powerful McAuley shot.
With the visitors on the ropes, Sills got in behind the Dartford defence and found McAuley, but agonising for the mid-fielder he struck his header against the post with the goal at his mercy.
Dragons saw out the remaining minutes to secure their first win in five and inflict the Kent side’s first defeat.
This will give ’Stoke a massive boost ahead of their long trip to play another Kent side, high flying Dover, on Saturday.
