Hawks boss Paul Doswell: We committed footballing suicide in play-off semi-final defeat

A needless red card for Josh Taylor at the end of the first half and a rash challenge from Chris Paul were the two key moments that contributed to Hawks crashing 2-1 to Dartford at a near deserted and rainswept Westleigh Park.

Hawks were leading through Jonah Ayunga’s close range effort in the 13th minute heading into time added on at the end of the first half.

But the whole complexion of the play-off semi-final changed when referee Tom Bishop showed Taylor a straight red card.

The midfielder lashed out at Elliot Romain after winning a free-kick and, though he failed to make contact, Bishop deemed it violent conduct.

Dartford hit back in the second half to book a final trip to Weymouth thanks to a brace from top scorer Darren McQueen.

The striker - once signed by Doswell for Sutton United - equalised just before the hour mark with a low shot past Ross Worner.

It was the visitors’ first on-target effort of a match which produced very few clear cut opportunities with neither keeper tested that often.

Dartford’s winner came on 68 minutes when Paul - one of a trio of half-time subs sent on by Doswell in the wake of Taylor’s moment of madness - brought Ky Marsh-Brown down in the area.

McQueen duly stepped up and converted his 13th penalty - out of 13 attempts – of the season to sentence Doswell to his sixth successive play-off defeat.

‘We were looking comfortable - Worner had not had a shot to save, they weren’t hurting us, but we committed footballing suicide,’ said Doswell.

‘It’s almost like we decided to throw the game away from 48 minutes.’

Doswell had no complaints about Taylor’s red card, and was critical of Paul for giving away the spot-kick.

‘Chrissy Paul shouldn’t make the tackle, he doesn’t need to make the tackle, but he does.

‘There were two poor footballing decisions there from two players that in essence had a huge bearing on the result.’

Dartford boss Steve King had changed his formation from the one that had won 3-0 at Slough the previous weekend.

King deployed a 5-3-2 formation, dropping striker Charlie Sheringham to the bench after his two goals at Slough and bringing in Matt Briggs as one of three centre halves for his first start of the season.

The aim was to combat Hawks’ aerial strength, but that was exactly how the hosts took a 13th minute lead.

Skipper Danny Kedwell flicked on a long Taylor throw into the six-yard box and Ayunga forced the ball home from virtually on the line at the far post.

Hawks were furious on 25 minutes when Darts keeper AJ Sesay brought Ayunga down as the striker skipped past him just outside the penalty area.

Bishop let play go on but after Wes Fogden’s shot was blocked by covering defenders, he went back and booked the goalkeeper.

Doswell was not alone in believing Hawks should have been given a free-kick, while others in the ground thought Sesay could have been dismissed.

Asked about the incident, Doswell said: ‘The referee wasn’t going to give us anything all day long.

‘I thought he was terrible, but we shouldn’t be blaming the ref on a day like this.

‘The fact is we did what we did in the 48th minute and that cost us in my opinion a place in the final.’

Able to use five subs, Doswell brought on three of them at the interval.

Kedwell was sacrificed up front - Ayunga forced to go it alone up front in the second half - while attacking midfielder Roarie Deacon, making only his second start since late September, was also taken off.

Benny Read was the third player replaced, with Nicky Bailey moving from midfield to replace him at right back.

Bedsente Gomis, Andy Drury and Chris Paul were all introduced into virtually a totally new midfield.

But it was a half-time change made by Darts boss Steve King which was to have the biggest effect on the final outcome.

Left winger Marsh-Brown was introduced and instantly made an impact with his pace and mazy footwork.

After Ayunga had gone close to doubling Hawks’ lead - a fierce 20-yarder flashing just wide - Marsh-Brown set up McQueen to equalise.

The same player then won the penalty which enabled McQueen to net his 18th league goal of the season - moving him level with Ayunga at the top of the leading marksman list.

After falling behind, there were few clear chances for Hawks to force penalties.

Ayunga worked himself some space in the area in the 80th minute, but fired over, before the same player headed wide from inside the six-yard box in time added on.

‘It’s a great cross and he heads wide from three or four yards out,’ said Doswell. ‘The ball’s died on him a bit, it’s windy, rainy … you look at the chances we had, but you look at the two main incidents - we’ve played with 10 men for 50 minutes and we’ve given away a penalty.’

Doswell had told The News in the build-up to the semi-final that he thought King’s tactics would involve using pace to hurt his side.

He was to be proved correct.

‘We’ve struggled against pace,’ Doswell rued.

‘Look at the Wealdstone game, all the big games here - look at Wealdstone, 2-1 up, cruising, then we get undone by pace.

‘Dulwich in the FA Cup was the same, that was a reorganised back four that day but nevertheless we didn’t look comfortable against pace, and then today … listen, they didn’t open us up too much. I think Ross has made one save in the whole game.’

On the day, Taylor’s actions did indeed contribute towards Hawks’ failure to reach a play-off final. The club’s search for a play-off win - after five attempts - goes on.

But a weakness against pace and a poor home record are just factors which stopped Hawks going up automatically.

And they will form part of the bigger picture Doswell will be painting as he bids to correct this season’s problems in 2020/21.

‘It would be the easiest thing in the world to stand here and string Josh Taylor up, but I’m not going to do that,’ said the boss.

‘If I was to over concentrate on today - a game played in front of no fans and in a sterile atmosphere - I wouldn’t be a very good manager.’