Hawks to face Dartford in National League South play-off semi-final … Dorking stun Bath to also reach the last four

Hawks will face Dartford for a place in the National League South play-off final.
Luke Wanadio, left, wheels away after scoring Dartford's final goal in their 3-0 play-off win at Slough Town. They will now face Hawks at Westleigh Park. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images.Luke Wanadio, left, wheels away after scoring Dartford's final goal in their 3-0 play-off win at Slough Town. They will now face Hawks at Westleigh Park. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images.
Luke Wanadio, left, wheels away after scoring Dartford's final goal in their 3-0 play-off win at Slough Town. They will now face Hawks at Westleigh Park. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images.

The Darts romped to a 3-0 victory at Slough Town yesterday with goals from Charlie Sheringham (2) and sub Luke Wanadio.

They will now travel to Westleigh Park next Saturday, July 25 (3pm).

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Though it was claimed the formbook would go out of the window - as no team had any form having not played since mid-March - this result certainly went with it.

Charlie Sheringham (middle) is congratulated by  Noor Husin after scoring his second goal for Dartford at Slough. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images.Charlie Sheringham (middle) is congratulated by  Noor Husin after scoring his second goal for Dartford at Slough. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images.
Charlie Sheringham (middle) is congratulated by Noor Husin after scoring his second goal for Dartford at Slough. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images.

Steve King’s Dartford were top of the form table when the season was abruptly ended, having won 10 of their last 13 league games.

Slough, in contrast, had only won four out of their last 10 games and were mid-table in the form guide.

Sheringham was playing in the Isthmian League when the pandemic took hold of the sporting calendar, having been dual registered with Leatherhead in a bid to get more game time.

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But he was back in the Darts starting line-up on Slough’s 3G surface at Arbour Park alongside 16-goal top scorers Darren McQueen and Elliott Romain.

After a goalless first half, Sheringham broke the deadlock shortly after the restart, converting Jordan Wynter’s cross.

He added a second in the 56th minute, netting from close range after Romain’s shot had deflected off a defender and a post.

Wanadio - who played in the National League for Aldershot in 2018/19 - came on as an 82nd minute sub for McQueen and three minutes later completed the victory.

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Hawks only played Dartford once in 2019/20, drawing 1-1 at Princes Park in their third game of the season.

Dartford began the campaign badly and were fourth bottom by the end of October, following just three wins in 14 games.

King had been appointed in early October after joint-bosses Jamie Coyle and Adam Flanagan resigned following a 3-2 defeat at Tonbridge the previous month.

King has a proven track record in management, having led Lewes to the Conference South title in 2007/08 - the club’s third promotion in five years under him.

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He has also reached the South play-off final with three different clubs - Farnborough, Whitehawk and Welling.

Ex-Hawks striker Jason Prior was on target as Dorking won 2-1 at Bath City in the second quarter-final yesterday.

That was another formbook-busting result, given that the Romans had only lost twic at Twerton Park all season and Wanderers had lost their last five games of the regular 2019/20 campaign.

Marc White’s side now progress to a semi-final at Weymouth next Saturday, with a 12th promotion since being formed in 1999 still very much alive.

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Striker James McShane fired Dorking into a sixth minute lead at Bath, who finished fourth in the table - three places and 13 points ahead of their visitors.

Prior – Dorking’s top scorer in the regular league season with 14 goals - doubled the advantage four minutes before half-time when he headed in.

Bath replied 10 minutes from time with a Ryan Brunt penalty.

White, having previously been booked, was dismissed from the dugout as Dorking hung on in over six minutes of time added on.

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Prior remains in the hunt for a fourth successive promotion.

Having won the Isthmian and National League South titles with Hawks in 2016/17 and 2017/18, Prior also helped Dorking to the Isthmian Premier title in his first season at the club in 2018/19.

This is Dorking’s first ever season in the sixth tier, and they are the only one of the four South semi-finalists never to have dined at the top table of English non-league football.