SDFL division one

United 2

Dartmouth secured all three points in their division one clash with high-flying Broadhempston United, but all thoughts were with home captain Kevin Causley after he suffered a horrific injury.

After 15 minutes the ever reliable Causley dispossessed the away striker with a trademark tackle, but the resultant force saw Kevin appear in some distress.

Later that evening an X-ray showed Causley had suffered a broken tibia and fibula.

Everyone at Dartmouth Football Club would like to wish Kev a speedy recovery and thank Dartmouth physio Emma Johns, the ambulance crew who assisted Kevin and all the Broadhempston management and players for their quick responses and support.

The game restarted with Eric Thompson being brought on at centre-half but, as expected, the game took a while to liven up after the long delay.

That said, Dartmouth looked the more likely to grab the first goal with strikers Carl Cliff-Brown and Dan Broadway causing the Broads defence all sorts of problems, and the central midfield pairing of Liam Ford and Mark Forrester looking to dictate the play.

However, against the run of play, the visitors opened the scoring. A corner was floated in towards the penalty area, and the visiting defender reacted quickest to the second ball to lash past Darren Goss in the Dartmouth goal to give Broadhempston a surprise lead.

With 15 minutes remaining of the half, Dartmouth deservedly got their equalising goal when a Mark Sneap pull-back set up Forrester, who dispatched his effort into the far corner for his second goal in as many games to make the scores 1-1 at half time.

Chick and Gary Lobb on the Dartmouth touchline appeared satisfied with the first half display and encouraged the home side to push for the all-important third goal.

On the hour mark the home side took the lead for the first time, when a Broadway cross was unfortunately helped over the despairing 'keeper, giving Cliff-Brown the simplest of tasks to tuck away his first for the club.

Within ten minutes the scores were level once more, when hesitancy in the Darts defence was clinically capitalised upon by the Broads winger, who struck past Goss from the tightest of angles.

Almost immediately Darts restored their lead when a Forrester corner was met emphatically by Jordan Frost, who steered his well-timed header into the net for his first of the season.

Richie Baker and Charlie Smith were introduced with fifteen minutes remaining, and their fresh legs proved crucial as Dartmouth sealed the victory.

Cliff-Brown played a perfectly weighted ball through to Broadway, who confidently struck over the advancing 'keeper in front of a jubilant Longcross crowd to make the score 4-2.

Goss in the Dartmouth goal was kept busy in a spell of continuous Broadhempston pressure, and made two brilliant saves-to preserve Darts' two-goal cushion and secure a second successive league win for his side.

Under testing circumstances, this was a crucial win for Dartmouth in their quest for promotion from division one.

Dartmouth reserves were without a game this weekend, but return to league action tomorrow with a home match against Paignton Villa reserves.

The first team were due to face East Allington at Longcross on Tuesday night, but this weekend travel to bottom of the table Abbotskerswell in the league.

Both games kick off at 2.30pm.