Dartford pointless as Daniel Meadows hits double top to complete Alfreton Town revenge
ALFRETON Town twice came back from behind to avenge their heaviest Blue Square Bet Premier defeat of the season.
Dartford were 5-1 winners against the Reds in September and, for a time at the Impact Arena, the Kent side looked set to inflict a first league double of the season against their hosts.
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But Daniel Meadows, playing much further forward than normal because Paul Clayton was rested, produced his second of two well-taken goals two minutes from time to settle the issue.
Dartford took less than three minutes to open the scoring, with Ryan Hayes spectacularly curling the ball around goalkeeper Phil Barnes from the edge of the area after cutting inside from Jacob Erskine's pass.
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Leigh Franks' header was scooped off the line by Tom Champion following a Josh Law corner as the Reds looked to hit back but the Darts were to regret a glaring miss that would have doubled their lead after 30 minutes.
Harry Crawford, scorer of a hat-trick when the teams met earlier in the season in Kent, somehow missed an open goal when his header glanced off the inside of the upright from Hayes' cross.
After 40 minutes, Meadows saw his low drive from a Law cross saved by Dartford keeper Marcus Bettinelli.
Soon after, Ross Killock cleared a casual shot from James Rogers off the line and that was an important intervention as Alfreton pulled level in the second minute of first-half added time.
Matty Harriott's deep cross was directed firmly past the Dartford keeper by Meadows with a stooping header beyond the back post.
But 14 minutes after the break, Dartford regained their advantage when substitute Nathan Collier converted Hayes' cross with a diving header at the far post.
Reds substitute Ashley Worsfold produced a neat turn and shot in the 72nd minute that deflected off a defender into the safe hands of Bettinelli.
With 15 minutes remaining, Alfreton clawed their way level as skipper Nathan Arnold's cross following a run down the right flank was swept between Bettinelli's legs from close range by Anton Brown for the second equaliser of the afternoon.
Two minutes from time, Alfreton secured their win with another quality finish from Meadows, who ran on to Arnold's deep cross, this time from the left, to drill the ball high to Bettinelli's right and into the roof of the net from 16 yards.
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