Dartford manager Tony Burman was delighted as his side edged a thrilling Kent derby 4-3 in the FA Cup first round at Bromley on Saturday.
More than 4,000 fans packed into Hayes Lane and certainly got their money’s worth as the two sides battled it out in an end-to-end encounter.
And Burman was delighted afterwards he was able to guide the Darts into the second round of the competition for the first time in 30 years.
The Princes Park chief said: “It’s lovely. I’m pleased for the club, pleased for the supporters.
“They gave us great support here today.
“It was a fantastic crowd, it was credit to both clubs pulling in that many people.
“I’m really pleased we’ve put in a good performance for the guys that came to see us.
“What a great game for the FA Cup – a typical FA Cup pitch as well.
“It was very muddy out there and it determined the way our teams had to play.”
Conference South side Bromley took the lead in the second minute as fine work by Moses Ademola provided the opportunity for Louis Dennis to tap in the opener.
Darts rode their luck at times during the first half as Bromley missed gilt-edged chances to double their lead, before the visitors eventually drew level just after the break as Danny Harris bundled home from a corner.
The Conference side soon found themselves in front early in the second period, as Ryan Hayes curled a glorious left-footed finish past Seb Brown in the Bromley goal.
However, the lead didn’t last long after Jason Brown was caught hesitating on the ball by Ademola, who was able to tap into an empty net after stealing possession from the visiting stopper.
Dartford restored their lead from another corner, as Danny Harris helped Elliot Bradbrook’s header over the line, but it was from yet another corner Danny Waldren hauled Bromley back level once again.
With just ten minutes standing between both sides and a replay, Tom Bradbrook found himself unmarked within the six yard box to head past Seb Brown and settle the tie in Dartford’s favour.
Burman was playing for the Darts himself when they last made the second round in 1984, where they went on to lose 4-1 in a replay at Bournemouth after a 1-1 draw at Watling Street.
He felt his current side showed a lot of spirit in what was a barnstorming game at Bromley, saying he was proud of his team.
“I do feel that I’ve got a good group,” Burman explained.
“It isn’t the first time we’ve come from behind this season.
“There was a hell of a lot of pressure on them today, we were the favourites and it’s easy to get a banana skin in any cup game.
“After the start that they (Bromley) had, it gave them a lot of confidence and we’ve had to grind our way into it and we did.
“I thought we played very, very well today.”
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