It was a bittersweet night for Tom Bradbrook as Dartford signed off their pre-season friendly programme with a narrow win over VCD on Tuesday night.

The striker scored the first goal at Oakwood but he didn't even make it to half-time after a late challenge from Vickers keeper Darren Budd forced him out of the game with a leg injury.

His older brother Elliot Bradbrook came off the bench and scored a penalty in stoppage-time.

Trialists filled both full-back positions for Dartford, with Marvin Hamilton (right) and Mark Onyemah (left) flanking centre-halves Tom Gardiner and Callum McNaughton.

Lee Noble played alongside Barry Cogan in central midfield while up front, Tom Bradbrook partnered Andy Pugh.

VCD's starting line-up featured former Ebbsfleet midfielder Cesc Fakinos and ex-Tonbridge striker Alex Teniola.

The hosts started brightly and they should have been ahead inside 65 seconds. One long ball caught the Darts defence out and they were relieved to see Julian Owusu roll the ball wide when he found himself one-on-one with Deren Ibrahim.

Leon Fisher smashed a shot well wide moments later but it was Dartford who broke the deadlock on 14 minutes.

Bradbrook found himself free inside the box and his low shot from the right-hand side rolled across Budd and nestled inside the far corner.

Almost straight from the restart, though, Bradbrook's evening took a turn for the worse. Ryan Hayes sent the striker running clear with a clever through-ball from midfield and when Bradbrook got his toe to the ball ahead of Budd, the goalkeeper clattered into his right leg and brought him crashing down a yard outside the box.

In a competitive fixture Budd would almost certainly have been sent-off for the foul.

After receiving treatment on the touchline Bradbrook limped back on but five minutes later he accepted defeat and hobbled back to the changing-rooms, replaced by George Sykes.

The goal had energised Dartford, who were doing all the pressing now. Jack Simmons crossed from the left wing and the ball ran all the way through the box to Hayes, who took a touch before shooting over.

VCD's Jack Stevenson tried his luck from 40 yards but his outrageous effort failed to catch out Ibrahim, who stayed alert and clawed the ball round the post.

Onyemah did really well to race back and tackle Teniola just as he was about to pull the trigger, before another timely intervention at the other end stopped Dartford going 2-0 up. Sykes' teasing cross from the left looked to be dropping perfectly for Pugh right in front of goal but defender Ricardo Joseph got his head to the ball first inside the six-yard box.

Seven minutes into the second half, Dartford worked the ball down the left-hand side and Simmons crossed for Sykes, whose volley bounced back off the post.

The next attempt came from VCD when Adam Ramadan's cross was only cleared as far as Aaron Wickham, whose deflected strike forced a smart save from Ibrahim.

Sykes kept drifting out to the left hand-side and it was from there that he sent a curling effort towards the far corner. Budd sprang to his left and pushed the ball away.

Gardiner then got up from the back to head a Danny Harris cross straight at Budd before Ibrahim grabbed a tame Ramadan half-volley at the other end.

Dartford almost doubled their lead before the end, VCD's substitute keeper letting a Harris effort through his hands before turning in relief to see the ball strike the far post and bounce back to him.

Sykes had two shots saved late on as the Darts finished on top.

Brilliant feet from Kaka Dembele wide on the right earned Dartford a penalty in the last few seconds. Dembele was too quick for his man and when the referee pointed to the spot, Elliot Bradbrook smashed the ball into the top corner.

VCD: Budd, Palmer, Probets, Wickham, Fitzgerald, Joseph, Fisher, Fakinos, Teniola, Stevenson, Owusu. Subs: Ramadan, Blanchard, Neita, Tozer, Colquhoun.

Dartford: Ibrahim, Hamilton (Vint 46mins), Onyemah, Gardiner, McNaughton, Noble (E Bradbrook 46mins), Hayes (Dembele 70mins), Cogan, T Bradbrook (Sykes 22mins), Pugh (Harris 46mins), Simmons (Adams 70mins). Sub not used: Knight.

Attendance: 268.