Manager Ady Pennock says he’s not surprised by Denzelle Olopade’s good form at Dartford.

The midfielder got his fourth goal this season in Darts’ 3-1 victory at relegation-threatened Bowers & Pitsea last weekend - a result which sent them to the Isthmian Premier summit.

He is going from strength-to-strength under Pennock.

“Denz has been great all season,” admitted the boss. “He’s very athletic, strong and very good with the ball at his feet.

“He’s chipping in with goals now, as well, and has come on board with what we want to be doing.

“He scored a great goal on Saturday. It was a good cross from Luther Williams and he finished it really nicely.

“He’s getting stronger and stronger, and he’s a lovely lad, as well.”

Dartford midfielder makes team-of-the-week

One-time Norwich youngster Olopade is now relishing playing at Dartford, having signed from Phoenix Sports last summer.

Pennock added: “I knew him from when he was at Norwich as a young lad.

“He was always someone I kept an eye on and I think he got lost in the system a bit, if I’m honest.

"When he came to the club in the summer, I had a few chats with him where he had never been to the ground before.

“I remember he came through the tunnel and just said ‘Wow!’. He’s playing really well. I’m not surprised by that, though.

“We’re really pleased with him.”

Olopade put the Darts into an 11th-minute lead at Bowers before forward Callum Jones doubled their tally before half-time.

The hosts hit back through attacking midfielder Alfie Evans - who, ironically, is another product of Dartford’s youth-team set-up - in the 83rd minute, only for substitute Jeremiah Pinder to claim a game-clinching third.

Pennock reflected: “It was a good performance.

“I think they only had one chance and, arguably, we could have scored more goals. But it was a good performance on Saturday, especially on the back of the Billericay game.

“Obviously, we were pleased to be 2-0 up at half-time - and it could have been more - but we just couldn’t get that third one. We hit the crossbar, the post and their goalkeeper made some good saves.

“Then, they got their goal and you think ‘Oh, here we go’ , but we went and got the third one almost straight away.

"Like I said before, we’re a different animal now where we weren’t managing games as well at the beginning of the season as we are now.

“When it went to 2-1, we didn’t sit back and we got the third goal through Jez, which was really pleasing.”

It was a third goal this campaign for versatile young midfielder Pinder.

“Jez is only a third-year scholar,” added Pennock. “He took his goal really well.

“At the start of the season, I didn’t think he felt he would play as many games as he has. But he has done it on merit.

“Obviously, he’s not the finished article, but he’s a very good footballer.

“I’m not playing youngsters for the sake of it, I’m doing it because they’re good enough.”

While Samir Carruthers missed out through injury, fellow midfielder Louis Dunne, who has had his loan from Chelmsford extended until the end of the season, deputised.

Pennock said: “Samir is a loss for us. He has been great but he’s got a hamstring injury.

“He has been very good, off the pitch as well as on it.

“I’ve said before that he’s not 21 anymore and running around like a spring chicken. But when he’s not available, he’s still around.

“I’m pleased to have Louis until the end of the season as well. He has a lovely left peg and he’s a very good player.

"When we signed him, I said to him ‘Just express yourself’ - and that’s what he has done.”

It’s now nine successive wins, and 19 league matches unbeaten, for Dartford.

Pennock said: “We’re just enjoying it.

"We have won nine in a row and we’re unbeaten in 19 league games, and that doesn’t happen every season.

“I’ve been involved in football as a player and I’m still lucky to be involved as a manager in my 50s, but we’re just getting on with it.”

While victory against Bowers sent Dartford top, they now have tough home games against Hashtag this Saturday and fellow play-off hopefuls Chichester on Tuesday to come.

Pennock said: “We drew with them both away from home.

"Hashtag have some very good players going forward, as do Chichester.

“No one is going to roll over for us, just because we’re top of the table.”

Dartford’s Isthmian Premier home fixture against promotion rivals Dover has been moved forward a day to Good Friday, April 18.