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Dartford 0 Oxford City 0 match report: Leaders Dartford held at home

16:50, 13 November 2021

updated: 19:19, 13 November 2021

Dartford were held at home by draw specialists Oxford City in National League South on Saturday.

Both sides hit the woodwork in an entertaining goalless draw that Darts dominated in the second half despite missing a number of familiar faces.

Jack Jebb - hit the woodwork for Dartford in the second half. Picture: Keith Gillard (53043354)
Jack Jebb - hit the woodwork for Dartford in the second half. Picture: Keith Gillard (53043354)

No side in the division has now drawn more games than Oxford but the visitors were fortunate to leave Princes Park with a point.

Dartford were without captain Tom Bonner (suspension) and midfielder Noor Husin (international duty) while former Tonbridge man D'Sean Theobalds was on the bench having joined the club from a spell abroad.

After a run of five games without a win, it meant Josh Hill partnered Connor Essam in a back four again containing Luke Wanadio at right-back.

Captain George Porter shot wide before Luke Allen's near-post shot from a Porter cross was saved in a brisk Dartford start.

Leading scorer Ade Azeez sent in an early cross which was headed just wide by Dan Roberts.

Oxford responded as Dan Matsuzaka nodded over a right-wing corner and then Harvey Bradbury's chip came back off the post and was cleared away to safety. The same incident saw Allen injured attempting to thwart the danger and it meant an early introduction for Theobalds after a five-minute delay.

Joe Iaciofano found space on the left for Oxford but shot straight at keeper Dan Wilks after cutting inside while Jack Jebb's low drive was saved at the other end.

On the half-hour, Dartford worked the ball from right to left and Roberts skipped past his marker before seeing his low drive deflected behind for a corner by the legs of keeper Ben Dudzinski.

Jebb was on the fringes of the game in the first half but he quickly made his presence felt after the break - and was the driving force behind Dartford's dominance.

He presented Porter with an excellent chance that ended with a poor touch from the former Bromley and Maidstone forward, then on 55 minutes Jebb sent a cracking right-foot shot against the crossbar from 20 yards. Azeez nodded in the rebound but the flag was up for offside and it was swiftly ruled out - although replays later suggested the Darts striker was level with the last defender when Jebb let fly.

Jernade Meade's volley was saved low down and Porter failed to connect with a deep Jebb delivery as Dartford increased the pressure on the visitors.

Oxford continued to pass the ball neatly and created two good openings as substitute Jacob Bancroft shot straight at Wilks and then Josh Hill's last-gasp tackle denied Iaciofano a clear sight of goal 10 yards out.

Azeez should have added to his season's tally with 15 minutes left but he headed Jebb's far-post corner over the bar.

Oxford keeper Dudzinski almost went from hero to zero with eight minutes left. He made a brilliant instinctive save to keep out Hill from a Jebb corner but then came flapping at a Wanadio centre, only to be rescued by a defender who got back to clear Azeez's header off the line.

Jebb's 30-yard free-kick was turned away by Dudzinski with two minutes left, Porter headed over and Darts were also left to point to a potential handball appeal as Essam's shot on the turn was kept out by a defender's hand.

It meant Dartford's winless run extended to six matches but this was a performance of a team who had gone six unbeaten rather than a month without a victory.

Dartford: Wilks, Meade, Allen (Theobalds 18mins), Hill, Essam, Porter, Murtagh, Roberts (Sonupe 72mins), Jebb, Azeez, Wanadio. Subs not used: Robinson, Kedman, Odaudu.

Oxford City: Dudzinski, Asare, Harmon, Matsuzaka, Fleet, McEachran (Coyle 64mins), Owusu (Bancroft 58mins), Bradbury, Iaciofano (Kyprianou 90mins), Davies, Carroll. Subs not used: Rowan, Benyon.

Referee: Marc Whaley.

Attendance: 1,401.

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