MATCH REPORT | DARTFORD 0 CHICHESTER CITY 0
Dartford’s unbeaten run remained intact, as an organised Chichester City side prevented Ady Pennock’s team from scoring for the first time since the beginning of November.
As 949 supporters arrived for a cold night under the Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park floodlights, the fact that the visitors hadn’t played at the weekend wasn’t lost on them. And to be honest, their fresher legs showed at times this evening.
Having said that, The Lillywhites’ boss Miles Rutherford set his team up to frustrate the hosts by pressing at all times. The tactic worked, despite the best efforts of the Darts in trying to create space in this close battle of two in-form teams.
The first opportunity came by an unorthodox route in the 25th minute, when the otherwise solid Luther Williams forced his own goalkeeper Jacob Marsden into a fine save, having inadvertently hit the ball towards his own goal.
Josh Hill came close with a neat effort in the 32nd minute, before Chichester danger man Ethan Prichard forced Marsden into a routine save after trying his luck from distance (40).
The Darts did begin to create more opportunities after the break, with Louis Dunne failing to trouble Kieran MaGee with his early strike (46), before George Whitefield’s volley was saved comfortably by the goalkeeper (52).
Ady Pennock was the first to introduce changes in a bid to freshen up his squad, with Jeremiah Pinder coming on for Louis Dunne in the 59th minute. That would be followed by Eddie Dsane replacing Olly Box (74), before the double swap of Tyler Christian-Law and Samuel Okoye coming on for Denzelle Olopade and George Whitefield respectively (85).
Meanwhile, Miles Rutherford made just the two substitutions this evening. The first came in the 85th minute, as Modou Jammah came on for Lloyd Rowlatt, then Jake Scrimshaw replaced Ethan Prichard (90).
As we return to the action, we find the hosts find that much-needed higher energy levels as they pinned The Lillywhites back for longer periods. Both Michael Olarewaju (64) and Olly Box (68) were unable to test Kieran MaGee with their efforts, before a quick break at the other end caused chaos inside the Darts’ box…
Jacob Marsden pulled off a fabulous save to halt the initial attack, but the loose ball found Isaac Bello who smacked the crossbar. The ball then fell to Jimmy Wild who, somehow, fired over the bar with an empty goal in front of him (69)!
The opportunity spurred the visitors on and they were awarded a corner soon after. Having already been in the wars this evening, a battered and bruised Marsden was then on the receiving end of a pounding after attempting to punch the ball clear (72)! Thankfully, after receiving treatment, the shot-stopper was able to continue in a bid to preserve another clean sheet.
Eddie Dsane and Denzelle Olopade combined well in the 75th minute, only for the latter to see his goal-bound strike blocked. Then Chichester immediately had an opportunity of their own at the other end, which saw Bello fail to find the target.
Marsden then pulled off yet another fine save (79), before Jeremiah Pinder’s brilliant work went unrewarded as his strike smacked MaGee’s upright as the game entered additional time.
Skipper Josh Hill’s performance earned him a deserved Man of The Match award, as the Dartford backline put in a brilliant shift to help get the point. While Jacob Marsden’s exploits deserve a special mention as well. He may have been in the midst of a battle this evening, but he won the war to keep an eleventh clean-sheet of the season.
The ten-game winning streak may have come to an end, but Ady Pennock’s side stretched their unbeaten run to an incredible twenty games to remain at the top of the Isthmian Premier League table.
TEAMS
DARTFORD: Jacob Marsden, Sam Odaudu, Josh Hill (c), Michael Olarewaju, Luther Williams, George Whitefield, Hayden Bullas, Denzelle Olopade, Louis Dunne, Olly Box, Callum Jones.
SUBSTITUTES: Duane Ofori-Acheampong, Samuel Okoye, Tyler Christian-Law, Eddie Dsane, Jeremiah Pinder.
CHICHESTER CITY: Kieran MaGee, Ryan Davidson, Robert Hutchings (c), Emmett Dunn, Curtis Da Costa, Benjamin Pashley, Isaac Bello, Joe Clarke, Jimmy Wild, Lloyd Rowlatt, Ethan Prichard.
SUBSTITUTES: Charlie Bennett, Oliver Munt, Joe Moore, Jake Scrimshaw, Modou Jammah.
Chris Palmer
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