The Kent side came into the match looking for an eleventh win on the bounce but encountered a stubborn outfit who had won their last seven matches in a row.
Miles Rutherford, Danny Potter and Darin Kilpatrick named an unchanged starting XI from the team that beat Wingate & Finchley at Oaklands last time out and travelled all the way to Folkestone Invicta on Saturday only for the pitch to fail a referee’s inspection at 1:30pm.
Here, Chi keeper Kieran Magee had to put the ball out for a throw under pressure in the second minute and then skipper Rob Hutchings cleared ahead of No11 Olly Box, scorer of the first Darts’ goal when the teams met in a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture back in November.
Next, Box and Callum Jones hooked up as the hosts attacked again but Magee got to the cross without any further trouble, and the custodian was similarly effective in denying a move involving Hayden Bullas, Sam Odaudu and Jones.
Curtis Da Costa, Lloyd Rowlatt and Hutchings combined six minutes in and a ball towards Box was hit a bit too long.
Ethan Prichard won the visitors a free kick 60 seconds later that he took himself and was nodded on and cleared to centre back Ben Pashley who fired off target.
Both teams probed and an Isaac Bello punt couldn’t pick Prichard.
Dartford had a Bello bomb to deal with as he launched a long throw in the 10th minute and defender Ryan Davidson was caught after chesting on a Magee kick.
The hosts won an odd set piece when Hutchings was adjudged to have made an infringement and Emmett Dunn was impeded by Denzelle Olapade moments later.
Hutchings did well to hold George Whitefield off and earn a goal kick before Prichard tried to find strike partner Jimmy Wild but the ball went out for a Dart’s throw.
Both teams exchanged throws in a five-minute passage of play and another strange decision went in Da Costa’s favour after he actually appeared to have made the foul.
Hutchings challenged Whitefield at the mid-point – fairly according to referee Michael Butcher, so no pen.
The influential Rowlatt attempted to play Prichard in but the home side tidied up and Bello conceded a corner before the Kent team won one on the other side.
Hutchings did well as Louis Dunne probed and Chi’s Dunn struck a forward pass too long before Prichard’s cross was almost turned in by a Darts defender but custodian Jacob Marsden saved.
Then Olarewaju shepherded the ball out for a Chi corner that Hutchings took and Marsden punched away for a subsequent Rowlatt air-shot before midfielder Joe Clarke dragged one wide of the goal on 27.
Marsden went down for some physio and both sides took a drinks-break and we restarted on the half hour.
Prichard couldn’t get a shot away after Bello, Rowlatt and Hutchings linked up and Dunn received the game’s only yellow card for an indiscretion.
The loose ball from the consequent free kick was latched onto by Josh Hill but ricocheted safely into Magee’s hands.
Pashley then found Rowlatt who played the ball forwards to Wild. However, the resulting cross was poor.
A calamity from Magee almost allowed Jones to get in but the Chi keeper recovered ahead of him to gather.
Chichester rebuilt before the home team’s Olapade had a shot following a slick move and Hutchings cleared for a Dartford throw.
Five minutes before the break Prichard saw an effort saved easily enough by Marsden and another move at the other end, with Whitefield lurking at the back post, ended up in a Darts’ throw-in.
They won a corner off Pashley which Dunne took and Prichard’s cross wasn’t good enough after Bello and Clarke combined.
In time added on at the end of the first half Bello went on a decent run and passed to Prichard whose ball to Clarke got hit but comfortably for Marsden.
A Da Costa slip two minutes after the restart presented Dunne with a golden opportunity for the hosts but he fired wide before Hutchings, not for the first time, outmuscled Jones to win Chi a goal kick.
The different gravy Clarke then picked Bello who moved it on to Prichard but the cross towards top scorer Wild came to nothing.
Next, Magee denied Whitefield with a fine save and Hutchings tried his luck with a long-ranger that was off target.
A Rowlatt pass got cut out; Chichester won a couple of throws; and super play from Bello, and then Wild, led to another Chi throw-in.
On 56 minutes Clarke set up Davidson but it went out for a Darts’ goal kick.
The first change happened when Jeremiah Pinder replaced Dunne before Box caused some issues as he danced into the Chi penalty area and picked Olapade who drilled one wide.
The home side cranked up the pressure and Da Costa, Rowlatt, Pashley and Clarke all had clearances to make.
And then Olarewaju hit one wide of the mark in this spell as the league leaders started to assert themselves.
Magee coped with a shot without any issue and Box blasted an effort over before the visitors might have taken the lead when Bello struck the bar and Wild latched on to the loose ball only to fire over the frame of the goal.
In the 71st minute Bello was at it again driving into the box and winning a corner which Hutchings delivered.
A coming together of Clarke and Marsden delayed proceedings for a while as the home team made another sub before Davidson produced an outstanding block as the ball sat up.
Bello broke away again but dragged his shot wide and Davidson held Jones off – no penalty according to Mr Butcher.
Wild had a go after a brilliant ball from Rowlatt that got steered out for a corner which Prichard took for another on the other side which was also cleared.
Marsden gathered as Davidson flicked on and Pashley tidied up for City.
The Darts made two more changes before Mo Jammeh came on for Rowlatt and Magee denied Pinder and then Jammeh cleared.
As we headed towards four minutes of additional time Jake Scrimshaw replaced Prichard up top and Pinder crashed one against the post as the hosts threatened a smash and grab win before the ref finally called time.
So, Chi remain seventh in the table and welcome high-flying Cray Valley PM to Oaklands Park on Saturday 15th February (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Dunn, Da Costa, Pashley, Bello, Clarke, Wild, Rowlatt, Prichard. (Munt, Moore, Bennett, Jammeh, Scrimshaw)
