Miles Rutherford, Dabba & H made just the one change to the side that beat Whitehawk 2-1 at Oaklands Park midweek with Jamie Horncastle coming in for Curtis Da Costa to accompany Ben Pashley at centre back. Emmett Dunn and skipper Rob Hutchings also lined up in defence alongside Mo Jammeh, Misha Djemaili, Joe Moore, Joe Clarke and Isaac Bello in midfield, and striker Ethan Prichard. Theo Bennetts, Lewis Rustell, Olly Munt and Lloyd Rowlatt were all on the bench.
The corresponding fixture in 2024-25 ended in a goalless draw and Chi also picked up a point in a 2-2 reverse at home when the Lillywhites recovered thanks to second half goals from Bello and Prichard.
Here, Clarke caught Jez Pinder and conceded a free-kick which the influential Dan Carter delivered and Hutchings headed away before sixty seconds later a poor punch of sorts by Magee was unpunished by the Darts and the visitors luckily earned a set-piece of their own.
Djemaili won a throw next off George Whitefield and a ball from Dunn towards Bello went out for a hosts’ goal kick.
Then dark arts by Whitefield bought the Kent side a set-piece before Dunn and Olly Box duelled and the Canadian won the away side a goal kick.
Next, Prichard got floored by Dartford captain Michael Olarewaju – no foul according to referee Joe Burgess and Pinder’s shot was blocked 10 minutes into the contest.
Dunn came out on top after a battle with Carter before trickery from Box wreaked havoc in the penalty area and Magee gathered his effort.
Callum Jones beat Hutchings down the right flank and Pashley had to smuggle away Smith’s resulting cross.
Next, Prichard and Dunn hooked up only for Bello to pass up a decent opportunity.
Then Pashley tidied up at the other end as the hosts pressed once more but Chi could do nothing about the opener at the mid-point when Smith beat the offside trap and latched on to an intelligent through ball and slotted home beyond the despairing Magee with a slick finish.
Prichard and Bello responded after a clever one-two but the final effort was rather tame.
Hutchings went down worryingly for some physio treatment before Jones couldn’t control a long forward pass.
Bello lost out to Joe Tennant; Prichard had a shot on the turn blocked; and a super ball to Pinder wasn’t capitalised on at the half hour mark.
Hutchings won Chi their first corner after receiving a smart pass from fellow defender Pashley which Prichard took and Ady Pennock’s backline cleared easily enough.
A lovely cross-field ball from Jacob Bland to Sam Okoye in the next Dartford attack caused some problems and Magee’s throw to Hutchings was too long.
Nice stuff from Horncastle snuffed out the danger posed down the left before Carter threatened once more and the Sussex side dealt with this eventually.
A Bello bomb led to Prichard shooting but to no avail and Clarke bailed his teammates out as the hosts got going again.
Olarewajue got away with one as we entered three minutes of time added on and Horncastle cut out Box’s pass.
Prichard then spurned a chance to shoot first time with keeper Jonny Henly off his line and a wild cross from Okoye brought things to a close.
Neither team made any changes at the break and Box’s cross after a minute of the second period was cleared without any further trouble.
Then Pashley got pushed over in the area for a free-kick and Chi advanced as Bello won a throw on the right wing.
Next, Jones went down for a Darts’ set-piece that Pinder took five minutes in and the ball was headed dangerously onto the roof of the net.
A disappointing Hutchings’ free-kick didn’t cause the home side’s defence any problems and Henly collected safely before Prichard collapsed and couldn’t continue as Rustell came on in his place.
The next Dartford attack fizzled out on 58 and Carter’s delivery got turned behind for a corner and Magee saved Jones’ subsequent header.
Pashley’s lovely pass sent Dunn away up the right flank to win Chichester a throw on the hour and the visitors wasted the follow-up corner moments later.
Rowlatt and Munt then came on for Djemaili and Jammeh before a clanger by Magee presented Smith with the unmissable opportunity to double his and his team’s account from close range.
A neat pass gave Jones the chance to make it 3-0 in the 71st minute but he pulled his attempt wide and Horncastle blocked his cross moments later as the hosts ramped it up.
Box then ballooned one over and Bello was poleaxed with 15 minutes of normal time to go.
Bennetts replaced Clarke as Chi rejigged with Dunn moving up into midfield.
A foul on Rowlatt by Pinder led to a booking and Rustell’s shot hit the bar after good stuff from Rowlatt and Bennetts in a flowing move. On 80 Eddie Dsane was introduced for Box and most of the 980 home fans at Princes Park sang “You don’t know what you’re doing!” after Hutchings got away with a blatant foul.
Then Magee pulled off a magnificent save with six minutes left before Rowlatt should have just shot when he combined with Hutchings.
Carter took another free-kick on 87 and the No27’s header was simple for Magee.
Rustell had a shot on the turn that was blocked and sub Dsane intercepted a poor Pashley pass but fired wide of the mark when it seemed easier to score, and at the other end Henly denied Bello with the last kick of the game.
So, Chi fired blanks for the third game in four after goalless draws at home to Dulwich Hamlet and away to Cray Wanderers. They welcome high-flying Brentwood Town next to Oaklands on Saturday 22nd November (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Dunn, Hutchings, Moore, Horncastle, Pashley, Bello, Clarke, Jammeh, Prichard, Djemaili (Bennetts, Rustell, Munt, Rowlatt).
