OXFORD City’s poor run in the Vanarama National League South continued with a 1-0 home

defeat against Dartford on Saturday.

Mark Jones’s side now have just two teams below them in the table after a run of two points from six games.

Although they have made it through to the final qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup in that time, their last league win came in August.

Jones opted to leave new signing Elliot Benyon on the bench, but City started brightly.

Reece Fleet drove one dangerous ball across the penalty area, while Nana Owusu tested visiting goalkeeper Mark Smith, but his header lacked power.

However, Dartford started seeing more of the ball and Craig King was forced to produce a great save to keep out Darren McQueen’s effort just before the half-hour.

But City’s keeper was powerless when Ben Greenhalgh ran at the hosts and curled a fine shot into the far corner to give his side the lead on 35 minutes.

City felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Finn Tapp was felled from a corner, but their appeals were dismissed and it remained 1-0 at half-time.

Greenhalgh had a glorious opportunity to double the visitors’ lead a minute after the restart, but fired over the bar when through on goal.

City almost levelled when Reece Beckles-Richards fired against the post.

Fleet went close with an effort that flashed wide of the upright.

But the home side were again grateful to King, who did well to keep out another McQueen effort at his near post.

Zac McEachran saw a shot saved by the legs of Smith as City pushed for an equaliser.

But although more and more men were thrown forward in the latter stages, they were unable to find a way through and dropped into the bottom three.

They are next in action when they face Margate on Saturday for a place in the first round of the FA Cup.

Oxford City: King, Jefford, Ashby, Oastler, Wiltshire (Jones 56), Fleet, McEachran, Owusu (Benyon 56), Self, Beckles-Richards (Fasanmade 84), Tapp. Subs not used:

Moore-Azille, Wright.

Attendance: 307.