Didcot Tn 0

Uxbridge 0

Leaders Didcot were held to a goalless draw by Uxbridge in a Division 1 South & West game that was badly affected by heavy rain and squally winds.

The hosts lost the services of striker Michael Bartley at half-time with an arm injury, which a hosptial X-ray revealed had not been broken.

Despite the conditions, both sides still managed to serve up a decent match without being able to break the deadlock.

The visitors started better, with Dave Thomas forcing Didcot's Andy Williams into a full-stretch clearance.

A slip by Michael Watkins almost gifted David Warner an open goal, but the Didcot keeper recovered to dive at the striker's feet. After 15 minutes, the visitors' early dominance looked to have paid-off when Mark Dennison got on the end of a firm free-kick from Mark Nicholls.

But with the ball nestling in the net the referee spotted that Dennison had punched the ball home. And his celebrations were rightly curtailed by a yellow card.

Warner was then put clear in the box, but Watkins did well to smother his low drive.

It seemed to act as a wake-up call because from that moment, it was the home side who created the majority of the chances.

A move involving Richard Witt and Matt Bicknell ended with Liam Hope miskicking a good chance.

Five minutes before the break, Didcot suffered a major blow when Bartley was flattened by a combination of keeper Rob Bullivant and Mark Weedon.

In Bartley's absence, Didcot's attacking threat diminished considerably.

Despite dominating possession in the second half, they did not without carve out too many chances.

Jack King's shot grazed the far post while Matt Vine himself tried an audacious shot from 30 yards that missed the target by inches.

And with the last chance of the game, Bullivant pulled off another terrific save low-down from Richard Peirson's header.

Didcot: Watkins, Heapy, Bicknell, Williams, Peirson, Jack, Witt, King, Bartley (Parrott 45), Vine, Hope.

Attendance: 224