Darlington's win yesterday came courtesy of some fluid attacking and two excellent pieces of finishing but Quakers' fourth victory of the season was built on another sound performance from the dependable defence, writes Craig Stoddart.

The result ensures Quakers retain their record of not conceding twice in any league game this season, while their position behind Arsenal and Celtic as the team with the least number of defeats by more than one goal over the last year remains intact.

That is due to a solid backline which has become a huge factor in taking Darlington to the edge of the play-off zone.

Only eight strikes have penetrated the Darlington net and it's only the fourth time time Quakers have got to this stage of the season with such a miserly record since Harold Wilson was Prime Minister - but all season focus has been on the team's performance in front of the opponents' goal and that has unfairly taken attention away from a depenable backline.

The first ten games of the season saw Darlington score only eight but the 11th game, last week's comprehensive 4-0 win over Southend, was followed by a blur of excitement and any plaudits for the team's continuing good defensive work were swallowed up by a gush of praise for the team's new-found ability to hit the net.

The defence's achievement in becoming the first Darlington side since the 1968/69 season - when the likes of John Peverell and Joe Jacques were regulars - to concede so few goals in the first 11 games has been pushed to one side.

Goalkeeper Sam Russell has now picked the ball out of his net eight times since the opening day, and has played a huge part in the team's frugal beginning to the season. He's been man of the match more than once already and was on form yesterday too.

Because of injuries Darlington's good defensive work has occurred without a regular backline which has enforced full-back Kendrick to play more centrally, while Brian Close has dropped back from midfield but he hasn't looked out of place.

Would-be regulars Joey Hutchinson (long-term injury), Craig Liddle (shoulder problem) and Curtis Fleming (knee) are all currently out of the team, while Matt Clarke has spent most of the season as a makeshift striker but none of this has had an adverse affect on the team with Close particularly imressive, looking much more comfortable at the back than he does in central midfield.

Not long before Oxford's opening goal Clarke was turned in the Darlington box by the experienced Bradbury but Close, showed great awarness to nip in and clear the danger.

Striker Tommy Mooney was Oxford's high profile summer signing having scored freely for Swindon in the division above last season, but his threat was snuffed out most of the afternoon by Clarke, while Kendrick looks more suited to the centre of defence as his best games in a Darlington shirt have both been in this position.

For all of Quakers' sound defensive work, sometimes successful teams need a bit of luck and that came twice in the second half as first, Ryan Valentine cleared off the line when a Mooney header hit him, although Darlington's wing-back didn't know much about it, and then Close's backpass almost gave away a goal.

Fortunately for him Russell was alert enough to collect the ball under pressure from Bradbury and in doing so protected Quakers' impressive statistics.

It's now 41 games since Darlington lost a league game by more than one goal - the last, a 3-1 defeat at Oxford last November - and despite going into half-time a goal behind yesterday, that record was rarely in danger of ending.

For all the fluid and dangerous attacking play created, particularly by Alun Armstrong, Adolofo Gregorio and Wijnhard which grabs the limelight, it's the defence which is the cornerstone on which Hodgson's team is being built.

Read more about the Quakers here.