Chichester City downed by Deans … Midhurst put six past Shoreham

City came into the game with a starting XI unchanged from the one that were clapped off the field last time out by the hosts’ fans when they triumphed 3-1 away at Sheppey United.

Isaac Bello has been on fire, scoring five goals in five previous matches as Miles Rutherford & Co’s outfit notched four wins, and Steve Hutchings returned to the squad accompanying Conrad Honore, Connor Cody, Joe Clarke and Seok-Jae Lee on the bench.

There are all sorts of connections between the two clubs and here Chichester keeper Kieran Magee, who moved to Chi from Horndean, was forced into an early stop denying Dan Sibley three minutes in. The same Deans player then fired a dangerous cross over in the fourth minute which the home side cleared.

Next, Joe Moore and Kyle O’Brien exchanged passes but Rob Hutchings’ ball into the box was rather wayward. Moore was well-in on 10 before Rob Hutchings hooked away.

Another delivery from Sibley caused skipper Ryan Davidson to concede the first corner which got headed wide before a poor clearance fell to Man of the Match Connor Duffin who put the Hampshire team ahead with an effort that Magee could only get a hand to in the 16th minute.

Chichester looked to shake off a somewhat ponderous start as Ethan Prichard, who bagged a hattrick in that 3-0 win at Littlehampton on New Year’s Day, made a good contact but the ball was deflected out for a corner. O’Brien whipped this in and Emmett Dunn wasn’t far off.

Prichard then came under pressure from Kyle Bailey and Davidson climbed effectively to set Rob Hutchings up for a cross-field ping.

The hard-working Duffin, a proper old-school No9 who was a nuisance all afternoon, gave away a throw-in on 24 minutes and Davidson wasn’t going to score from there as Rob Hutchings picked him some way out.

Aston Mitchell got yellow-carded and Tommy Scutt, Mitchell and former Chi player Ethan Robb combined for a shot which was charged down. Duffin and Cade Dyer then hooked up but the hosts cleared and a floored Scutt received some treatment. A lovely pass by Dunn found Bello who slipped unfortunately before Scutt’s attempt looped up and Magee claimed.

And it was 2-0 when a seemingly offside player delivered from the right and Sibley found the back of the net. Mo Jammeh fired over on 34 and there was a coming together of Bello and Rudi Blankson. Bello was replaced by Steve Hutchings a minute or so later.

Next, Rob Taw took a throw which resulted in a dangerous cross and a follow-up one that Magee gathered under pressure. Referee Nicholas Whittington gave Zack Willett and Dyer a talking to on 41 before Taw whipped a corner kick in.

Jammeh was upended a couple of times and just before half time Rob Hutchings’ set-piece after one of these infringements went past multiple players without any end product. And on the stroke of the break Duffin won a free-header but the cut back was cut out.

Honore came on for Moore at the interval and Rob Hutchings got booked for a handball 60 seconds in. Scutt took the subsequent free-kick and Chi cleared off the line. Josh Clack then had a go without any real power and a couple of Deans players took swipes at Prichard.

Bailey found his custodian and captain Cameron Scott with a backwards header before a fierce Prichard hit was deflected for a corner. O’Brien took this which was cleared for another that he struck too deep. Next, Clack crossed more accurately towards Steve Hutchings but it came to nothing and Harvey Laidlaw was introduced for Dyer as we approached the hour mark.

Steve Hutchings and Jammeh linked up but defenders snuffed out the danger and Magee finally collected when Sibley and Duffin played a clever one-two. Clack earned a corner after good work by Jammeh which O’Brien took and Dunn redressed the arears at the left post, stabbing in through a cluster of players.

Neat skill from top scorer Prichard led to a consequent Honrdean clearance and O’Brien was freed up by a super pass. It might have been all square on 67 when Prichard only had to cut inside and slot home.

Cody replaced O’Brien a minute or so later and Prichard’s lovely effort was deflected once again for a corner which Rob Hutchings delivered. Bailey was booked for a handball just outside the box and a header from the intelligent set-piece got hooked away.

Scott got his gloves on a consequent header from Steve Hutchings before, with the hosts looking like they might get something out of the game, Willett wrapped things up. Late on Rob Hutchings swerved one wide; Cody headed over; Honore had an effort blocked; and Jammeh went close but to no avail.

Chichester – Magee, Davidson, O’Brien, Moore, Da Curtis, Rob Hutchings, Bello, Dunn, Clack, Jammeh, Prichard. Subs – (Honore, Steve Hutchings, Cody, Clarke, Lee).

by IAN WORDEN

Herne Bay condemned Chichester City to a third 3-1 loss at Oaklands Park in less than a month on the ‘new’ 3G surface.

Miles Rutherford & Co made four changes to the starting line-up that were defeated by the same scoreline at the weekend. Back to the XI came Connor Cody in defence, midfielders Joe Clarke and Conrad Honore, with Steve Hutchings up top.

There was just the one point and a single place between the sides in the league. The Bay though have proved tough opposition for Chi at Step 4.

Michael Salako fouled Curtis Da Costa a couple of minutes in before Emmett Dunn, who scored what proved to be a consolation against Horndean on Saturday, struck an early attempt just wide. Steve Hutchings and Rob Hutchings, playing at left back rather than CB, hooked up and a handball was overlooked by referee Mr Cross.

It wasn’t moments later however, as the ball popped up to the latter Hutchings. The visitors took the free-kick but the assistant’s flag went up for offside. Up against Theo Osinfolarin, Rob Hutchings was forced to concede a throw before Honore, Mo Jammeh and Josh Clack combined in a move that resulted in a foul.

Next, Rob Hutchings got impeded by Archie Burnett who was yellow-carded and on eight minutes Joe Clarke’s super pass picked out Isaac Bello, but the Chi No7 couldn’t get a meaningful shot off. The ref chose not to award Chi a penalty for an infringement on Dunn and instead gave a set-piece in a dangerous area.

Rob Hutchings delivered this, although it came to nothing as did Clack’s follow-up one towards Steve Hutchings. The hosts paid for this at the mid-point when Kane Rowland opened his and his team’s account. Clack then went on a decent run when Cody found a pass, but the ball was lost.

Gil Carvalho headed straight at Chi keeper Kieran Magee and a Clack cross got taken off Steve Hutchings’ head.

The Chichester No9 saw his subsequent attempt saved by Harry Brooks before pulling another one wide of the mark after an opponent had gone through Bello without being spoken to. Bello teamed up with Clack, without any end product and Clarke was caught but no foul given.

Rob Hutchings’ delivery on the half hour got cleared and might have dealt with things better as he put his back line under unnecessary pressure. The same player however went on a lovely run past two or three visitors but Bello’s eventual pass wasn’t capitalised on.

Herne Bay broke down the wing and Cody headed the ball out for a corner which was cleared easily enough for Steve Hutchings to lay off to Bello. Rob Hutchings then spurned a corner kick; Cody tidied up as Carvalho threatened down the left flank; and the Bay No7 had a go in stoppage time.

The away side conceded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area straight after the break. Clack took this and certainly made the keeper work as he batted the ball clear of danger. Dunn was then fouled by Frankie Smith who received a booking.

Rob Hutchings whipped in the set-piece for a couple of headers that didn’t really trouble the Kent outfit and then Honore, twisting and turning, set Chi off again. Momentum swung this way and that as first Herne Bay won a corner and the hosts countered quickly as Jammeh found an overlapping Rob Hutchings who earned the hosts one of their own.

Brooks gathered Da Costa’s header; a Chi player was nudged in the back; and the ref waved penalty appeals away when Jammeh seemingly got floored in the box. Dunn was heavily involved as he crossed for Steve Hutchings twice, the second a free header. And then Rowland made it 2-0 as he profited at close range from a mistake.

The Chichester management rang the changes as Ethan Prichard and Joe Moore came on for Steve Hutchings and Jammeh. The pacey Carvalho posed problems before Prichard was soon in the thick of things, firing a Hutchings’ cross narrowly wide. Brooks had trouble dealing with Prichard’s next effort which was turned out for a corner and hooked out.

A delicious pass got Bello in but his chest control was too heavy this time and Bay made it 3-0 as Carvalho slid in at the back post to convert Rowland’s delivery from the right with 15 minutes to go. Olly Munt replaced Bello on 84 after Dunn headed off target.

Good work from Dunn and Prichard set up Moore for a shot which he hit true to reduce the score line in the 86th minute before in stoppage time Prichard had an attempt saved; Dunn’s header went wide and Hutchings’ corner was headed over at the death. So, Chichester lost by the same margin for the third game in the last five.

Eighth-placed Chi are back at Oaklands Park against another Kent club Beckenham on Saturday (Kick Off 3pm).

Chichester – Magee, Dunn, Rob Hutchings, Clarke, Da Costa, Cody, Bello, Honore, Steve Hutchings, Jammeh, Clack. Subs – (Jones, Moore, O’Brien, Prichard, Munt).

Midhurst Easebourne 6 Shoreham 2

SCFL premier

The Stags raced into a three-goal lead inside the opening 30 minutes with some good football and clinical finishing.

Lewis Rustell opened the scoring in the 10th minute, Cal Dowdell doing well on the left and picking out Siph Mdlalose, who squared to Rustell to fire home.

The Stags’ second arrived minutes later, Lewis Hamilton winning the ball and driving at the Shoreham back line, picking out Marcus Bedford on the right, whose great ball was coolly finished by Mdlalose.

The third goal arrived in the 26th minute. Good build up play led to the ball finding Bedford on the right, and another good ball into the Shoreham box was half cleared to Rustell who fired into the roof of the net.

Rustell completed his hat-trick in the 37th minute, Mdlalose winning the ball fto go through on goal but squaring to Rustell to tap home.

The second half started with the Stags in total control, and Rustell added his fourth in the 55th minute heading home from a corner. The Stags should have added a sixth with Bedford rattling the bar.

The sixth did arrive in the 67th minute Mdlalose getting in behind the Shoreham back line, pulling back for Hamilton to score.

Shoreham did respond with two late goals, Ramon Santos getting the first poking home from 6 yards out. James Gayler’s half volley in the 90th minute was a great strike from 20 yards.

Stags boss Andy Ewen was full of praise for his side. “We started really well moving the ball well, scoring some good goals killing the game off early,” he said.

"Shoreham have been doing well recently. I expected a really tough game but they were nowhere near us and we took full advantage.”

Midhurst are up to ninth in the SCFL premier table, having won 12 of their 23 league games so far – a superb effort in only their second season at this level.

Elsewhere in the SCFL premier, goals by Nana Baah and James Wild earned Pagham a 2-0 win at AFC Uckfield.

In Division 1, Selsey lost 1-0 at Alfold. In Division 2, leaders Bosham put NINE past Brighton Electricity. Alex Barnes and Toby Hewett scored three each, Ed Kennett two.