Dismal display as Blues lose in cup final

Despite this being a cup final there was an air of total apathy around the ground throughout the match, with the attendance barely exceeding the number of players and match officials.

Ringmer just about shaded it in the first half in terms of possession without really creating a clear chance until Clay Lamont headed a Chris Dicker free-kick over the crossbar in the last minute of the half.

By this time the Blues were two goals down as their usual defensive stronghold proved strangely vulnerable to crosses from Chi's right flank.

Despite a clear height advantage against one of the smallest strike forces in the county on three occasions crosses found an unmarked attacker near the far post.

The first came after 19 minutes when Adrian Brockway nipped in at the far post to beat a hesitant Ross Standen to the ball to give Chi the lead, with the second on 27 minutes when Standen just managed to turn Brockway's shot round for a corner. Then after 40 minutes Alex Ward charged in from the left to rifle home Chi's second wide of Standen.

The second half saw Chichester continue to defend in depth and counter-attack in numbers while Ringmer were restricted to hopeful long balls out of defence.

Even the normally vocal Crumplin was strangely subdued as too many of his players turned in below-par performances.

Blues's fans, baying for the introduction of Dominic Shepherd into the action, produced the loudest cheer of the evening to greet his eventual introduction with some 20 minutes to play.

Shepherd it was who had Ringmer's first shot on target when an effort on the turn forced a save from Chi's goalkeeper, and Lamont's fine header from a Dicker free-kick thundered against the post and away to safety.

With time running out Julian Curnow finally pulled a goal back with a well-struck shot and in the dying moments Shepherd was twice only inches wide of the target as the Blues strove for a last-gasp equaliser.

Afterwards Crumplin said Chichester had deserved to win as they worked the harder.

Ringmer: Standen, Bird (Clark), Lamont, Curnow, Dicker, Beeston, Hunt (Shepherd), Ducille, Jones, Green, Tidey. Unused subs: Stacey, Probert, Adams.