Three Bridges edge out Chichester City in Sussex derby

A late Mason Doughty goal saw Three Bridges record a 1-0 home win over West Sussex rivals Chichester City on Tuesday evening in the Isthmian South East.
A late Mason Doughty goal saw Three Bridges record a 1-0 home win over West Sussex rivals Chichester City on Tuesday evening in the Isthmian South East. Picture by Cory PickfordA late Mason Doughty goal saw Three Bridges record a 1-0 home win over West Sussex rivals Chichester City on Tuesday evening in the Isthmian South East. Picture by Cory Pickford
A late Mason Doughty goal saw Three Bridges record a 1-0 home win over West Sussex rivals Chichester City on Tuesday evening in the Isthmian South East. Picture by Cory Pickford

At half-time nothing but a Chichester win would have been imaginable as they dominated proceedings throughout those 45 minutes.

A stubborn defence and an outstanding goalkeeping display by Daniel Smith were all that stood between the visitors.

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Dan Ferreira cleared off the line after just two minutes before Smith smothered a Ryan Davidson shot.

Smith then made good low saves to deny Davidson and Emmett Dunn, and tipped over a header and a wicked swerving shot from Dunn.

It obviously wasn’t to be Dunn’s night as he then headed over in the 33rd minute when it seemed easier to score.

Apart from a Brannon O’Neill free kick that went wide, Bridges had no answer to City’s dominance. Smith made two more saves to deny Tyrone Madhani and Scott Jones as the half drew to a close.

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But, in the second half, Bridges started to put together a string of decent moves and kept a more subdued City at bay.

The major difference was Doughty, playing a lone role up front and constantly harassing the visitors’ defence. He shot just wide following a great through ball from Lee Hall, celebrating his 100th league start for Bridges.

Hall came close with a shot on the turn before he forced Chi keeper Kieran Magee into a good block.

An ambitious effort from Callum Chesworth, who was celebrating his 18th birthday, and another from Doughty suggested that this might be Bridges’ second goal-less affair in four days,

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But, after 79 minutes, the influential Hall played a glorious cross-field ball to Doughty, who cut inside a defender before delivering a superb curling shot into the top far corner.

And it could have been better in added time for Jamie Crellin’s men. Hall broke free on the left and unselfishly passed to an unmarked Ben Bacon, who got the ball tangled up in his feet and slipped as he shaped to shoot.