Brilliant Bello’s double earns Chichester City win at Hanwell

City made just the one change to the team that thumped Chippenham 4-0 at Oaklands Park last time out with James Sweet replacing Ryan Davidson at right back.

Once again Max Evans started between the sticks behind skipper Rob Hutchings on the left as usual, alongside Ben Pashley and Curtis Da Costa in the centre of the back four. Joe Clarke, Lloyd Rowlatt, Emmett Dunn, Lucas Pattenden and Bello lined up in midfield with Harry Bridle up top.

Joe Moore, Brandon Chebby, Olly Munt, Jake Lawrence and Noah Africa warmed the bench on a wet August Bank Holiday weekend in London.

The ‘Geordies’ started well with Ed Cooper dragging a shot wide in the second minute before Evans skewed a clearance out for a throw. Sweet was brought down by Henry Snee five minutes in for a yellow card from outstanding referee Lola Pollard.

The visitors then won a free kick after German-born Manu Oke-William collided with Evans in the seventh minute and Clarke firmly headed a cross away also by the hosts’ striker. Next, Snee got in following a slick move but was flagged rightly offside.

Bridle was similarly adjudged offside in Chi’s subsequent attack before Sweet won a throw off George Knight who was booked for a reckless challenge on Sweet. The Toon earned the first corner of the match on 17 minutes which Ibrahim Sankoh delivered and Snee struck into the side-netting.

A dodgy tackle by Harry Seabrook that would come back to bite him on Rowlatt meant he received a yellow. Evans couldn’t get his distribution right in this opening spell before Da Costa was impeded by Snee at the mid-point.

Good stuff by Bridle and Pattenden led to a Bello effort that Hanwell skipper and keeper Sam Beasant, son of Wimbledon and Chelsea legend Dave Beasant, saved impressively. Neat back-heels from both Rowlatt and Clarke then led to a chance that was deflected for a City throw. Beasant collected Hutchings’ corner kick easily enough.

The home side won one of their own in the 26th minute which Gabe George took before nice play by Bridle, last week’s hat trick hero, resulted in Bello blazing an attempt over the crossbar. A combination of Da Costa and Sweet blocked out Andrio Brandao.

Next, Dunn smashed the ball out for a Hanwell throw; neat play by Bridle set Hutchings up; and Knight brought Rowlatt down on 38. Then Chi took the lead through Bello’s delightful finish after Bridle did well in the lead up.

It might have been one-all though moments later when Da Costa almost beat his own keeper but Evans managed to head clear. Pattenden won the visitors a corner that Hutchings once again took and Dunn had a shot cleared without any more trouble.

The City captain danced down the left wing with a minute to go to the interval, bullied his marker off the ball, and picked Bello for a simple tap in. After a couple of minutes of additional time the ref blew for the break.

Neither team made any changes at halftime and Evans gathered a poor ball in without an issue on 46. Chichester won a throw in the next move and Rowlatt fizzed a shot over the bar.

Then came the game’s major turning point as Seabrook was given a second yellow card for a challenge on Rowlatt and became the third opponent in three games on the trot to be sent off against Chi.

The ten-man Geordies weren’t phased by this and Evans had to cut out a decent exchange between Sankoh and George. Next, Sweet misplaced a pass towards Pattenden 52 minutes in and Bello didn’t really get his shot off properly.

Hutchings nearly made it 3-0 after Beasant fluffed his lines before Bridle had a go blocked on 56. The Londoners then made a quadruple substitution with Joe Wilson, Ollie Turner, Willem Tomlinson and Seif Shaker joining the fray.

Bridle wasn’t far off with a clever shot on the turn on the hour mark and Evans took a long ball from Robert Nditi A lovely knock on from Oke-William teed Shaker up for a hit which Evans saved magnificently.

Bridle picked up a head injury in the 65th minute moments before Bello had the ball in the back of the net again, but it was chalked off for a infringement. Evans was at it again saving a speculative shot and sub Tomlinson struck a set piece straight into the wall.

Sweet was exchanged for Lawrence with 20-odd minutes to go and Bello dropped back to defence. Clarke’s mistake resulted in Turner firing one over; Chichester whizzed over a couple of crosses; and Wilson had to come off for Jordan Esprit.

Hanwell cleared Hutchings’ short corner towards Lawrence before Chebby and Moore replaced Bridle and Clarke. Lawrence forced a good save out of Beasant on 82 and then won a corner with his next shot.

Next, Pattenden blasted one wide in the 84th minute and Munt came on for Rowlatt as the clock ticked down. Lawrence’s pass was too long for a marauding Hutchings and the No16 turned on the skill but couldn’t pick a spot with his shot.

A slip from Pashley might have got Oke-William in but he failed to capitalise and Chebby lost control at the other end in the three minutes of added time. So, Chi make it two wins in two and move up to sixth place in the Southern League Premier South Division.

City welcome Havant & Waterlooville to Oaklands on Bank Holiday Monday.

Chichester: Evans, Sweet, Hutchings, Clarke, Da Costa, Pashley, Dunn, Rowlatt, Bello, Pattnden, Bridle (Lawrence, Africa, Munt, Chebby, Moore)