Chichester City blow hot and cold – but keep on battling
Chichester City have had another up-and-down week – but their players have earned praise for staying in the play-off places and coping with a raft of road trips.
On Saturday goals from Harry Bridle and Lucas Pattenden earned a creditable 2-1 home win over Bath City, who had a man sent off just before the break. See David Richardson’s Chi City v Bath City gallery here.
But on Tuesday night at Chertsey, Ben Pashley’s goal just after the hour came when City were already 2-0 down and they couldn’t go on to rescue a point.
Three points from six have left City seventh, having won nine of their opening 17 games.
City now take a break from league action for a week. They visit National League South high flyers Salisbury in the second round of the FA Trophy on Saturday, then go to SCFL Premier side Hassocks in the third round of the Sussex Transport Senior Cup on Tuesday.
Manager Miles Rutherford said they were delighted to beat Bath – but frustrated not to get anything from the Chertsey trip.
“We’re still blowing hot and cold, but I think it’s the same for a lot of clubs in this league. Anyone can beat anyone, you’re seeing that in results,” Rutherford said.
“It was a good win on Saturday and Chertsey was a fairly even game. We were 1-0 down at half-time but should have been 2-1 up – we missed two glorious chances.
“We felt confident at half-time but started the second half poorly. When we did get one back we didn’t really build on it.”
Coach Darin Killpartrick said: “I felt we deserved to beat Bath. Their red card changed things but it was another excellent, entertaining game with two sides going at each other.
“At Chertsey, the effort from the players was excellent but on the technical side, we failed in some aspects.”
Rutherford admitted the current schedule was testing City’s small squad, with a number of players now injured – including Curtis da Costa, Ryan Davidson and James Sweet.
He said they’d go to Salisbury for Saturday’s Trophy tie as underdogs but determined to give it their best shot.
“We’re having to do a lot of travelling at the moment but we have to get on with it and try to grind out some results.”
Killpartrick said: “It feels like a pinch point of the season at the moment. We’ll get through it but we need all the support we can get.
“We had more than 600 at Oaklands Park for the Bath City and would love local people to keep coming and helping us grow the support. And we wouldn’t mind a nice coach for away trips if anyone wants to help!”
Here is Ian Worden’s match report from the defeat at Chertsey….
Chichester City might have been the better side but came away from Surrey with nothing from Chertsey Town.
Nathan Minhas scored on seven minutes after Will Sweet under-hit a back header to keeper Max Evans, and Daniel Berry made it 2-0 in the second half. Ben Pashley pulled one back for Chi on 63 for what would prove to be a consolation goal.
City made two changes to the starting XI which beat Bath City on Saturday. Skipper Rob Hutchings once again lined up at left back with Isaac Bello on the other side, partnering Pashley and Sweet, this time, in the centre of defence. Evans began as usual between the posts with Joe Moore, Emmett Dunn, Lucas Pattenden and Lloyd Rowlatt, given a start, in midfield behind top scorer Harry Bridle up front and Brandon Chebby who scored twice against Frome and earned the MoM award versus the other Somerset club at the weekend.
Moore cleared in the fourth minute of play and Evans collected a forward pass from Darryl Harrison as the Curfews attacked the Signature End. Chebby won the first corner of the night at Alwyns Lane after Hutchings’ pass was deflected. Rowlatt took this but Pashley headed over.
The hosts took the lead early doors through Nathan Minhas. Bridle spurned an opportunity to level things up almost immediately at the Eden Gate end and Joe Grant dragged a shot off target 60 seconds later.
Both sides exchanged throws in the next passage of play before Rowlatt, who shone at the weekend in his cameo, won the visitors a free kick. Top scorer Bridle had another go 11 minutes in but couldn’t get a decent connection.
Next, Pashley’s straight ball didn’t pick Pattenden and the Chi midfielder had a cross cut out before Bridle, on 16 goals this season in all comps, fired narrowly over the bar. Minhas’ burst of pace gave him some space, although he played a disappointing pass looking for his teammate Berry.
Pattenden then saw his shot blocked in the 18th minute and Minhas picked up a knock. Dunn headed clear a long Curfews’ throw and Eoin Casey was booked for fouling Hutchings at the mid-point.
Chertsey keeper Luke Roberts gathered Bello’s pass towards Pattenden before Hutchings and Chebby hooked up down the left flank, although Bridle’s flick was easy for Richards.
A lovely touch from Rowlatt set him up for a ball that didn’t quite find a marauding Chebby, and Pashley cleared Berry’s delivery as the home side pressed again. Pattenden’s cross/shot wasn’t turned in by Bridle on the half hour mark and Evans comfortably saved a shot by Berry as things swung this way and that.
Then Minhas tried to curl one but Evans denied him easily enough before Darryl Harrison was fouled on the edge of the penalty area and Dunn was booked. Berry was adjudged to have hand balled on 37 but Hutchings’ set-piece got headed away and Evans met the ball before Berry.
With five minutes of the first half to go Pashley beat Minhas and Dunn was fouled by Wayne Ridgely – no yellow card according to referee Adam Steele. A bit of Chuckle Brothers stuff between Bello and Pattenden didn’t work out and Town countered and won a corner which the Lillywhites’ back-line cleared.
Evans claimed a Conor Lee effort without any trouble and on the stroke of half time Chebby could have/should have gone down in the box but he won a corner that came to nothing as Mr Steele blew for the break.
Rowlatt was subbed at the interval for Worthing loanee Burgess and Ridley came off and got replaced by Leo Farruch. Pattenden went down and received some physio treatment after barely a minute and Chebby did Casey but Hutchings’ cross was too deep.
Then Roberts got to it ahead of Bridle on 50 minutes before Hutchings headed the ball out for a Town corner which Chebby hacked away. And it was 2-0 in the 53rd minute when Berry headed home, and Chebby won the visitors a corner that Sweet blazed off target.
A Hutchings’ foul on Lee led to a free kick which Chertsey captain Alex Fisher took, and Evans comfortably saved the consequent header. Next, Isaac Olorunfemi pulled the trigger but it was miles off and Pashley pulled one back for the Sussex side on 63 minutes with a header from a City corner.
Pattenden was beaten to the ball by a defender and Roberts in the 66th minute as Chichester sought an equaliser. Farruch then fired an attempt wide of the mark; Bridle was flagged offside; and Pashley blocked the follow up shot when Hutchings got done.
Bridle couldn’t get his feet right and had an effort saved for a corner on 73. Sweet did well up against Minhas in the 74th minute, and Dunn thought he had won a corner but the ref gave a Curfews’ goal kick. Moments later Pattenden crossed although City couldn’t profit from it before Olly Munt was introduced for Joe Moore.
Sweet tried to find Pattenden on 82 minutes but Roberts gathered and both Bridle and Bello had chances blocked – the second one for a Chi corner. The two teams exchanged set pieces in the following spell and Bridle earned Chichester a corner.
Then it was easier to score then miss for Grant but he somehow missed his second bite at the cherry with two minutes of normal time to go. Hutchings couldn’t keep his shot down in the 89th minute and Clarke replaced Sweet.
The ref added seven minutes of additional time and nice skill from Chebby won Chi a corner that Hutchings delivered for another on the other side. Try as they might Chichester just couldn’t find a leveller as the game drew to a close.
Chichester City: Evans, Bello, Hutchings, Moore, W. Sweet, Pashley, Dunn, Pattenden, Rowlatt, Chebby, Bridle (Munt, Clarke, Burgess).