Chichester City boss: We’re having good moments – but bad moments too

City exited the FA Cup to step-five SE Dons on Saturday as a late 2-1 lead turned into a 3-2 defeat in the second qualifying round tie at Oaklands Park.

On Tuesday night they claimed a point from an entertaining 2-2 draw at home to Chertsey in the Southern League Premier South.

The evening included tributes to Billy Vigar – with this week the first anniversary of his tragic death following an accident in Chi’s match at Wingate and Finchley in which he suffered a serious head injury in a collision with a pitch perimeter wall.

Rutherford said the week was typical of their season so far – some great spells of football interspersed with some poor spells and soft goals conceded.

“The cup game summed up our season – we were good and bad on the same day,” he said.

“We looked comfortable then threw it away at the end.

“The boys have been fantastic overall but we are having bad moments among the good moments.”

Harry Bridle and Lloyd Rowlatt were on target in the cup defeat and Bridle got both against Chertsey, earning praise from Rutherford.

City visit Thame in the FA Trophy on Saturday and Hanworth Villa in the league on Tuesday.

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Ian Worden’s match report on Chi City 2 Chertsey 2

Chichester City recorded their first draw of the season thanks to Harry Bridle’s brace (an early goal and a deserved equaliser with 15 minutes to go) after Luke Robinson and Bradley Wilson had put the visitors in front in what was an exhilarating, end to end game.

City made one change to the starting XI that were heartbreakingly beaten at Oaklands on Saturday by SE Dons courtesy of two additional time goals in the FA Cup. Skipper Rob Hutchings began at left back with Ryan Davidson on the other side with Ben Pashley and Curtis Da Costa in front of keeper Max Evans.

James Sweet moved up into midfield instead of Lloyd Rowlatt, who was away in America for his 30th birthday, together with Joe Clarke, Emmett Dunn, Lucas Pattenden and Isaac Bello, and Bridle up top. Joe Moore, Jake Lawrence, Brandon Chebby, Olly Munt and Noah Africa were all named as subs.

Billy Vigar’s family were there to mark his passing a year ago this Friday after he collided with a perimeter wall in a league match for Chi at Wingate & Finchley.

The teams exchanged a catalogue of throws in the opening three minutes before an exquisite Sweet pass to Pattenden set Bridle up for a delightful finish just four minutes in. Pashley’s long ball was then safely gathered by Chertsey keeper Luke Roberts in the sixth minute and Hutchings and the impressive Jaheim Kamara battled for possession down the right wing.

Next, Pattenden played a lovely ball in on eight minutes ahead of Clarke fouling Robinson in a dangerous position but captain Alex Fisher hit his subsequent free kick straight at Evans. Then Da Costa made a decent block and Kamara did Hutchings once again but he finally cleared.

A Da Costa slip led to the first corner of the evening but his defensive partner made a fine clearing header. Pattenden and Sweet combined in the next attack and the Chi No11 got a shot off that was saved by Roberts before the visitors were finally flagged offside by the lino on 16.

Nathan Minhas lifted Kamara’s threatening delivery over the cross bar in the 18th minute before the Surrey based side, who won the FA Vase at Wembley in 2019, shepherded the ball back to Roberts. Davidson got impeded on 20 minutes and Bridle had no luck in trying to pick Bello at the mid-point.

Hutchings was yellow carded for a foul on the influential Kamara before Clarke hit the bar and Chertsey won a corner at the Tennis Club end which came to nothing. Leo Farruch’s super delivery couldn’t be capitalised on by Wilson and lovely stuff from Dunn teed Bridle up for a go that got cleared off the line as we neared the half hour mark.

Bello then had a fierce shot stopped by Roberts, and Davidson saw his shot veer wide for a goal kick. Then another Pattenden cross was tidied up by the Curfews with ten minutes to go to the break and Bello might have got in although Roberts gathered. Clarke had two bites at the cherry to double Chi’s lead but both were somehow saved.

Next, Hutchings intercepted a ball intended for Kamara and Pattenden almost got in before Bello crossed but no one was there and referee Joel Lamping signalled one additional minute.

Neither team made any changes at the interval before a soft goal got the visitors back in things only two minutes into the second period. Moments later Evans collected a cross from the left and Sweet was fouled by Lachian Byrd five minutes in.

Davidson mopped up an attack instigated by Minhas and Wilson, and got the ball back to Evans, before Bello was impeded in the centre of the park. Dunn tried his luck with a long-ranger on 52 and Minhas thumped one into Evans’ gloves 60 seconds later.

Gary Abisogun replaced Kamara after ten minutes of play before neat work from Sweet resulted in Bridle fouling Roberts. Then, Minhas got caught offside: Wilson fired narrowly wide; Pattenden almost found Bello; and Bridle couldn’t quite connect with his shot as things opened up.

On the hour Dunn fizzed an effort which got deflected for a Chi corner only for Hutchings’ kick to be diverted. Moments later, Clarke failed to control a Bello pass and Dunn might have picked Hutchings marauding down the College Lane wing.

On 68 Bello couldn’t get to a Pattenden cross and Chertsey got away with one when the ball was played back to Roberts. And it was 2-1 thanks to a simple goal in the 71st minute before Robinson bought the visitors a set piece. A couple more changes were made by Toby Little before tremendous play by Hutchings set Bridle up for the equaliser with 15 minutes of normal time to go.

Not long after this the away side had the ball in the back of the net but it was chalked off for offside. Next, at the other end Dunn pulled a fine save out of Roberts and the away side might have conceded a penalty when Hutchings went down in the box. Pattenden spurned a chance to give City the lead after great play from Bridle and Hutchings’ ball to Bello was eventually hit too deep for Pattenden.

Chertsey lifted one over the crossbar after a great Chichester block gave them a corner. The physio had to come on to treat Pattenden who picked up a head injury before Bello’s attempt was saved by Roberts. Mr Lamping added five minutes; Pashley got in effectively; and Evans bailed Hutchings out who’d gone walkabout.

The consequent corner was ballooned over the bar on 92 and sub Darryl Harrison’s poor shot didn’t cause Chi any trouble. A mistake by Evans led to a corner which was cleared before the final whistle finally went. So, City move up into the play-off places and Chertsey drop one spot to fourth.

Chi are away in Oxfordshire at Thame United in the FA Trophy on Saturday 26th September (3pm).

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