Chichester City surge through in FA Cup – but Bognor face another Cray day

An outstanding strike by Ethan Prichard on the stroke of half time and a Josh Clack goal sixty seconds after the break, together with some resilient defending, sent Chichester through to the next round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Miles Rutherford & Co made four changes to the starting XI that lined up against Lancing last time out with former Bristol Rovers academy player Adam Biss, who featured for Chi in one match last season away at Faversham, in centre mid alongside the hard-working Joe Clarke. Lewis Hyde replaced Ben Pashley in the heart of the back four and Kaleem Haitham got the nod out wide.

It was the hosts, who had a memorable 1974-75 run in the world’s oldest knock-out competition beating Brighton & Hove Albion in the third round before losing 3-2 to Leicester City at Filbert Street in the next stage with Chris Kelly the ‘Leatherhead Lip’ becoming a household name, that started brightest, absolutely battering Chichester in the opening 10 minutes or so.

Keeper Kieran Magee was out smartly to beat Will Hellestoe to an inviting cross before Emmett Dunn blocked Elliott Buchanan’s effort moments later.

And then an over-zealous challenge by Rob Hutchings on Hellestoe, giving him a torrid time down the right flank, gave Leatherhead a set-piece which Josh Webb whipped in only for it to spoon off a defender and finally get cleared.

Next, Ryan Davidson made a fine recovery tackle after Webb and Keane Anderson combined and super skill and a dropped shoulder from Dave Tarpey set up a shot which Magee turned out for the first corner of the game.

Prichard might have got in on seven minutes at the other end but the Tannners’ custodian Luke Williams bravely cleared.

Hyde then conceded a free-kick on the edge of the box that Buchanan curled round the wall and into Magee’s gloves.

Hellestoe got beyond Hutchings again only to fire over a wayward cross and Clack forced Williams into a save of sorts with a weak drive.

Biss, who certainly caught the eye, nearly picked out Prichard down by the corner flag but the Chi No11 couldn’t get the ball under control.

Clack then burst through. Prichard’s run offered an option but Clack elected to pass to Haitham who failed to shoot first-time.

Dunn steered away Tarpey’s 17th minute delivery as the hosts pressed once more and Adam Allen posed a threat only for the ball to get smuggled away.

Biss wasn’t far off with a decent hit at the mid-point and Jerry O’Sullivan received a yellow for a foul on Haitham.

Olly Munt sent in a cross following a neat free-kick that no one got to after Davidson was impeded before Biss charged through the centre of the park and almost found Clack with a quality pass.

Leatherhead then broke the deadlock on 38 minutes when Hutchings’ poor clearance fell kindly to Buchanan who lashed it into the bottom right hand corner.

As a consequence, Eric-Georges Dellaud came on for Chi at left back and Biss was in the right place at the right time to steer Anderson’s cross out for a corner which came to nothing.

Haitham spurned an opportunity with a header at the back stick and more composure would have been welcome from Prichard when he passed up two chances to curl the ball round Williams on 43.

And then Allen picked Munt’s pocket and found Buchanan only for Magee to glove his effort on to the post and back safely into his arms.

Prichard levelled things up a minute later with an incredible goal after he gassed his hapless marker who tried to pull him down.

Referee Joel Lamping played advantage and Prichard beat Williams from some distance.

Once Clack had put Chi 2-1 up just after the interval turning the loose ball in after Williams saved Haitham’s initial attempt, it was all you shall not pass stuff from the visitors.

Davidson, Dunn and Hyde made header after header after header and everyone to a man dug in with a collective performance in stark contrast to the insipid Bank Holiday one against Lancing in the league.

Magee was forced into a catalogue of saves and pulled off an awesome triple block to deny first O’Sullivan and then two fierce Tappey efforts five minutes in.

Next, Dunn steered away Briggs Ojeman’s cross before Tarpey cracked one against the stanchion.

Clack blazed a drive high and wide; Dunn, not for the last time, made a towering header to get Chichester out of trouble; and Munt dispossessed Webb to launch a raid which fizzled out.

The Chi captain, possibly offside, broke and rounded Williams but couldn’t direct the ball in before Clarke tidied up when Webb and Ojemon attacked. A lovely touch from Munt saw him play Prichard in, although he didn’t beat Williams.

Lloyd Rowlatt replaced Munt and made a number of telling interventions in his 25-odd minutes or so on the field.

Webb went close with an effort that deflected off a defender for a corner before Tarpey was somehow denied when his fierce attempt came down off the crossbar and away.

Biss won the ball back moments later and Rowlatt got things going with a pass to Haitham who pinged in a good cross. It was all Leatherhead now, forging a catalogue of corners and passing up chance after chance as Chi led a charmed life.

Anderson had a shot firmly blocked and Magee made an excellent save to deny Tarpey before denying Buchanan not once but twice.

Biss was replaced by Ryan Pennery with nine to go and the Chi sub was involved in a move with Haitham and Prichard who swiped one over. Dunn then cleared another Webb delivery and Magee claimed a long Ojeman throw before gathering Anderson’s effort which nicked off a teammate.

Rowlatt intercepted Tom Bird’s pass ahead of some once in a lifetime pinball in the visitors’ box that the Tanners failed to capitalise on.

Ojemon blew a cross-cum-shot in the first minute of the five added on and it looked like Prichard would make it 3-1 on 94 only for Williams to save.

Williams came up for a last chance saloon corner; Ojemon wasted another opportunity and Magee was booked for time wasting in the 97th minute just before Mr Lamping brought things to a close.

There were some ugly scenes between players and fans after the full time whistle.

Chi are back in FA Trophy action next on Saturday at home to Faversham (3pm).

Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Biss, Hyde, Dunn, Haitham, Clarke, Clack, Munt, Prichard (Pennery, Rowlatt, Dellaud, Moore, Bello, Carroll).

- IAN WORDEN

Bognor Regis Town 2 Cray Wanderers 2 – report by Liam Goodley

Bognor forced a replay in the FA Cup against Cray Wanderers as they drew 2-2, coming from behind twice to get the draw.

Gary Lockyer's 9th minute goal was cancelled out by Nick Dembele halfway through the first half. But Cray went ahead again on 69 minutes thanks to Michael Ademiluyi before Nathan Odokonyero got a dramatic equaliser in the 69th minute.

An early free-kick was awarded for Cray far on the left hand side with Billy Crook the taker. It was curled in but Bognor's defence headed away the danger.

Build up from Bognor was good as Isaac Olaniyan got the ball forward before Joe Rabbetts played it square to Sam De St Croix who hit it along the deck and it was saved by Shaun Rowley.

Nathan Odokonyero also got blocked by a defender for another chance and then his second attempt on the rebound was deflected off a leg before the goalkeeper saved it again.

Cray took the lead in the 9th minute. It was a swift move down the left flank as Danny Bassett got to the byline to square it to the onrushing Gary Lockyer who slammed it low and beyond Toby Steward.

Olaniyan was looking for Odokonyero's run but a defender got there first to clear it in response.

Then Calvin Davies dug out a cross which was headed away before Thomas Derry won a freekick in Bognor’s half soon after. Sam Wood drilled the freekick directly at goal from some 30 yards but the defence from Bognor deflected it away again.

Alex Bentley sped down the right before crossing it onto the head of Derry but he was under pressure in the air and Steward denied him down to his left.

Bassett went into the book on 20 minutes for diverting the ball with his left arm following an attack from Bognor. Alfie Bridgman curled the free-kick in but it bounced once before flying out of touch.

Lockyer was trying to get his second goal but from 40 yards out scuffed his right-footed strike well wide of the left post.

Bognor got their equaliser as a header bounced to Olaniyan and he passed it onto Dembele and he received the ball from a poor defensive mishap to run on and calmly round the defender before coolly kicking it beyond Rowley and into the net on 24 minutes.

Then a corner on the right by De St Croix found Craig Robson in the air but his header bounced harmlessly wide.

Crook played it out wide to Bassett who cut inside from the left before shooting. It came off a defender and bounced off and out of play. Wood's corner was powerfully headed away by Harvey Whyte at the near post as Bognor were buoyed by that equalising goal.

Steward got the ball forward and through the middle for Whyte who found Olaniyan. He ran on and across the defence before rolling the ball wide of the right post from the edge of the box.

Whyte lost possession. This allowed Bassett to cross it and Steward pushed it out and on the rebound it was Derry waiting but he didn't get enough onto it as the goalkeeper saved it.

Rabbetts and Bridgman won a corner on the left. De St Croix took the corner but it was headed away by Derry.

Olaniyan smashed over the bar following some good play from Bognor who were building up to trying to achieve a second goal.

To end the half, Crook hit a long-distance freekick into the area but it bounced in the area before flying out for a corner kick.

A long ball over the top allowed Dembele to run onto it but he went to ground along with the defender but the referee waved away the claims.

Davies won a free-kick with a foul on the right. Whyte hit the freekick across the box but when De St Croix found himself with it unmarked he sliced his effort high over the crossbar.

Rabbetts went into the book following a challenge on Michael Ademiluyi on 52 minutes shortly, after some visiting substitutions. Anthony Cook stepped up to drill a shot low at goal with the freekick but Steward was well positioned to save.

Rabbetts had a cross pawed at by Rowley and then following this De St Croix slammed it over from outside the box on the rise.

Then Bassett hit a ball into the box of which Steward gathered. Bassett went down holding his left knee and received treatment.

Bassett played it out wide to Wood but his cross was cut out in the air by Steward.

Bridgman was replaced by Charlie Bell on 64 minutes in a much-needed change. This coming before Bragg's long forward ball was searching for Odokonyero but he couldn't get onto it.

Cray punished Rocks on 66 minutes. A simple ball from goalkeeper Rowley bounced through to Ademiluyi who easily ran through and slotted it low into the bottom right corner.

Matters got worse for Bognor as Davies appeared to be tripped on 67 minutes but instead went into the book for simulation.

Though this riled the side up enough to get another equaliser and Odokonyero slotted it into the net following held up play by Dembele on 69 minutes to level the scores again thanks to a decent low cross in the build up.

Olaniyan fired it through defence for Dembele but his first touch was poor and on the run he knocked it out of play.

Mitchell Chapman received the square pass but swerved his instant shot wide of goal. Then Dembele was replaced by Tom Chalaye on 76 minutes.

Steward had to hack it clear off of Derry as a back pass put the goalkeeper into trouble.

Then a free-kick spun into the area by Ademiluyi found Jalen Jones but he was falling backwards as he glanced his header wide.

Bognor had a great chance as Whyte thread the ball onto Chaleye who ran on before swiping his shot wide of the right post.

Anthony Cook swung in a corner which fell to Bassett who turned into a crowded D before shooting it at goal and forcing another save from Steward.

Chalaye went down in the centre circle and had to receive treatment by the physio. He did continue to play with Bradley Lethbridge eager to come on but the management team decided not to replace him.

Olaniyan curled in a cross with the ball finally coming to De St Croix but his ball to Odokonyero inside the box floated up easily for Rowley to gather it.

Whyte was clearly fouled with a dangerous challenge by Crook getting him a booking right at the end. Josh McCormick therefore had to replace Whyte in stoppage time. He may now miss the replay on Wednesday.

Bognor now face another trip to Bromley's Hayes Lane ground to take on Cray Wanderers for the third time in the space of two weeks in the replay, with kick off at 7:45pm.

Rocks: Steward, Davies, Rabbetts, De St Croix, Bragg, Robson, Whyte (McCormick 90), Olaniyan, Odokonyero, Dembele (Chalaye 76), Bridgman (Bell 64). Subs not used: Howick, Lethbridge, Briffa, Bowman.