Defeats have halted Chichester City - but season is still one of progress

But he says it is important that City go all out to produce a good end to the campaign to help set up next season’s bid for glory.

Chi had a slow start to 2021-22 – which is their first full year at step four after two seasons were halted early in the pandemic – but grew into it and have been in the top half for much of the time. But that top-ten spot is under threat after a run of defeats against top sides. Miles Rutherford told us last week City wouldn't beat themselves up over losing to high flying teams.

Miles Rutherford’s team are tenth going into Saturday’s home game against Sevenoaks, but are now 12 points off the play-off zone that at one stage they looked capable of reaching.

Their visit to Whitstable last Saturday was washed out, the second game they’d lost in a week after their RUR Cup clash at Littlehampton was also rained off nine days ago.

City beaten again and Rocks fire blanks.

Coach Killpartrick said the focus was now on making sure they had a positive end to what he felt had been a season of progress.

He told us: “It’s been a difficult few weeks. We’ve had a couple suspended some injured.

“But that’s what having a squad is all about. Teams don’t win things – squads win things – and you have to have some depth.

“We’ve lost some games to good sides recently but we’re at the stage now where we want to be competing with those teams.

“I see the club as a project and we’re part-way through it. If you look at where we are now compared to the start of the season, I think a lot of progress has been made.

“If you’d said at the start that we’d be in the top half in March we’d have been delighted. But the fact is now we need more points on the board.

“We don’t want the season to peter out and will be working hard to make sure it doesn’t.

“We have nine league games left and therefore a lot of points to play for, as do the teams above and below us.”

City are set to be able to pair up frontmen Callum Overton and Josh Clack at last.

Overton has been suspended since Clack returned from Haywards Heath and bosses reckon the pair can form a useful partnership.

Meanwhile, the RUR Cup tie with Littlehampton will be played at Oaklands Park on Tuesday, March 29.