Nine-man Chichester City back to winning ways with impressive victory over Cray Wanderers
Chichester bounced back to winning ways with an impressive 3-1 win against Cray Wanderers – despite both Curtis Da Costa and Ryan Davidson being red carded.
Goals from Lloyd Rowlatt and the two Joes, Moore and Clarke gave them the win at Oaklands.
Miles Rutherford, Darin Killpartrick, Harry Bascombe and Danny Potter made two changes to the starting XI that somehow lost 3-1 to Dulwich Hamlet last time out in South London.
With Ben Pashley away, Davidson moved across to accompany Da Costa in the heart of the back four in front of keeper Jasper Briggs with skipper Rob Hutchings at left back as usual and loan signing from Worthing FC Zac Jeanes on the right. Emmett Dunn, Isaac Bello, Misha Djemaili and Rowlatt once again began in the centre of the park. Joe Moore came in for Joe Clarke as the holding midfielder and Jimmy Wild started up top. New signing, former Wands and Whitehawk player, Harry Bridle joined Olly Munt, Ethan Prichard, Ethan Sills and Clarke on the bench.
The visitors, who have drawn 16 games in the league so far, lost the corresponding fixture 2-1 last year but beat Chichester 1-0 at home in 2024-25.
And it was goalless when the teams met at Flamingo Park this campaign.
Here, the Lillywhites got off to a dream start when Rowlatt finished off a slick move between five players – Davidson, Hutchings, Da Costa, Jeanes and Djemaili, after barely four minutes.
A well-marshalled City caught the oldest football club in London offside a couple of times in this early period.
Good work from Wild set Djemaili up for a shot and Bello had his follow up blocked on the goal line, Then Hutchings’ dead ball was palmed out for Chi’s first corner which the skipper took but an infringement led to an away side free kick.
Wands’ skipper Frankie Raymond whipped over a corner on 13 minutes but Davidson, who really shone at the back, headed clear.
Da Costa got a talking to by referee Joel Lamping in the 27th minute and after Raymond’s free-kick was retaken Dunn headed Ogunwamide’s threatening cross out for a Cray corner.
It all got a bit scrappy for a spell and then Bello’s shot was well saved by Seaden on 32 minutes.
Both sides exchanged throw-ins and a delivery by Jordy Mongoy caused little trouble for the City backline.
Next, the same Wands player got impeded after twisting and turning with 7 minutes to go until the interval.
And we entered a couple of minutes of time added on with the Londoners forcing another corner or two but to no avail.
Neither side made any changes at the break and Briggs safely gathered a cross from the left 60 seconds in.
The Cray centre forward blasted one over on 50 minutes, and the first substitution of the afternoon occurred when Ralf Hand replaced Remi Sutton as the visitors rejigged.
Davidson was booked for a foul on Hernandez in the 51st minute but the free-kick was struck poorly into the wall and then Da Costa lost possession but Man of the Match Briggs bailed him out with a brilliant save.
Then an unmarked Moore doubled the hosts’ lead with a firm hit to make it 2-0.
Prichard replaced Djemaili on 60 and the London side also made a couple of changes bringing off Mongoy and Ogunwamide. Briggs then denied Hutchinson with a fine stop before Clarke and Bridle were introduced for Moore and Wild.
Hernandez’s shot went out for a Chi goal kick, and at the Tennis Club end Bello’s long throw got headed away. An inviting cross from Frankie Morgan went begging and Rowlatt got poleaxed although the visitors were strangely awarded a free-kick.
The final ball to Bridle was misplaced with seven to go before a superb finish from Clarke gave the hosts a 3-0 lead.
Sills came on for Bello and Briggs brilliantly saved Hernandez’s penalty kick but Morgan latched on to the rebound and rifled home.
Da Costa was then given a straight red for a last man unfair tackle. Briggs pulled off another outstanding stop to deny Cray in time added on.
And then Hutchings almost made it 4-1 with an outlandish lob before the hosts were reduced to nine when Davidson was sent off for an indiscretion.
Miles Rutherford’s men hung on however through the six minutes of time added on and move up to 12th spot in the Isthmian Premier Division.
Next up for Chi is a mid-week away fixture at Canvey Island on Tuesday 10th March (Kick Off 7:45pm).
Chichester – Briggs, Jeanes, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Davidson, Bello, Dunn, Djemaili, Rowlatt, Wild (Munt, Clarke, Horncastle, Prichard, Bridle, Sills).