On the Bridle: Penalty gives Chichester City first Southern League win at Wimborne
Harry Bridle scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half from the penalty spot as Chichester City picked up their first win in the Southern League Premier South on their midweek visit to Wimborne Town.
City made just the one change to the team that lost 2-1 to Poole Town at the weekend with Lloyd Rowlatt coming in for Ryan Davidson and selected Max Evans in goal behind skipper Rob Hutchings at left back with Emmett Dunn on the other side and Ben Pashley and Curtis Da Costa in the heart of the defence.
Joe Clarke, Joe Moore, Rowlatt and Bridle lined up in midfield alongside Brandon Chebby and Jake Lawrence up top. Olly Munt, Henry Nevill, Noah Africa and Davidson were on the bench.
The visitors started brightly and Chebby put in a decent cross barely sixty seconds in. Both Pashley and Dunn made timely interventions before a ball was hit too long from the Magpies which went out for a Chi goal kick.
Pashley, who was superb all game, headed neatly back to Evans before a slick move from the hosts led to a poor cross from Fin Toghill. Next, Da Costa headed back to his keeper and Hutchings was well in on Owen Roundell-Prince on 5 minutes.
Wimborne won a corner which Lewis Williams delivered and Dunn cleared. Then Chebby might have got in but the ball was tidied up cleverly before Toghill hit one wide of the mark in the 8th minute.
At the other end of the Wyatt Homes Stadium, Chebby, working hard again, shot off target and Dunn dispossessed Toghill but overhit his pass after ten minutes. Rowlatt tackled Toghill effectively and Pashley unusually struck a wayward pass towards Dunn.
Not for the last time a home side player got flagged offside and Roundell-Prince challenged Chebby cleanly. Hutchings got away with one 15 minutes in when he appeared to head the ball out before the Wimborne No21 took a long throw.
Cam Munn was caught on 17 but referee Gary Parsons didn’t award a set piece. Next, Max MacAire went on a mazy run but Evans saved the follow up and then Clarke tackled brilliantly in the 19th minute.
Either Munn or Joe Smith were adjudged offside moments later before Bridle won a soft penalty halfway through the first period and put the Lillywhites 1-0 up.
Dunn might have conceded a spot kick at the other end in the Magpies’ subsequent attack but Mr Parsons gave them a corner which was cleared.
The hosts were caught offside once again before Chebby linked up with Lawrence and was also flagged offside. Clarke hooked away another long throw and then somehow blocked a thunderous shot for a Wim corner that got headed away. Then in the follow up the hosts struck one narrowly over the woodwork and Da Costa conceded another corner which Toghill took.
On the half hour Wimborne missed a decent chance before Charlie Wooding impeded Dunn down the left flank. Hutchings picked up the evening’s first yellow card for a cynical foul on Toghill but Evans collected his consequent free kick without any trouble. Tyler Edmondson, who shone all game, launched a long throw with 10 minutes to the break before Smith headed over MacAire’s cross.
Hutchings went on a lovely run in the 36th minute but lost the ball deep in the hosts’ half. Chi then won a corner which Rowlatt whipped in too deep and a cheeky backheel by Pashley went out for a goal kick for Tim Sills’ team.
Clarke bailed Moore out with seven minutes to go to the interval before Smith turned neatly but the final ball wasn’t good. Hutchings did well up against Williams following smart stuff from Lawrence.
Next, Moore fouled Munn but the free kick was wasted and Dunn’s delivery was simple for Kai Crampton in the Magpies’ goal. Williams pulled off some super skill on 44 but his cross/shot was disappointing.
Hutchings was then bundled over before a clever chest by Wimborne captain Sam Roberts controlled the ball. Dunn got done by Toghill on the stroke of half time but his delivery wasn’t accurate enough.
Neither side made any changes at the break. Bridle might have added a second goal two minutes into the second period and Rowlatt’s corner was hooked away. Hutchings, Chebby and Lawrence linked up in the following move but Hutchings’ eventual cross didn’t find a teammate. The Chi skipper then cut out a pass and won another corner for the Sussex side which Rowlatt delivered and a final ball towards Chebby drifted out for a goal kick.
It seemed easier for Williams to score but he hit it wide on 52 before Toghill got flagged offside. Next. Chebby fired one off target and Roberts defended brilliantly to deny Bridle a minute later. Williams wasted another set piece on 56 minutes and Pashley got fouled.
Nice stuff from Toghill and Williams led to a Magpies’ throw-in before Clarke caught Wooding with a nasty challenge which might have resulted in a red card. The hosts made their first substitutions on the hour mark with Will Fletcher and Josh McQuoid coming on in place of MacAire and Wooding.
Chebby then almost capitalised on a mistake by Crampton. Lawrence won Chi a corner on 62 minutes and both sides then exchanged throw ins before Davidson came on for Moore. In the 66th minute Munn couldn’t keep the ball in and the No21 beat Cheeby in the air. Roberts then headed nicely back to Crampton and at the other end Pashley tidied up.
Hutchings went on an overlap but his cross was collected by the Wim keeper. Yang Seung-Woo replaced Josh Carmichael on 73 and Williams blazed one wide. Pashley made a lovely tackle with 14 to go and Edmundson wasn’t fooled by Lawrence in the 77th minute.
A super cross from the Wimborne sub just eluded Munn before Nevill came on for Chebby. Davidson then made an impressive header at right back and Roundell-Prince’s pass was too strong and went out for a Chi goal kick. Next, Smith headed wide as the hosts sought an equaliser and Lawrence’s shot nicked off a defender for a City corner.
Lawrence smacked one into the keeper’s hands and Chichester defended smartly twice when Wimborne pressed. Seung-Woo hit a shot straight at Evans on 87 and Williams took a short corner but Miles Rutherford’s men cleared when the cross came in. Lawrence might have made it 2-0 after good work from Rowlatt as we entered time added on before Evans saved easily enough with three minutes to go.
Davidson earned the visitors a free kick on 94 before Mr Parsons final blew for full time.
Chi travel to Evesham United on Saturday.
Chichester – Evans, Dunn, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Pashley, Rowlatt, Lawrence. Chebby, Bridle, Clarke (Davidson, Nevill, Munt, Africa)