Sittingbourne seen off as Chichester City win second Isthmian game in five days

The encounter with Sittingbourne was an attritional affair with the visitors getting in front and stubbornly holding on to the advantage without setting the world on fire. The Chi starting XI was unchanged from the one beat Burgess Hill last week.

It was the hosts who probed early on and Chi keeper Kieran Magee was off his line swiftly to collect a through-ball intended for striker Kane Rowland.

Rowland hooked up with Toby Bancroft only for Ben Pashley to intervene.

His centre back partner Lewis Hyde cleared a threat moments later.

Bancroft, Rowland and Neville Rivelino Nza combined down the right before another move involving Ibrahim Bamba and Johan Caney-Bryan set up Ethan Smith for a shot which Pashley blocked.

Caney-Bryan steered a header from Rivelino Nza’s cross wide, and Chi got going as Rowlatt found Kaleem Haitham who exchanged a one-two with Rob Hutchings to crack one which deflected off a team-mate.

Rowlatt and Ethan Prichard gave Sittingbourne something to think about.

A Hutchings free-kick led to Lex Allan turneing it out for the away side’s first corner. Another followed, only for skipper Jamie Horncastle to mishit an attempt.

Callum Overton swivelled and got away a shot. Harry Brooks couldn’t hold on to it and Rowlatt pounced to give Chi an 18th minute lead. It was the midfielder’s third goal in four games and seventh of the seasons.

Ben Mendoza picked out Rowlatt with a clever pass only for the scorer to be tackled.

Ryan Davidson headed clear another Sittingbourne set-piece.

Dan Taylor was in quickly to deny Hutchings following a smart pass from Pashley.

When the hosts were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box for handball, Taylor Fisher took it and first Horncastle, and then Davidson, headed away.

A chance came and went for the visitors on the stroke of half time when Hutchings crossed for Overton to tee up Mendoza whose effort was saved by Brooks.

Rowland hit a long-ranger high and wide and silky skill from Mendoza helped him bedazzle his marker but the chance went astray.

Emmett Dunn replaced Haitham on 58 minutes – the first in a series of substitutions for both sides.

Tyler Anderson, on for Bancroft, caused the visitors problems with his pace on the right and a classy cut-back was diverted for a corner.

With 20 minutes to go the Brickies spurned their best chance when Fisher played a delicious forward pass but neither Rowland or Caney-Bryan could get a final touch.

Hyde made a couple of impressive tackles to end promising attacks.

Eric Georges-Dellaud, an 88th minute replacement for Prichard, hit a fierce shot over the frame of the goal after Overton squared to him.

Overton became the second Chi player to see red in three games for an incident late on.

Magee was called into action in the three minutes of time added on but protected the clean sheet.

Chi leapfrogged Sittingbourne into ninth spot.

Chi welcome second placed Cray Valley PM on Saturday (3pm).