Top eight is great for Chichester City – and is where they want to stay

City led 1-0 at the home of the top-three side through Lloyd Rowlatt’s superb finish – only to concede twice in the final few minutes to end up empty-handed.

But City coach Danny Potter says the fact they went toe to toe with one of the Isthmian south-east division pacesetters shows they are making process. Now they have two similar examinations as they head to fourth-placed VCD on Saturday and sixth-placed Beckenham next Tuesday – which the management say will tell them much about where they now stand in the division’s pecking order.

City have had a good start to the season and sit eighth, only three points off the play-off zone.

The aim is to keep pace with that top eight and see if a play-off push is realistic come the sharp end of the season.

Potter said: “We went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the division and were disappointed to lose after conceding two late goals from set-pieces.

"We are not too far away from where we want to be.

"We’re not being defeated heavily by the top teams, which we perhaps were in previous seasons, and feel we have turned a corner in terms of how we can compete.

"The next two games are important for us to show what we can do – they will tell us a lot.”

If you put aside the final few minutes at Chatham, Chi’s defence have been much tighter this season with plenty of clean sheets recorded so far.

Potter said keeper Kieran Magee had been central to that record while being able to pair Connor Cody and Ethan Robb together in the back-line was a boost.

At the other end, Josh Clack and Ethan Prichard have been in form and the return to full fitness of Callum Overton will add to their firepower. Young prospects like Olly Munt, Isaac Bello and Joe Moore are also playing their part in the squad.

City have a couple of two-game weeks ahead of them now. After the visits to VCD and Beckenham they host Sittingbourne on Saturday week and Margate – in the Velocity Trophy – on Tuesday 8.