Under no illusions: Chichester City on track for start of tough Isthmian premier season

City – promoted to step three of the non-league pyramid for the first time – won 3-2 at Broadbridge Heath in their latest outing last Saturday and now have just one more warm-up match to come.

That’s at home to Winchester City on Saturday (1pm), then a week later they welcome Canvey Island to Oaklands Park for their league opener.

Jimmy Wild, Ethan Prichard and Josh Clack scored the goals that beat the Bears and Rutherford said it was a good work-out.

City have retained almost all the squad who won promotion via the Isthmian south east play-offs while only adding former Littlehampton Town man Dion Jarvis to the ranks. And Rutherford said no other additions were imminent.

“We’re going along okay – I'm happy with how things have been shaping up,” Rutherford told the Observer.

“None of us at the club are under any illusions that it’s going to be a tough season, but we will be going out to fight for every point. We’ll know a lot more about how it will pan out after the first 10 games.

“We’re lucky we’ve kept the squad together – we were always keen to give everyone a go at the higher level.”

Rutherford said he was delighted with the success of last week’s friendly with Moneyfields, which will become an annual match in memory of his friend and right-hand man Graeme Gee, who died in April.