WATCH Clack clicks to help Chichester City beat East Grinstead

A comfortable Chi win was probably on the cards given the two sides' form. East Grinstead had just picked up a single point from their previous five fixtures.

Miles Rutherford & Co made just one change with Ryan Peake replacing Corey Heath at the heart of the City defence, while Gicu Iordache returned to the bench.

The hosts looked dangerous from the start and created the first opening with less than one minute on the clock. After an initial burst from Kaleem Haitham the ball rather fortuitously fell to back to the wideman but his effort failed to hit the target.

There were chances for both Jamie Horncastle and Lloyd Rowlatt but neither could trouble the East Grinstead goalkeeper.

On the 15-minute mark the visitors created three openings in one move, but none was snapped up. First Raheem Sterling-Parker had a volley brilliantly blocked by Rob Hutchings; he then picked up the ball and took on his counterpart and fired a shot that was parried by Steve Mowthorpe to Gil Carvalho, who on the rebound blazed it over the bar.

Chichester were forced into an early change when captain Connor Cody had to come off after sustaining an injury, with Rory Biggs replacing the Chi skipper. Clack put in a great cross which was cleverly left by sub Biggs for Haitham but his shot flew agonisingly wide.

Mowthorpe must have thought he was about to register an unlikely assist when his long punt fell to striker Jones but Ben Dudzinski was quick off his line to thwart the effort. Jones then hit the byline and fired in a low cross which ricocheted off the goalkeeper and the post, then Rowlatt followed up only to hit the side netting.

The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 33rd minute after Horncastle, who was shifted to an unfamiliar right-back birth, crossed and Shawnikki Clement-Parker was slow to clear his lines, which allowed Biggs to nip in front and draw the foul. Clack stepped up and his penalty nestled in the bottom right corner.

East Grinstead were compelled to make a change at right-back after Reece Batchelor suffered an horrific injury and had to be stretched off, with Donte Lodge-Francis coming on in his place.

After the interval Hutchings sent Haitham scampering down the wing and he squared to Jones but the striker’s touch under pressure meant the danger passed. Rowlatt dug out a cross for Jones, who rose highest, but his deflected header bounced off the post out for a City corner.

The Chi midfielder was heavily involved again as a great turn and through ball to Biggs led to the substitute being fouled yet again for another Chichester penalty, just after the hour. Clack again took responsibility and the outcome was repeated as the No7 sent the keeper the wrong way to double both his and the home side's lead.

The visitors had a rare chance when Lodge-Francis flashed a wicked ball across the Chichester box but Carvalho couldn’t quite latch on to it at the far post. Clack was forced to bring down Sterling-Parker as he was moved to right-back after Horncastle was taken off and replaced by Emmett Dunn. Mowthorpe did well under pressure to punch the free-kick clear.

The hosts added a third in the 90th minute when determined play from Matt Axell led to a brilliant cross and left Jones with the simple task of tapping in from inside the six-yard box to give him two goals in two matches.

Jones almost added to his tally in added time after tenacious play from Dunn slotted him in but his snapshot across goal cannoned of the inside of the post and fell straight back into Dudzinski’s arms.

Chinow have three straight home games unbeaten behind them and have recorded back-to-back clean sheets - they are just three points outside the play-off places with games in hand on those above them.

Chichester travel to Herne Bay this Saturday.

Chichester- Mowthorpe, C Cody, Hutchings, Axell, Peake, Pashley, Clack, Horncastle, Jones, Rowlatt, Haitham. Subs – Biggs, Iordache, Dunn, Bennetts, G Cody.