We’re all scrapping – Chichester City boss won’t get complacent over lofty position
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The Oaklands Park outfit have had an excellent first half of the campaign and sit seventh in the table ahead of Saturday’s home tussle with Bowers and Pitsea.
But Rutherford insists every club from City downwards are still looking over their shoulders and searching for the victories that will keep them away from the relegation battle.
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Hide AdThere are only 14 points between Whitehawk – who occupy the top spot in the relegation zone – and Chi City.


And the speed with which a team can go down the tight table, as well as up, will be in Rutherford’s mind as he sends his side out to face Bowers, who are in the bottom four.
It will be Chi’s first game in a fortnight after freezing temperatures meant last Saturday’s planned trip to high-flying Dartford was postponed.
Rutherford said: “Dartford put covers on the pitch and tried to get the game on – they couldn’t have done much more.
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Hide Ad"It’s frustrating because it will mean a midweek trip there now, although there are harder places to get to on a Tuesday night.
"We had a good training session instead and now we’re preparing for Bowers, who will be fighting for everything they can get.
"They have a new manager and had a draw with Folkestone the other week so it will be a scrap.
"We’re still looking at what we need to do to stay up. Everoyne from about seventh downwards will be thinking the same.”
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Hide AdRutherford said his squad was in good shape and his main challenge at the moment was keeping players happy who were not in the starting line-up.
"We have a squad where everyone is on a par and it’s difficult for those who aren’t getting many games,” he said. “We’ve got a good spirit but that’s the hardest thing.”
City are glad to have their 3G pitch in place: it means the days of scratching around for a place to train in poor weather are gone.
Rutherford said it was nice to be able to plan training sessions knowing they’d not be disrupted.
Football – pages 77 & 78
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