Old faces come back to haunt Chichester

Chichester 1

On a cold, windy day, Chichester travelled to Old Georgians for a much-anticipated clash and found four of their former players in the home line-up.

Chichester were behind after just five minutes when the hosts clinically converted their first penalty corner, and this was a sign of things to come.

Chichester created a couple of half chances but were unable to get on the scoresheet. The remainder of the first half was battled out in midfield, with Chichester struggling to keep meaningful possession.

The second half dawned with Chichester coming out fighting. They won a penalty corner and the ball was slipped right to Matt Cox, who calmly slotted it into the corner to put Chichester level. But this was as good as it got.

OG took the lead through another penalty corner. Chichester kept on pressing for an equaliser but they soon started to lose their way and OG scored a further three penalty corners to put the game beyond Chichester.

Yellow cards for Matt Cox and Cameron Mead highlighted another bad day at the office for Chichester.

The result left the whole Chichester team gutted at the final whistle, but with seven games left, Chichester still have time to put a decent run together and finish the season on a high, starting at home to Banbury on Saturday.

CHICHESTER: Godsmark, Spear, Lunn, Matthews, M Cox, G Cox, Lerwill, Thakore, McLaughlin, Sparshott, Gough, Mead.

Crowborough Ladies 3 Centurions 1

Ladies’ Sussex League

The challenge of an away game, freezing temperatures and only ten players did not dent Centurions’ determination.

The game started with Crowborough winning a number of corners. Strong saves from Vaughan followed by kick-outs gave Centurions the attack.

Crowborough quickly regrouped and their first followed. Another corner resulted in a second.

Centurions retaliated and a pass from Thew gave Pordage an opportunity, and a fine shot made it 2-1. Passes from Thew to Skinner followed, but the equaliser was not to come.

The second half saw the Centurions’ defence really tested. More saves came from Vaughan and there were strong tackles from Edge. Sleet frustrated the opposition with firm blocks.

A Crowborough move was cut out by Harris, who passed to Dixon, who fed Pordage. A pass to Thew looked promising but the keeper denied them. Brooker’s clear runs were cut off at the 25.

A Crowborough pass penetrated the Centurions’ defence and the final goal went to Crowborough.

This week Centurions host Hailsham Ladies.

CENTURIONS: L Proctor, L Thew, A Skinner, H Sleet, L Harris, N Edge, D Brooker, A Pordage, E Dixon, B Vaughan.

Chichester Cherubs 16 Worthing Wolves 0

Sussex Development League

Chichester returned to winning ways in style after their disappointing loss the week before.

Playing bottom-of-the-table Wolves, Chichester gave debuts to new players and more established hands played out of the usual positions.

Despite fielding a weakened side, Chichester established a strong platform early in the game with goals coming at regular intervals in the first half.

Sowden and Lowther worked effectively across the middle of the pitch.

There were seven goals for the forwards before half-time with the best move coming down the right.

Sowden laid the ball off to Gleeson breaking forward, and he drove into the D to receive the return pass and sent the ball rasping past the keeper.

At half-time the team were urged to concentrate on beating their first-half tally.

The ball was passed around a tiring Wolves defence with Clark pushing forward.

Chichester clinically kept the scoreboard rolling with goals coming from all directions.

The game finished with multiple scorers, led by Gibbons, who finished with six. The rest of the goals were shared between Sowden (4), Creswick (3), Gleeson, Palmer and Clark.

The last goal summed up Chichester’s team spirit this season. Clark broke past three players and pulled the ball back for Sowden, who was in the clear. But he held it up and rolled it back to Clark as a reward for all his efforts.

Chichester remain top but other teams are close behind. Chichester face a tougher test away at Tigers this Saturday.

CHICHESTER: Alder, Gleeson T, Beresford, Clark, Gleeson J, Gibbons R, Sowden, Lowther, Donaldson, Gibbons C, Palmer, Creswick, Gunn.