Some Enchanted Evening for Chichester City

Chichester City hosted Lancing. And for the visitors, there was no Happy Talk

Pulling into the enormous car park next to Chichester City’s Oaklands Park, it seemed as if most of Sussex had turned out to watch City take on Sussex rivals Lancing. Sadly it turned out not to be the case- rather than watching striker Scott Jones try to wash the visiting defence right out of his hair, they were instead off to see South Pacific in the theatre next door.

It’s likely that we had just as much drama, although we suspect the singing was marginally less tuneful.

Both sides started at nil-nil. On this occasion that statistic referred not only to goals, but to points. Lancing were worse off- they came into the match having played three times in League and Cup and conceded four goals in each of them. City hadn’t managed a league win, but had seen their two defeats in the bread-and-butter competition sandwich a fine cup triumph, a three-one win at Chichester City. The aforementioned Jones had managed two goals so far, and they were rather unlucky not to earn a point at Faversham Town last time out, falling to a last minute winner.

Chichester City- and some artistically balanced balls

Chichester City- and some artistically balanced balls

City and Lancing have, of course, met many times- but until tonight, always at a lower level. Chi have been steadily growing over the last decade, the management of Miles Rutherford bringing steady improvement culminating in a Sussex RUR Cup win in 2018, the SCFL title the following season, and two positive- if unfinished- Isthmian campaigns, as well as that much-publicised FA Cup run during 2019-20, which saw them progress through seven rounds- one on a bye- before finally succumbing to Tranmere Rovers in the Second Round. The aforementioned Jones got a great deal of media attention for his surfer lifestyle, but perhaps not as much as he should have got for his form in front of goal- he’s been banging them in for City with monotonous regularity for five years, but his game is far more than that- his hold up play and physical presence adds an added dimension to City’s play. Given his much-reported statement that he’d rather surf that play football, visiting defences might be better off pointing out that there’s a rather heavy swell expected at Bognor.

The Lancers, newly promoted from the SCFL, were magnificent from the off last season, and we watched them right at the start falling to our very own Phoenix Sports only after an extremely elongated penalty shootout after a three-all draw. It was the most entertaining match we covered during the entire- admittedly short- campaign, and the side in yellow were extremely unlucky to go out, having played superbly and scored ten penalties- it was just a shame, from their point of view, that opponents Sports got eleven! Promotion may have been awarded on a mathematical formula but it was undoubtedly deserved- although has brought its own problems. James Rhodes and Kane Louis, their joint managers, have had to do a rather extensive rebuilding job on their squad. Only eight of the sixteen who were involved against Sports three hundred and sixty four days ago were also there against Cray Valley PM on Saturday, and the club have needed to integrate nine new players into what was previously a tight-knit squad.

Three weeks ago manager Louis told the local paper, “All are players we are excited to have signed as they are good players that will help us at the next level. The club is in a great place, it will no doubt be a challenge across the board but we are all up for it and it is great that we will be creating history with Lancing FC’s first time at this level. We will fight and enjoy the season, with our main goal being to remain in the division at the end of the season.” On the basis of the first few weeks of the campaign it might indeed be a fight, but it would also be fair to suggest that the side has the potential to be much better than they had shown so far. Perhaps tonight would be the night to kickstart their season- and what better place to do it than at the home of their local rivals?

Referee Alex James, taking time off from Blur and cheesemaking, led the teams out just as the weak evening sun disappeared, and Lancing, in blue, got us underway. The visitors had the best of the opening exchanges, Conrad Honore a busy figure in the centre of the park, and Ansu Janneh had the first shot in the third minute, albeit an effort which was easily blocked and trickled through to Kieran Magee in the City goal.

End to end

End to end

Neither side seemed afraid to pass the ball about, but there was a difference in styles. The hosts were all about the patient build up, whilst the visitors looked to get Matt Daniel running down the left wing, or to get the ball up to Janneh for a knock down. Daniel, particularly, took up some good positions, but his side failed to capitalise on them because the final ball was repeatedly lacking in quality.

Chi fashioned their first chance in the thirteenth minute, some typically intricate passing play eventually seeing the ball end up with Tyrone Madhani at the right hand side of the box. He turned inside his man, but could only fire straight at Mitch Bromage, who held. A moment later a free kick from Gicu Iordache forced the Lancers keeper to push the ball around the post, and the resultant corner saw the home side shouting for handball, non-too convincingly. Suddenly the traffic was one-way, and Steve Metcalf found himself in the book after a challenge on Emmett Dunn. It was late rather than malicious, but it gave Madhani the chance to put a good ball into the box. Sadly for the home fans, however, it wasn’t all that good.

Then it was the visitors turn to threaten. That a decent spell of pressure failed to pay dividends was mainly down to the efforts of Connor Cody and Ben Pashley at the back, who stood strong and, in the case of Cody, wasn’t afraid to charge out of defence with the ball and set up the attack. It was one such move from Cody which led directly to the opening goal, the skipper running the length of the field and feeding Iordache, who in turn teed up Kaleem Haitham to curl a beauty into the far top corner. Twenty four minutes gone, and the home fans were in raptures.

How would Lancing respond? Initially, it seemed, by letting their heads drop. Another forward foray from Cody wasn’t far from finding a final pass, and a few minutes later he was off on another run which ended near the corner flag and led to a corner, which was headed off the line by a visiting defender. The hosts were entirely in control.

The City Clubhouse- people with OCD, look away now

The City Clubhouse- people with OCD, look away now

A cross from Dunn could have led to number two seven minutes before the break if Jones had been able to adjust his feet, and a moment later a piledriver from Jamie Horncastle was deflected just past the post. And then a rare Lancing foray, led by number nine Mark Goldson, saw his shot deflected for a corner. That corner found Will Berry unmarked at the back post, and had his header been on target he would surely have equalised. But it wasn’t, and he didn’t.

The visitors began to grow into the game, and it was a shame for them that their revival had come so close to the break. Daniel shot into the side netting, and the half time whistle blew.

City got us underway once more, and there was quickly a change, Will Berry having to go off injured, to be replaced by Tariq Brown. Lancing then had perhaps their second-best chance of the game so far, Honore playing through Goldson, who forced Magee into a diving save. The visitors continued to make headway, and it was rather against the run of play when City broke forward, Jones sending a header over the bar from twelve yards. “Going down, going down,” sang a few of the home support, and Lancing responded by stinging Magee’s hands- the shot coming in from Goldson- and then sending the rebound just wide. Iordache found himself in the book for breaking up a Lancing attack unfairly, and for the first time in the match the hosts found themselves under sustained pressure.

A breakaway led to a City free kick twenty five yards out, and Iordache stung Bromage’s hands as he pushed the ball over for a corner, but it was soon back up the other end. Lancing were having their best spell of the game- which of course was the cue for the hosts to score.

The nearby cathedral

The nearby cathedral

The best move of the game saw a number of passes strung together by the hosts. A cross came over from the right, and there was Jones, with time to pick his spot and head expertly home. It was hard on the visitors, but two minutes later- and just as a man in shorts to the side of the main stand uttered the fateful words “there’s no coming back from that,” there was no coming back from that. Another flowing forward move, another ball to an unmarked Jones, and a simple pass into the net. Three-nil, with half an hour to go.

Lancing didn’t give up, forcing both a save and a goal line clearance on seventy minutes, but the pace of the match had slowed considerably. City, who took off Jones, denying him the chance of a hat trick, were content to sit deep, conserve their energy and occasionally pour forward on the break, whilst their opponents chased and harried but made little progress- although there was much to admire, particularly from Goldson, who demonstrated a great deal of industry and no shortage of ability.

Two minutes before the end Callum Overton made it four. It was now four games with four goals conceded in each of them for Lancing, not that anyone in yellow needed reminding of that fact.

With three points, four goals and a decent performance, the folks in the Festival Theatre next door weren’t the only citizens of Chichester enjoying Some Enchanted Evening. But in the away dressing room after the game, there would undoubtedly have been a great shortage of Happy Talk.

Queue here for fabulous burgers

Queue here for fabulous burgers

A few early arrivals

A City warm up

A Lancing warm up

The teams line up

A Lancing huddle

The Blues, who are usually yellow, prepare to get us underway

Where next?

City and the Brickies pick up valuable victories, whilst it's a point each for the Terrors and Rovers A round up of last night's action in the Pitching In Isthmian South East and South Central Divisions
Get with the e-programme: Monday 30th August 2021 Our electronic programmes from Bank Holiday Monday. Don't worry, they won't make you feel dirty.

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