Stunning strike wins it in West Sussex derby
A stunning strike by Mason Doughty in the 80th minute condemned Chichester to a first loss in five Isthmian South East games.
When the teams last met at Jubilee Field in February of the curtailed 2019-20 season, a Kaleem Haitham goal in time added on gave Chi the win in a seven-goal thriller.
And Chi, with 21 goals in their last seven matches in all competitions, were by far the better side in the opening 45 minutes.
A super run and subsequent pass from left-back Rob Hutchings earned the first corner of the match with barely two minutes on the clock.
Lloyd Rowlatt picked out Ben Mendoza who whipped in a cross that Tyrone Madhani headed goalbound only for a defender to clear.
At the other end Bridges’ Brannon O’neill wasn’t far away with a free-kick after Callum Chesworth was fouled in a dangerous position.
Madhani and Ryan Davidson got Chi going again with the right-back forcing a smart save out of the hosts’ keeper Dan Smith.
Mendoza called Smith into action once more with a fierce effort from 30 yards, which the shot-stopper palmed away for another in a catalogue of Chi corners.
Referee Jamaal Horne brandished a yellow card to Tad Bromage, the only
one of a fiercely contested encounter, on the quarterhour mark for deliberate handball.
Smith made another fine stop two minutes later to concede a sixth corner in 17 minutes after neat exchanges between Mendoza, Dunn and Jamie Horncastle, before Mendoza dragged one across goal and wide.
Doughty’s pace helped
Three Bridges in a rare raid on 32 minutes but Ben Pashley defended capably and steered the ball out for a throw-in.
Doughty then linked up with Billy Irving whose effort from some way out went well wide.
After being dominated in the first half, the home side started the second with more intensity and a higher
press.
Substitute Brian Villavicencio drilled an early effort wide before Pashley combined with Rowlatt but the return pass was too firm.
Three Bridges won their first corner of the match eight minutes in, only for Matt Axell, who had replaced the injured Davidson, to head clear.
The hosts might have had a penalty when Hutchings and Doughty came together in the area but Mr Horne awarded a corner which Bromage got a decent connection on and headed wide.
Callum Overton came on for Jones two minutes later. Magee got off his line quickly to beat Doughty to the ball and then Chesworth gave him something else to think about with a shot from distance.
And then Lee Hall found Doughty who cut inside and cracked a worldie into the top right-hand corner to make Chi rue their missed chances.
Chichester huffed and puffed for the last 10, and three minutes of additional time, but couldn’t find an equaliser like they did in against Sittingbourne at the weekend.
Bridges sub Ben Bacon should have doubled his side’s lead with one of the last kicks of the game.
The win, their second in the league this season, sends Three Bridges above Chi into eighth place with Miles Rutherford’s men 12th.
Chi are back in cup action next and welcome Great Wakering Rovers to Oaklands Park in the next round of the Buildbase FA Trophy on Saturday October 9 (kick off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Horncastle, Cody, Pashley, Rowlatt, Dunn, Jones, Mendoza, Madhani. Subs: (Haitham, Axell, Hyde, Heath, Overton)
On Saturday, Chichester drew 1-1 with Sittingbourne.