It’s Prich perfect: City stun Marigolds
It was a mixed end to 2023 for our senior local football teams – with Chichester City losing their last game of the year but Pagham and Bosham both winning.
City slipped to their first defeat on their new 3G Oaklands Park pitch against Phoenix Sports, a match in which all the goals came in the final 25 minutes.
A mistake by Kieran Magee gifted the visitors the opener when Cameron Brodie put the Kent team ahead with a speculative shot that squirmed beyond the Chi No1 on 65 minutes.
It might have been 1-1 60 seconds later though as Kyle O’brien’s cross fell to Ryan Davidson but he passed it up. But Bello levelled with his third goal in three when a turn of pace enabled him to reach a tricky pass and slot out of keeper Andy Walker’s reach.
Davidson and Ethan Prichard both had attempts blocked as the hosts sought the all-important third goal.
Emmet Dunn and Jimmy Wild then mishit before the away side broke and Kieran King, who’d only just come on, tried his luck and got a big deflection as the ball looped over a despairing Magee for 2-1.
Olly Munt and Seok-jae Lee were introduced as Chi City went all out for a second equaliser.
Rob Hutchings had a go from long distance and Bello drove into the box to no avail.
Lee and O’brien’s onetwo teed up a cross towards Davidson which the right back didn’t seem to expect.
Then Magee gave the ball away cheaply to Ryan Haynes, who lifted it in to condemn Chi to defeat. See the report from Chi’s win at
Littlehampton on the right of this page.
In the Southern Combination League, Pagham saw out 2023 with a win – beating Horsham YMCA 3-1 at Nyetimber Lane.
The Lions’ seventh league win of the season lifted them to 11th place in the standings.
Midhurst ended 2023 with a 3-3 draw at Loxwood and are a creditable eighth in the table for the turn of the year.
Lewis Rustell (2) and Marcus Bedford were the scorers.
Bosham are a point clear at the top of division two after a 3-2 win at home to Ferring on Saturday. David Castanheira got the winner after Pat Bulbeck’s double.
Chichester City bounced back to winning ways as top scorer Ethan Prichard hit a New Year’s Day hat-trick to see off their nearest Isthmian south east neighbours Littlehampton.
Prichard started up front, with Josh Clack and Isaac Bello down the flanks, Joe Moore, Joe Clarke and new signing Mo Jammeh in the middle, Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson in the heart of defence, Emmett Dunn and birthdayboy Kyle O’brien either side in defence and Kieran Magee between the sticks.
Bello, on target in the three previous league games, drove into the penalty area early on without any end product and Jammeh hit a cross too close to Golds’ keeper Keelan Belcher.
City went ahead after Clack broke a tackle and threaded through to Prichard, who opened his account.
He might have had another moments later when a cross-shot bounced off the top of the bar.
The momentum slightly shifted as former Chi player Dave Herbert threatened for the home side but they could not break through.
It was 2-0 on 50 minutes thanks to a smart Prichard finish when Bello played him in.
It might have been 3-0 a couple of minutes later but Prichard had a go when he should have squared to Bello for a tap-in. But it was three for City and for Prichard in the 83rd minute as an exquisite Munt pass teed him up for a splendid strike. Clack, with the last kick of the game, fired one wide of the post.
Chi visit Sheppey on Saturday.