Rocks resemble walking wounded
A well-drilled and determined Chichester City dug in to blank out unbeaten Isthmian south east title challengers Cray Valley PM at the Artic Stadium – the only time in the the Millers have failed to score in a league game this term.
The sides have met four times at PM’S home ground over the years and Chi have drawn two and won two in that time, with the Londoners yet to hit the net.
Both draws finished 0-0, Lloyd Rowlatt scored the lone-goal winner last campaign, when Cray missed out on the play-offs, and Jimmy Wild smashed in one of the strikes that earned top spot for City after a 2-0 victory in their first Isthmian season in 2019-20.
Chichester stuck with the same starting XI that thumped East Grinstead Town 7-1 at Oaklands Park in the previous match. And it might have been a very different game had Calvin Ekpiteta’s goal not been ruled out for offside five minutes in.
Chi keeper Kieran Magee, superb all afternoon, gathered comfortably when Cray skipper Arthur Lee and Denzel Gayle hooked up.
Josh Clack, hat-trick hero the previous Saturday, was in on Sonny Black, then Rob Hutchings and Joe Moore both had defending to do.
On 12 minutes Adam Coombes, scorer from the spot in the Millers’ 3-0 win at Oaklands less than a month ago, spurned a chance and headed over.
Moore cut a cross out moments later and Magee was out swiftly to claim as Barney Williams and Coombes posed a threat.
Matt Vigor was flagged offside and on 18 minutes PM won the first corner of the contest which Magee gathered.
Right-back Emmett Dunn hacked a ball away then went on a decent run; the visitors had a shot blocked; and a cross punched clear by custodian Max Ovenden.
There was an off the ball incident between Hutchings and Gayle which the ref didn’t see before Williams earned a corner off Black’s delivery that came to nothing.
Wild won the ball at the second attempt and passed to Hutchings who had strayed offside. Connor Cody and Moore played a neat one-two and Isaac Bello missed a couple of clear-cut opportunities on the half hour.
Cody took the ball off Coombes’ head and conceded a corner which Moore headed to safety and Black got caught, though Williams’ set-piece did little to trouble Magee.
A cool, calm, collected Kiki Oshilaja cleared and Bello broke down the right but the move fizzled out. Ekpiteta struck one wide on 37 and then hit a cross too deep after a good approach.
Magee denied Coombes in the 40th minute and Wild wasn’t far off at the other end.
Ovenden claimed a Wild delivery and Magee punched Tom Cambers’ free-kick out of danger only for an offside flag to go up. And the halftime whistle went as Lee made a firm defensive header.
Chichester responded smartly to some intense pressure from the re-start and Cody made an impressive clearance with his head.
Bello went on a long run before Moore set up the other Joe, Clarke, for a shot from some distance which went over.
Ekpiteta’s low cross got cleared and Bello bombed down the right flank, but to no avail.
Ovenden was out promptly to intercept Cody’s ball to Wild. The hosts’ vexation increased as they tried to get going.
Curtis Da Costa and Hutchingssnuffedoutamove involving Gayle; a chance for Cray went begging, and Vigor headed wide when he should have done better.
Lee picked up the first yellow card. Clack forced Ovenden into a save for the first Chi corner before the Millers rang the changes with a couple of subs. Vigor wasted another chance.
Clack joined Lee in the book on 67 for impeding Williams, and Vigor blew a free header. Bello’s hit was blocked and Magee got to a Hassan Ibrahiym attempt.
Cody lost the ball on a mazy run and sub Lyle Dellaverde’s shot was saved with Magee’s legs.
Cody then steered a Gayle cross out for a corner kick before Ekpiteta danced into the box.
The ball was cleared but only as far as Williams who couldn’t get his effort on target.
Substitute Danny Waldren fired one off; good play in the next attack saw the ball somehow turned away; and Magee gathered under pressure.
Freddie Parker then headed wide a guilt edged opportunity and Wild and Clack combined but the former was adjudged to have fouled an opponent.
Mo Jammeh replaced Conrad Honore with three minutes of normal time to go. Ekpiteta struck a poor overhit cross and Clack hit a tame shot after Wild and Jammeh exchanged passes.
Dunn received a caution for time wasting and Cray Valley were awarded a corner when it seemed like a goal kick.
Chi had another few corners to defend before the ref finally blew.
City visit high-flyers Sittingbourne on Saturday.
Wet weather wiped out much of last Saturday’s SCFL action and and games.
Midhurst, Selsey Bosham
Pagham
were all without
won 3-2 at Saltdean thanks to second half goals by Dan Simmonds, Lukas Micevicius and Howard Neighbour.
This Saturday Pagham host Bexhill and Midhurst visit Little Common in the SCFL premier, Selsey go to Mile Oak in division one and leaders Bosham host Rustington in division two.
A crowd of more than 1,000 packed into Nyewood Lane and saw Bognor’s winning Isthmian League run end – but the home fans could at least go home happy their unbeaten run was intact.
The Rocks were held to a draw by ten-man Cheshunt in a hotly contested match in which Bognor had over 20 chances but scored only one.
Craig Robson pulled up in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Kieran Douglas in the starting line-up. Joe Briffa took over from Douglas on the bench.
Inside the first two minutes Cheshunt had the ball in the net but Nnamdi Nwachukwu's goal was chalked off for offside.
In a worrying moment for Bognor, Lucas Pattenden pulled up off the ball and had to be replaced by Jasper Mather on 21 minutes. The injury count increased as Ben Anderson went off after a challenge.
Bognor took the lead on 49 minutes when a ball in from the right by Alfie Bridgman was nodded down by Tommy-lee Higgs and converted by Mather.
The Rocks should have scored again seconds later as Higgs latched on to a ball won in the air by Dan Gifford. Higgs hit it on the volley but just wide.
Douglas was the Rocks’ fourth casualty of the afternoon – having a tooth dislodged and a blow to the head, and having to go off.
Cheshunt’s Jamie Reynolds was sent off for a bad challenge on Joe Rabbetts but the visitors levelled on 84 minutes. A free-kick seemed to have been gathered by Ryan Hall but he looked to have been fouled and the ball ran loose – and Dejon Noel-williams slammed it in.