Ten points clear – but Chi City won’t get ahead of themselves
Chi City bosses Miles Rutherford and Graeme Gee reflected on the team’s big lead in the Southern Combination League – but insisted: We won’t get carried away.
The Oaklands Park side are ten points clear at the top of the premier division with six games remaining after beating Little Common 5-1 at home on Saturday.
That made it five league wins in a row for Chi, who have lost only three league games this season. It puts them in with a superb chance of the title and promotion to the Bostik south east division.
Manager Rutherford said this season’s push for honours had been significantly boosted by having a bigger squad.
But he and assistant boss Gee said they wouldn’t get carried away with their league position, nor take anything for granted.
They face a tough trip to seventh-placed Lingfield on Saturday and still have to go to Shoreham, Arundel and Eastbourne Town before the season’s end, with home games to come against Langney and Pagham.
Rutherford said: “Over the season, without people like Dan Hegarty, Kieran Hartley and Scott Jones at times, and different players being out, we’ve been lucky having a bigger squad – that’s made a difference to us.
“We’re not taking anything for granted. We’ve got some tough games ahead, including Lingfield on Saturday, and we’ll try to win as many points as we can, game by game.”
Gee added: “We’re happy at the minute. I’m not going to produce cliches but we have looked at the fixtures to the end of the season. Our ambition at the start of the year was, like everyone else that enters the league, to do as well as we could and look to build on what we did last season and go one better.”
A hat-trick from Scott Jones helped the Lilywhites to victory on Saturday and Rutherford and Gee spoke highly of his influence.
Rutherford said: “I thought we played quite well in notthe-best conditions.
“Over the past three or four weeks, we have done okay. We’ve won games 1-0, but without a recognised centre-forward in Scott Jones, who’s been away three to four weeks. I’ve been very pleased with how we’ve got on without a centre-forward.
“Obviously when he comes back, he makes a difference.”
Gee added: “The return of Scott Jones is always a plus where we’re concerned. He does have a fair bit of time off during the season for his surfing lifestyle. We know this at the beginning of every year when we sign him.
“But when he is available, he’s a major asset to us at this level of football. He is obviously a plus point. And going forward, we’ve got a little bit of pace about us and we can hurt sides.”
Defensively, City are comfortably the strongest side in the division with only 26 goals conceded – seven fewer than Newhaven, who have the next-best record.
Chi have brought in former Havant goalkeeper Ryan Young. The 39-year-old appeared 11 times this season for the Hawks and City’s bosses say he is a vital recruit.
Gee said: “I think the signing of Ryan Young has added a little bit of what we were lacking. We’ve a relatively inexperienced side, especially the chaps at the back.”
Rutherford added: “Ryan’s a presence. He has great respect from the lads in front of him and does make people jump when he speaks.”
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