No letting up: champs City pass 90 points and 100 goals
On a hot Easter weekend that smashed records for its soaring temperatures, Chi City broke a few barriers of their own as they picked up a ninth consecutive SCFL Premier Division win, passed the 90-point mark and bagged a 100th league goal.
Bosses Miles Rutherford and Graeme Gee made a number of changes to the starting XI that clinched the title at home to Langney.
Top scorer Scott Jones dropped to the bench alongside other potential player of the year contenders Ben Pashley and Rob Hutchings, while Ellis Martin and Tyrell Lewis returned to left and right-back duties and Harry Williams got some minutes in a reorganised midfield that included former Arundel player Rory Biggs.
Biggs put Chi ahead after barely two minutes with his first goal for his new club.
Sammy Ndlovu doubled the visitors’ lead with a crisp finish five minutes later.
City struggled to sustain this opening intensity and Dave Crouch pulled one back for Arundel midway through the half. A smart through ball between two defenders teed up Crouch and he beat Ryan Young with a shot the Chi keeper got a touch on.
Ryan Peake headed a Matt Axell free-kick narrowly off target and Josh Clack stung Dan Stevens’ gloves.
The equaliser just before the break came as Young’s poor clearance cannoned in off an unsuspecting Ryan Hallett. It was the first time City had conceded two in a league match for two months.
Biggs, Chichester’s standout player, almost caught Stevens out at his near post after a move involving Williams and Ndlovu. A crazy five minute spell after the interval saw Chi regain the lead and Arundel miss a penalty.
Biggs made it 3-2 then Young, who gave the penalty away, got down low to block Hallett’s kick.
City captain Connor Cody wasn’t far off with a header.
Scott Jones and Rob Hutchings replaced Williams and Haitham and it was Hutchings who grabbed the landmark century goal following a super cross in from the right by Ndlovu with fifteen minutes to go.
Another sub, youngster Ethan Anders, set up Clack for a header, his third in four games.
Chi close the campaign at Eastbourne Town on Saturday.
Chi City: Young, Lewis, Martin. Axell, Peake, Cody, Clack, Biggs, Haitham, Williams, Ndlovu Subs: Pashley, Jones, Herbert, Anders, Hutchings.