Phoenix shot down in flames, all ‘Hail’ Blues
Phoenix Sports 0 Chichester City 4 Isthmian south east
A Josh Clack double and goals either side of the break from Kaleem Haitham and Callum Overton gave Chichester their biggest away league win of the season.
Miles Rutherford & Co went with an unchanged starting XI.
The opening 15 minutes or so, unlike the parakeets that raced regularly across the azure skyline, were dour, with both sides struggling to acclimatise to the hard Mayplace Ground surface.
Skipper Ben Pashley headed away an early Henry Douglas cross; a move involving Clack, Overton, Ryan Davidson and Ben Mendoza broke down; as did one between Haitham, Davidson, Lloyd Rowlatt and Lewis Hyde.
Tom Cousins took one in the face when Davidson crossed before Byron Walker caught Pashley with a late challenge.
Chi keeper Kieran Magee mis-hit a clearance and Emmett Dunn failed to pick out a teammate. Rowlatt did well to thwart Craig Mcgee before the Phoenix No4 hit one wide.
Rob Hutchings dealt with the home side’s next move.
Hyde fouled Luke Leppard after a neat exchange with Malaki Toussaint. Steve Carnell wasted the set-piece.
Clack was inches away from getting something on Mendoza’s 33rd minute cross but steered another super one home moments later to break the deadlock – his third goal in four games.
Centre back Taib Adeyemi broke up a move between Mendoza and Overton, then headed clear Hutchings’ delivery.
Walker was given the only card of the game for pulling back Dunn.
Nice feet from Haitham following Overton’s pass set him up for a cross into Steve Phillips’ gloves, but there was nothing the Phoenix keeper could do in the minute of time added on when Haitham dropped his shoulder, got past a couple of players and slotted a slick finish away to make it 2-0.
Douglas crashed Haitham into the advertising boards and Dunn was on the receiving end
of a niggly foul from Walker.
Hutchings’ intelligent pass to Overton was beautifully controlled by the Sussex side’s top scorer but he fired off target before Phillips denied Hutchings and dealt with Overton’s follow-up.
On 66 minutes Mendoza fed Hutchings who picked out Clack and the Chi No10 found the net via a deflection.
Phoenix brought on Andre Thompson-fearon and Roberto Ratti, turning out for a third team this term against Chi, for Cousins and Walker in a double substitution.
Magee was on hand to gather when an Alfie Evans’ cross came over.
Ethan Prichard and Tyrone Madhani were introduced for Mendoza and Haitham with 15 to go.
Prichard pulled a save out of Phillips seconds before Overton caught the Phoenix keeper out with the goal of the game off the underside of the bar – his 14th of the season in all competitions.
Hutchings made way for Eric-georges Dellaud, as did Douglas for Josh Dorling.
Dunn steered Thompsonfearon’s delivery out for an 85th minute corner before Prichard tried his luck with a long-ranger.
Great defending by Davidson prevented Carnell from having a go in the three additional minutes as Rutherford’s
men collected a first double.
Chichester remain eleventh, but have a game in hand over the four teams above them, and are just two points behind Sittingbourne in seventh spot.
Chi go to Ashford United on Saturday before welcoming Littlehampton Town to Oaklands Park for a rearranged RUR Cup quarter final on Tuesday 29.
Hailsham 0 Selsey 1 SCFL division one
After pushing highe-league Saltdean all the way a week ago before losing 4-3 – with Dillon North scoring a hat-trick – Daren Pearce’s Selsey notched a league win in East Sussex on Saturday.
They adapted to a very
tricky surface and took an early lead when good work from North led to a cross to Corey Burns, who tapped home from close range.
Selsey controlled the game with Dillon and Jack North both going close.
The hosts did threaten but Dale Hayes and Joe Alman dealt with any danger.
The second half was similar and Selsey held on for another three points on their travels.
This week they travel to face Epsom & Ewell at Leatherhead.
Rottingdean 2 Bosham 3 SCFL division two
A late penalty settled a feisty encounter to give the Robins a timely boost in the run-up to last night’s Division Two Challenge
Cup semi-final against Charlwood at Loxwood.
Jordan Rudwick, a forward powerhouse for the hosts, looked dangerous when the hosts got on the attack but was dealt with by the organised Bosham defence.
Bosham grew into the game with Lewis Rustell looking dangerous down the flank and Will Lintott, on his own up front, causing a few problems for the home defence.
Just after the half-hour the Robins made pressure count when a sweeping move involving captain Alex Barnes was rounded off when Ed Kennett drove the ball low into the net.
Bosham doubled their lead through Kieran Hartley, who fired low past Jordan Gower into the bottom corner of the net.
Rottingdean got a lifeline after the break when a penalty was awarded for a debatable indiscretion in the Bosham area. Rudwick converted from 12 yards. Not long after the hour Rottingdeam drew level through sub Jamie Cradock.
Bosham sent on the experienced Nick Edgington to try to restore their dominance.
With several Rottingdean players finding their way into the notebook, the Robins got a winner when Rustell had his shirt strongly tugged in the box resulting in a spot kick. Harley put itaway to restore the lead.
Bosham host Jarvis Brook at Walton Lane on Saturday.