It’s drama at Dean as leaders beaten
In-form Jimmy Wild bagged the only goal of the game to extend Chichester’s unbeaten run to five games as Sevenoaks were beaten 1-0 at Oaklands Park.
It was his fourth league strike in four games and his side’s third clean sheet on the bounce.
After an unbeaten month, Chichester are just one place and three off Hythe Town in the final play-off place.
Up next is a trip to face 15th-placed Merstham on Saturday, March 2 (3pm).
City came into the encounter with Sevenoaks after shutting out league leaders Cray Valley PM for the first time in the Isthmian south east this season and thumping third-placed Sittingbourne away from home.
Sevenoaks, who beat Chi by a lone goal in October in the reverse, had won at home to Lancing and Erith & Belvedere in their previous two.
There was just the one change to the City starting XI as Mo Jammeh came in for Conrad Honore, who moved to Burgess Hill Town last week. Lloyd Rowlatt returned to the squad for the first time after a lengthy injury lay-off.
Chi keeper Kieran Magee kicked the ball beyond Rob Hutchings 60 seconds in.
Then the visitors’ No2 Jerald Aboagye’s header found Emmanuel Mensah who won an early corner off Curtis Da Costa and striker Kieron Cadogan had a go, although Magee claimed easy enough.
The hosts countered as Wild and an advanced Hutchings hooked up before Isaac Bello, who scored one of the three at Sittingbourne last time out, pinged the ball to Hutchings on the left – but he couldn’t control it.
Wild showed skill moments later only for it to get smuggled back to Oaks custodian Dan Colmer. Bello won a throw-in down the right before full-backs Emmett Dunn, with his parents from Canada in attendance, and Hutchings combined for an effort that went off target.
Next, Josh Clack got squeezed out after a neat Chi move and a Jammeh effort similarly caused little trouble.
Cadogan hit one wide of the mark through a cluster of players; Dan Bennett was denied and the away team also failed to capitalise on a corner which Joe Moore conceded.
Magee gave away another with a wayward punch before Wild spurned an opportunity from close range and Jammeh forced Colmer into a one-handed save.
Wild dragged an effort across goal on 25 minutes. Dunn and Dan Carr competed for an Aboagye delivery that went out for a goal kick and Carr cleverly did three Chi players and turned only to get off a tame shot which Magee gathered.
Bello and Jammeh linked on the half hour but couldn’t pick out a marauding Hutchings; Wild, lurking at the back stick, was not found; and Moore’s attempt was blocked.
Wild broke the deadlock with what was to prove the only goal of the game – and a rather freakish one at that which somehow squirmed under Colmer from outside the box on 36 minutes.
It might have been 2-0 less than a minute later as Jammeh played Bello in but the otherwise reliable No11 lifted it over the bar. Dunn’s misjudged back-header led to a corner for the away side that was dealt with.
Wild’s cut-back was turned out for a corner, which Hutchings took and Dunn headed over. Mensah drove past Hutchings and into the area at the other end on the stroke of half-time.
Another player might have gone down but Mensah stayed on his feet and referee Andy Dunn awarded a corner, which came to nothing.
Jaiden Drake-thomas came on for Ricardo Thompson at the break.
Bello played it behind Wild in the first attack of the second half. Skipper Connor Cody then set up Hutchings for a delivery that was fingertipped over by Colmer.
Hutchings took the subsequent corner but it was turned away by Bennett.
Jammeh had another shot and the Kent team forced a couple of corners of their own as momentum swung this way and that.
In the 55th minute the ball just eluded Carr before Hutchings’ cross was deflected back to Colmer. Then Aboagye skipped past Clack’s challenge, although his ball missed the most forward teammate. Moore intercepted but his pass to Wild was hit too firm.
The hosts pressed on the hour only for Wild to get fouled in a dangerous spot.
His free-kick struck the wall and neither Clack nor
Bello could bring the loose ball down.
Carr was replaced by Kayne Diedrick-roberts on 64 and Magee made a rare save, although an Oaks forward was offside anyway.
Hutchings took an excellent corner three minutes later and Wild, Joe Clarke and Cody all passed up opportunities to double the lead.
Karn Miller-neave was cautioned; Matthew Attenborough-warren came on for the visitors and a decent cross got hit towards Wild in a lively spell.
Wild tried his luck from distance on 70 but to no avail and Mr Dunn waved away appeals for a home team penalty and awarded a corner instead.
Chances came and went for Jammeh and the visitors as we went into the last 10.
Magee did well to grab an Attenborough-warren delivery and Miles Rutherford & Co rang the changes as Olly Munt and Kaleem Haitham were introduced for Bello and Jammeh. Haitham’s pass to an overlapping Hutchings was too long just before Cadogan pulled an effort wide late on.
wet day, Pagham, Midhurst, Selsey and Bosham were all rained off. All will hope for better conditions this weekend.
East Dean 4 Holbrook Olympic 3 WSFL Division 1
James Crane (2), Aaron Freeman and Glenn Johnson scored the goals that earned East Dean victory against the leaders.
Knowing they were in for a tough game against a side who’d lost only once in this league campaign, the home side started brightly.
The first goal came from James Crane midway through the first half.
The Dean passed the ball around nicely with the majority of players getting a touch before Joe Fitzpatrick's cross allowed Crane to curl a header past the stranded keeper.
Holbrook tried to equalise but were denied by some heroic defending from Jason Houghton and Quincy Welsh.
Eventually their efforts were rewarded with a goal as a striker rounded the keeper and converted.
Chances came and went for both sides, including efforts from Brad Platt and Ollie Haggar.
East Dean came out for the second half attacking and their nice football was rewarded with another goal.
Crane fed Freeman, whose first-time strike was smashed home beyond the keeper. Holbrook again fought back and found yet another equaliser.
Zach Dray’s volley struck the post and soon East Dean took the lead once more as Crane added his second after Dray set him up.
Jack Silvester made a great stop to keep the Dean ahead but Holbrook levelled for the third time.
But in added time, Johnson scored the winner. A freekick by Welsh was partially cleared, giving Johnson the opportunity to hit it into the bottom corner.
East Dean climb to second.