Chichester students experience ups and downs in BUCS cup week

It was a week of cup action for University of Chichester teams in various knockout competitions organized by British Universities and Colleges Sport.
Celebrations from the Chi Uni football sixths / Picture by Jordan ColborneCelebrations from the Chi Uni football sixths / Picture by Jordan Colborne
Celebrations from the Chi Uni football sixths / Picture by Jordan Colborne

The men’s football ones booked their place in the next round of the trophy thanks to a 4-3 win on penalties after the match with Southampton ended 0-0 after extra-time. Danny Potter’s side travel to Loughborough for a last-16 tie.

The second team beat Brighton threes 3-1 away on route to the South Eastern Conference Cup quarter-finals. James Feist put Chichester ahead in the first five minutes. Brighton equalised in the 38th minute before Marc Holland and Harvey Wright added goals late on. In the Conference Plate the fives were 3-1 winners against Essex fours.

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The sixes (pictured) will join the fives in the quarters after they won 4-2 at home to Kings College thirds (GKT) in a match that featured four goals in the opening 20 minutes.

Celebrations from the Chi Uni football sixths / Picture by Jordan ColborneCelebrations from the Chi Uni football sixths / Picture by Jordan Colborne
Celebrations from the Chi Uni football sixths / Picture by Jordan Colborne

Chichester captain Ciar Cox had the game’s first chance when he met a corner with a header that went just wide before Owen Leworthy put the home side ahead after seven minutes. The visitors levelled moments later from inside the six-yard box following a corner. It was 2-1 to Chi in the 13th minute when Kieran Dowell rounded the keeper and tucked the ball away.

Once again Kings came back, flicking in a set-piece from the left. It was all Kings now. Jamie Guerra cleared a shot on the line and Chi keeper Bill Maynard pulled off a string of fine saves in a spell the visitors dominated. Dowell made Kings pay for not taking their chances finishing off a swift counter attack on the half hour.

There were opportunities for Chichester after the break to add to their one goal advantage. Jonny Linard hit the post 10 minutes in with a cross-come-shot and only a last gasp clearance denied Leworthy another goal sixty seconds later. The second half petered out into a scrappy affair but sub Jacob Mills wrapped things up for Chi with a tap-in late in the game.

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In rugby, the Chi men’s ones narrowly defeated Imperial (Medics) second team 22-20. Callum Gibson scored the home side’s try and Matt Hunt made the conversion. Hunt kicked five penalties, the last of these coming in the final minute to clinch a spot in the Conference Cup quarters. The women’s team were knocked out of the Trophy by Bath, losing 31-8.

Students becoming comeback kingsFranzen-Jones is a game changerChi's men’s table tennis team edged past Southampton Solent 9-8 and will face Oxford in the last 16 of the Trophy. The Chi men’s tennis side recorded a third straight 12-0 victory in all competitions beating UCL (RUMS) threes as they made it to the last eight of the Conference Cup. The women’s tennis team beat Essex 12-0 to set up a quarter final encounter with Imperial.

There were cup defeats for the university’s volleyball teams. The men’s twos lost in straight sets at home to Portsmouth ones.

The visitors started brightly and three consecutive spikes after the first time-out helped them to an 18-7 lead that they built on to take the opening set 25-17. The early stages of the second set were close but Portsmouth won seven points in a row to make it 16-6. Trailing by 13 points at one time Chichester pulled the score back to 22-15 only for the visitors to take the set 25-16.

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Portsmouth raced to a 12-2 lead in the third set before the home side forced a shift in momentum winning seven straight points themselves to narrow the margin to 12-9. Things changed again and Pompey went 20-10 up and held on to take the third set 25-19 despite a late rally from Chi. The women volleyballers also lost 3-0 to Brunel.

Elsewhere, in hockey, there were last 16 exits for all three sides. Men’s ones were beaten 2-1 by Royal Holloway; men’s twos lost 1-0 to LSE; and women’s hockey suffered a 5-0 defeat against Queen Mary.

Women’s lacrosse made the quarter finals following a 27-1 victory at home to Imperial and netball ones maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 47-39 win over UCL (RUMS) twos and will play local rivals Portsmouth in the last eight of the Conference Cup.