Chichester beaten in the mud at Dorking

City began with promise, forcing several corners and testing Wanderers’ keeper Kieran Campbell with a couple of decent shots.

But the hosts seized the initiative on 25 minutes with their first meaningful attack. A throw-in on the left fell to league leading scorer Tom Tolfrey, who turned expertly on the edge of the box and fired an unstoppable rocket into the back of the net.

A breathtaking second goal followed in first half stoppage time. Tolfrey was released on a Dorking counter-attack, but played a long reverse ball across to Jake Hill on the right wing. The full-back raced half the length of the field before a flicked-on delivery was met by Luke Pidgeon to finish off a textbook team goal.

Play slowed during the second half with the heavy pitch taking its toll on the tiring players, but City were thrown a lifeline on 67 minutes. Wanderers’ Ben Dyett inexcusably prodded the ball straight to City striker Michael ‘Goose’ Frangou, who couldn’t miss.

A fortnight earlier, Pagham had been subjected to the timewasting antics of Dorking’s keeper Campbell, and it was a similar story again with at least ten minutes squandered by the home side before the finish.

Dorking almost claimed another on the stroke of full-time when Kevin Terry’s shot had Anthony Ender beaten, only for the ball to hit the post and bounce away to safety.

CITY: Ender, Eyres, Bingham, Pearce, Cody, Boniface, Hartley, Case, Frangou, Edwards. Subs: Smith, Dowden, Boulton.

* A waterlogged pitch forced City’s Peter Bentley Cup semi-final at home to Newhaven to be postponed on Tuesday night. City host Eastbourne United AFC on Saturday.

- CHESTER BROWTON

* Selsey were without a game last weekend, but their search for their first win of the season takes them to East Preston this Saturday.