Cup dreams live on for some Chi students '“ not others

It was cup week for several University of Chichester teams.
Netball action in the University of Chichester domeNetball action in the University of Chichester dome
Netball action in the University of Chichester dome

The men’s hockey first team booked their place in the last four of the Conference Cup with an impressive 4-2 win at home to Reading.

The hosts looked to be going into the break 2-0 up but Reading scored just before the interval. Chichester increased their lead to 4-1 in the second half with the visitors pulling one back in controversial circumstances.

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Captain Charlie Gibbons, who got two goals, said after the game: “It was incredible. Everyone played really well. I couldn’t have asked for much more. We played our hearts out.

“There were a couple of unlucky decisions but we won the game and we can’t really complain. We’re in the semi-final. The goals were pretty special. It’s amazing.

“We’re playing Brighton in the semis. We lost to Brighton last week but we only had a 12-man squad. We’ll have a 14-man squad for the next cup game and we’ll do better.”

Chi’s men’s volleyball twos were also in quarter-final cup action.

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They took the first set against Brunel ones in the Tudor Hale Sports Centre 25-21. The second set was a similarly close one. A great block at the net helped the home side edge 17-15 ahead.

A Brunel serve that went long gave the hosts a 22-19 lead before the visitors won the next three points to set up a tense finish. Chi finally closed it out 25-22.

It was a lead they couldn’t capitalise on, however, and Brunel won the third set 25-16 as the momentum changed. The fourth set was 14-14 at one stage but the visitors stepped up a gear and clinched it 25-17 before sealing the match in the short fifth 15-8.

The netball first team faced a strong Exeter side in the last 16 of the trophy.

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Speaking before the match Krystyna Sawicki said she knew it would be tough. So it was ... the visitors proved a stern test for Chichester, winning 80-23.

Chi’s netball threes, who are in a battle with Reading twos for top spot in the South Eastern 4A division, beat Portsmouth threes 44-39.

The Chi table-tennis team played host to Bristol in the last eight of the trophy.

Beforehand, captain Dan Pound said Bristol were the toughest team they’d had to play in his three years with the club.

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Pound and his teammates Richard Pelc, Tom Beales and Nathan Hack put up a fight but Bristol took the tie 13-4.

Elsewhere, the men’s badminton twos won for the second week running in the league and women’s lacrosse lost to Brighton in a close cup match.