Successive home wins lift City ... Pagham left in dry dock

Back-to-back wins for Chichester City were the local highlight of the latest rounds of Southern Combination League games.
Action from Chichester's win over Shoreham / Picture by Kate ShemiltAction from Chichester's win over Shoreham / Picture by Kate Shemilt
Action from Chichester's win over Shoreham / Picture by Kate Shemilt

Chichester City 1 Shoreham 0

Chichester City 3 Broadbridge Heath 0

Southern Combination premier

Chichester put their cup-final heartbreak behind them to chalk up their 15th league win of the season.

Four days after their 4-2 defeat to Newhaven in the RUR Cup showpiece at Lancing, City were delighted to get back to winning ways.

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Honours were even at the interval following a cagey opening 45 minutes.

But City’s persiostence in trying to break down the visitors was rewarded with a penalty on 64 minutes.

Jimmy Wild sent keeper Daniel Hutchins the wrong way to fire Chi ahead.

The home side were awarded another penalty ten minutes later, but this time Hutchins was equal to Wild’s effort.

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Mussels pushed for a late leveller but Chichester stood firm to hold on to all three points.

The win left Miles Rutherford’s team in tenth spot ahead of their home clash with Broadbridge Heath on Tuesday night.

Games are coming thick and fast now – City go to St Francis on Saturday and Pagham on Easter Monday.

Against Broadbridge Heath, City took the lead on 31 minutes as Heath overplayed from the back after a throw out from Michael Chester.

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Stuart Chester then tried to play the ball up the line to Jamie Robinson, who got robbed of the ball and after a missed Martyn Flack clearance, the in-form Jimmy Wild finished well.

Dan Hegarty added a second on 53 minutes as he lobbed over Michael Chester as he was forced to rush out of his box to head clear after some indecisive defending.

Tim Martin was then sent off after being shown a second booking which Painter was left less than happy with, before Jamie Horncastle added a third with 12 minutes left.

Newhaven 3 Pagham 1

Combination premier

Scott Murfin’s strike was all the Lions had to show from a long trip to East Sussex.

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Lee Robinson and Wesley Millis’ goals inside three first-half minutes put the Dockers in control before Ebou Jallow made the points safe with a 70th-minute goal.

Murfin pulled one back six minutes later but it didn’t spark a fightback.

* Selsey’s hopes of a cup to lift are over after controversial refereeing decisions affected their bid to beat Langney in the division one cup at the High Street Ground.

James Parsons cancelled out Wayne Wilkinson’s opener but second-half goals by Jamie Morgan and Shane Saunders put Wanderers through to the third round of the league cup.

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Goals by Barry McCoy, Tom Jefkins and Dan Bassil couldn’t save Sidlesham from a 5-3 league loss at Crawley Down Gatwick in division one, but Midhurst won 1-0 at Bexhill thanks to Nathan Hunt’s 72nd-minute goal.

Midhurst are fourth from bottom, a place above Sids, with both well clear of the bottom two.

SFCL local Easter fixtures

Saturday, March 26

Premier div: Pagham v Hassocks; St Francis Rangers v Chichester City.

Div 1: Bexhill v Sidlesham; Ringmer v Midhurst & Easebourne; Selsey v Lingfield.

Div 2: Bosham v Rottingdean.

Monday, March 28

Premier div: Pagham v Chichester City.

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Div 1: Midhurst & Easebourne v Oakwood; Sidlesham v Selsey.

Div 2: Bosham v Ferring.

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