Teddington's late double breaks Chichester's hearts

Teddington 5 Chichester 4

South premier division one

Chichester were edged out in a thriller when they went to top-of-the-league Teddington for a much-anticipated match between two teams pressing for national league hockey.

Chichester allowed Teddington to dictate the opening ten minutes and they took a deserved lead when Callum Giles, the ex-England international, went past two defenders and flicked the ball past a stranded Dan Godsmark.

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This sprang Chichester into life and fantastic individual skill from Matt Cox won Chichester their first penalty corner.

The ball somehow found its way to Alex Thakore, who mis-controlled the ball into the goal to level.

Chichester dominated the remainder of the half. The aerial distribution from Gerald Cox and Chris Gittens opened up the game and enabled Chichester’s frontline of Cameron Mead, Luke Emmett and Martin Gough to find plenty of space.

With two minutes of the half to go, Matt Cox again proved too hot to handle and passed two Teddington defenders before moving the ball on to Lerwill at the top of the D.

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He fired the ball into Mead on the back post and struck it at the keeper but was first to pounce on the rebound and give Chichester a 2-1 lead at half-time.

Chichester again sat back and the scores were level after just two minutes through poor play from the city side.

They were soon 3-2 behind when a dubious umpiring decision won Teddington a short corner from which they scored.

Godsmark kept out a further three penalty corners with fantastic saves before Chichester finally started playing.

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Good work from Thakore won Chichester another penalty corner and Mead smashed the ball into the goal from a well-rehearsed routine.

With five minutes left, a fast break saw Luke Emmett deliver a pinpoint pass to Mead, who deflected the ball past the Teddington keeper to give Chichester a 4-3 lead and complete Mead’s brilliant hat-trick.

But Teddington’s next attack found an unmarked forward at the back post to level again.

With 30 seconds left disaster struck and a misplaced pass in the Chichester half enabled Teddington to counter and score the winner with the final play of the game.

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This loss highlights the fact the young Chichester team need to find the consistency to compete for top spot.

CHICHESTER: Spear, Gittens, Matthews, Lunn, G.Cox, M.Cox, Lerwill, Holten, Thakore, Mead, Emmett, Gough, Godsmark.

Centurions 5 Lewes III 0

Ladies’ Sussex League div one

Centurions attacked from the start and after three corners in quick succession, the first goal was turned in by Proctor.

Pordage quickly scored the second. Lewes regrouped and pressurised Centurions but Williams, in a new defensive role, helped keep the ball out of the D supported by Proctor’s good clearances.

When Lewes did get shots in, Richardson made sound saves.

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The subs played an important role, with Skinner first in attack then defence showing good 
speed and passing, and Goddard doing well with solid stops and passes.

At the start of the second half Lewes pressed hard. Brown and Hurford worked well on either side wide in defence. A flowing counter-attack saw Pordage find Thew, who fed Brooker for a shot that made it 3-0 to Centurions.

Centurions continued to make good use of the wings and Dixon picked up some good passes, which maintained the pressure for Centurions. Lewes hit back and a corner saw Gregory, Brown and Richardson and Edge stretched to cover the goalmouth.

Thew scored twice in the last 15 minutes to make the final score 5-0 to Centurions – and a valuable win.

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This week sees Centurions travel to meet Penguins at Worthing.

CENTURIONS: L Proctor, D Brown, N Edge, L Hurford, D Brooker, N Williams, A Pordage, L Thew, C Gregory, E Dixon, A Skinner, M Goddard, A Richardson.

Crowborough Crowletts 8 Chichester Cherubs 4

Sussex Development League

A much-changed Chichester side suffered a setback in their Development League campaign.

In a top-of-the-table clash the tone was set early with a Chichester allowing a through-ball to pass through the D for an unmarked Crowborough player to slot the ball home.

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Things then went from bad to worse with a soft goal conceded from a corner and a third coming with a Chichester defender left sitting on the floor.

This woke up Chichester and Lowther’s control led to a chance for the dogged Adams, who put them back in the game.

But before long Crowborough had slotted two more as Adams made it 5-2 at the interval.

After the break Chichester started well with Stemp harrying the opposition. As they pushed forward, Chichester were again exposed at the back and they let in two more despite Alder’s best efforts in goal.

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Chichester replied with goals of their own from Gleeson and a third for Adams.

The scoring was finished by Crowborough.

The Cherubs stay top but on goal difference only, with Crowborough having played a game less.

CHICHESTER: Alder, Gleeson T, Holden,

Clark, Gleeson J, Lowther, Palmer S,

Adams, Sturdy, Gibbons, Palmer J,

Beresford, Stemp.