Wick win sets up Chi City for date with leaders

Chi beat Newhaven by the same margin four days earlier but they needed to draw on the resolve they have shown in an unbeaten streak that stretches back to September now to get past stubborn opponents at Crabtree Park.

The visitors started tentatively and could have been behind in the first ten minutes if Wickers forward Dan Simmonds had kept his composure with a couple of efforts.

At the other end chances came and went for Jones, Max Thoms and Ellis Martin thanks chiefly to Dolcetti orchestrating things.

The Cesena-born Italian has featured for Bognor this season in the Ryman League. City picked him up recently on dual-registration terms with their Nyewood Lane neighbours and the player has made an impact since his debut against Newhaven.

He might wear the No10 shirt but he links midfield and Jones and co. up front with a style of play that some Italians attribute to the “nove e mezzo” (nine-and-a-half) position.

City took the lead in the 26th minute, unsurprisingly through their prolific striker. After good play by Dolcetti, Josh Clack fed Thoms, who picked out Jones to notch his 32nd goal in all competitions.

Chichester doubled their lead five minutes later. Thoms was involved again when his thunderous shot proved too hot to handle for Wick keeper Lewis Boughton. City defender Lee latched on to the loose ball and calmly tucked it away.

Dolcetti rattled the bar with a strike from outside the box after good work by Harry Williams. Then Jones and Martin went close with headers before Clack tested Wick’s stopper in time added on.

The second half was a bad-tempered affair and referee Ian Moore probably had more to do than keepers Boughton and Dave Hook.

City were restricted to efforts from long distance. Hook was rarely troubled and the visitors’ only real nervy moment came when the ball spun on to the post after City’s No1 swiped a punch at a cross.

Dolcetti wrapped things up for Chi with his first goal for the club on 86 minutes. After a probing run down the left flank by Clack, the City winger picked out Dan Watts who cut the ball back to the Italian to finish from close range.

Miles Rutherford’s side have worked hard to keep their unbeaten run going in 2017 and February has been very good to City with four wins out of four. The last game of the month matches City up with league leaders Shoreham this Saturday at Oaklands Park.

Rutherford said: “It was important to pick up another clean sheet and keep our run going. We’ve put ourselves into a position now where we are one of the ones to beat. This Saturday is the biggest game for us.”

City: Hook, Williams, Lee, Martin, Watts, Hartley (Barry), Horncastle (Hooker), Thoms, Dolcetti, Clack, Jones.

IAN WORDEN

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