Another FA Cup game, another comeback as Chichester City march on

There were changes to the XI that lined up against Basingstoke in the previous round just over a week ago. Rob Hutchings had a one match ban to serve for the red card in that encounter so Pashley moved across to left back with Ryan Peake coming in to partner Corey Heath in the centre.

Ryan Davidson, who pulled a hamstring in the last pre-season friendly with Bognor, returned to right back and Rory Biggs joined Lloyd Rowlatt and Matt Axell in midfield. Josh Clack started up top in place of Scott Jones with new boys Prichard and Ryan Penny on the flanks.

Cribbs keeper Fraser McDiarmid got a glove to a Clack effort in the first couple of minutes and then did well to gather the ball as Pashley cut it back into the box. At the other end Steve Murray headed a cross from the right wide of the post before a nice Chi move resulted in Clack similarly heading off target.

Murray forced Steve Mowthorpe into a stop eight minutes in after a break down the right and then Peake cleared a Tom Anthony set-piece with a strong header. Next a smart pass from Rory Biggs sent Clack on his way but a defender got to the ball first and McDiarmid collected Prichard’s cross easily enough as Rowlatt, Biggs and Davidson all exchanged passes.

Referee Alastair Higgs gave Anthony a strong talking to for a heavy challenge on Axell in the 16th minute just before Connor Cody replaced Davidson, who had clearly come back too soon. Rowlatt then pulled a save out of McDiarmid following a run from Clack that opened things up.

Dan Webb was given the game’s first yellow at the mid-point for a late tackle on Cody and Prichard joined him in the book moments later as he caught the Cribbs left back. Axell had a shot charged down on the half hour and Penny strayed offside again to put an end to an attack instigated by Pashley down the left

Like the league opener at the weekend Chi were off the pace and they found themselves a goal down after 37 minutes when Mr Higgs awarded the visitors a penalty. Steve Mowthorpe saved two pens in the shoot-out with Basingstoke but here Murray tucked his spot-kick out of Mowthorpe’s reach.

Four minutes later Chi might have levelled but Prichard couldn’t quite get a connection to lovely pass from Rowlatt. A slip from Heath just before the break gave Murray an opportunity as he stung Mowthorpe’s gloves. Webb had another chance in time added on but failed to trouble the Chi keeper.

Jones came on for Penny at the interval in a substitution that proved instrumental in getting the hosts back into the match. And Jones was soon involved having a shot on the turn hooked away after sixty seconds and pulling a fine save out of McDiarmid with a bullet header.

Webb spurned another opportunity for Cribbs firing straight at Mowthorpe. The momentum was starting to shift.

McDiarmid managed to punch a Rowlatt corner clear; good defending from Dan Dyke denied a marauding Cody; Jones had a downwards header brilliantly saved; and Mr Higgs ruled out a Chichester goal for offside.

The equaliser, and it had been coming to be fair, was a super finish from Pashley in the 58th minute that curled beyond McDiarmid. And Chi were in front after Clack was fouled in the box looking to get on to a clever Jones flick.

Clack, who’d scored a consolation from the spot against Ramsgate last time out, thumped the ball to the keeper’s left for his third goal in three games. But four minutes later the hosts were down to ten men as Mr Higgs sent Clack off.

Chi reshaped, as they had a player short in the previous round. Mowthorpe’s poor clearance then gave the away side a chance but a shot from distance swerved wide of the mark. It was end to end stuff now.

Jones had a cross headed away after good work from Cody just before Cribbs captain Lewis Hedges skied a shot over the bar. Next a smart tackle by Heath tidied things up for Chi after Prichard lost the ball.

Axell then found Jones whose delivery was inches away from Cody and Axell lifted an attempt over the cross bar. Prichard was chopped down in the box with five minutes to go but penalty appeals were waved away.

However, the seventeen-year-old sealed the win in the 90th minute as the visitors were caught out having pushed their keeper up for a corner. Jones found his teammate with an inviting through ball and the youngster steered it into an empty net.

Second round qualifying matches are scheduled to take place over the first weekend in October.

Next up for Chichester is an away fixture in the league against Whyteleafe this Saturday.

Chichester – Mowthorpe, Davidson, Pashley, Axell, Heath, Peake, Penny, Biggs, Clack, Rowlatt, Prichard. Subs – (Dunn, Bennetts, Cody, Jones, Seiden, Ndlovu, Briggs).