Chichester City coach: Sussex derby win was great – performance was not

The men from Oaklands Park came from behind for a 2-1 victory at home to ten-man Three Bridges on Saturday and sit ninth in the Isthmian premier table.

Killpartrick said the need to collect points was important – but said the overall display showed City still had a long way to go before they were playing at the level their coaches wanted to see.

Goals from Josh Clack and Lloyd Rowlatt either side of half-time earned City their second league win of the campaign after Tad Bromage had put Bridges ahead.

The sending-off of Bridges’ Curtis Gayler when it was 1-1 just before the break was pivotal.

City – who have lost only one of their opening seven Isthmian games – are looking up not down ahead of a home clash with Hythe this Saturday.

Killpartrick said: “It was an extremely even game and until their player got sent off it was in the balance and an entertaining match.

"Three Bridges worked extremely hard with ten men but we worked hard too to go on and get the win.

"It was a Sussex derby and they are always quite intense, and there are a lot of them in this league. I was pleased by the result but not the performance.

“There is still massive room for improvement – we are nowhere where Danny Potter and I as the coaches want us to be. We want to dominate the ball better than we are.

"But we are a work in progress – we’ve said that before and it’s worth saying again. There are quite a number of new players in the squad this season and it’s quite a young squad and it takes time .

"The squad are an incredible bunch – really responsive to what we ask them to do – but they’re not the finished product, not by a long way.”

The visit to Hythe is the first of two games against Kent opposition for City – with a trip to promoted Chatham, who are in the top six. following on Saturday week.

Killpartrick said: “They’ll both be tough. In this league there is not a lot between the teams at the top and the bottom.” REPORT – Page 78