University of Chichester students get their sporting season up and running

The men’s football first team, relegated from the premier division last year after a six-season spell at the elite level, suffered a South Eastern League 1A loss away to St Mary’s. David Mendes-Borges and Emmett Dunn scored for Danny Potter’s side.

There were 1-1 draws for the twos and fours with Brunel and Kingston, whilst the threes lost 8-0 to Portsmouth’s firsts. The sixes, promoted as champions, got their campaign off to a good start with a convincing 4-0 win at New Bucks.

The women’s football first team, runners-up in the premier division 2017-18, lost 1-0 at home to Cardiff Metropolitan. The visitors scored in the tenth minute when Stacey Ayling beat Courtney Trodd with a super strike the WSIHE keeper could do nothing about.

Cardiff heaped on more pressure but Trodd made a series of saves to keep her side in the match tipping a free-kick over from Ayling, blocking another effort by Olivia Thompson and denying Kitty Wells.

The home side defended resolutely after the break with Trodd the busier of the two keepers. Kenesha Nanette flashed a drive just wide on the hour and an audacious attempt from Ayling wasn’t far off with 20 minutes to go.

There were three good chances for WSIHE late on but one shot fizzed into the side-netting and the Cardiff goalie Estelle Randall did well to gather a firm header and get a glove on another effort that took a wicked deflection.

See a report from Chi's women's football seconds, below

In tennis, the men’s team came away with a point after a 6-6 draw with Sussex at the Falmer Sports Complex, while the women’s team lost 8-4 to the same university.

Hertfordshire beat the Chi women’s badminton side 6-2 and the Chi men edged their encounter with King’s College 5-3.

The women’s futsal team top Premier South after a 13-2 win over Herts. The men’s firsts beat Brighton 7-0.

The women’s hockey team lost a close match with Sussex ones 5-4. The men’s hockey teams suffered heavy defeats away at Brighton and Imperial College.

In netball, there were wins for the ones and fives. The threes and fours lost to Sussex and Portsmouth respectively with the twos losing narrowly to Reading.

Chi’s men’s basketball notched a 128-31 victory over New Bucks.

IAN WORDEN

Seagulls latest as Toon tussle loomsGet all your latest local sport hereUniversity of Chichester Women 2nds 0 St Mary’s University College 2nds 3

The University of Chichester’s women’s football second team started their season with a 3-0 loss against St Mary’s seconds, although the final score did not reflect how the game was played.

St Mary’s started brightly with a first-minute free kick whistling over the bar, before WSIHE’s Shannon Perrin curled just wide a couple of minutes later.

St Mary’s eventually broke down a stubborn WSIHE defence in the 20th minute to take the lead.

Chichester responded with several attacks down the left before Sophie Bone watched her effort trickle just wide of the goal after she’d got in one-on-one with the keeper.

The half was ended by an excellent save from Poppy Shine for Chichester, using her foot to tip a goal-bound shot on to the post.

The second half started evenly, with Perrin seeing a counter-attack shot saved before blazing over the bar from the resulting corner.

St Mary’s scored against the run of play in the 53rd minute when a pitch bobble presented the ball kindly to their striker.

Charlotte Hoskins was unlucky to see her ambitious angled strike glance off the post with the St Mary’s keeper well beaten.

Hoskins continued to be the best outlet down the right for WSIHE in the second half and had a number of shots blocked.

The visitors scored their final goal from the penalty spot three minutes from time after Shine came off her line for a through-ball and fouled the oncoming striker.

JAY ROWLAND