University sport: Chichester students complete rugby double over Portsmouth... hockey teams beaten... heartbreak for footballers

The University of Chichester men’s rugby first XV beat Portsmouth twos 15-7 to record a double over their arch-rivals.

Ollie Flack, Zack Conley and Charlie Spencer scored Chichester’s tries. Scrum half Spencer said: “We started off with great intensity, putting pressure on Portsmouth inside their 22. Our defence was very good and well-organised. We finished off some good set plays.”

Portsmouth threes got the better of the second XV on the Field of Dreams.

Max Johnson, who got Chichester’s only try in a 27-5 defeat, said: “It was a disappointing loss. In a tough first half for the team and with a lack of structure, especially at the breakdowns, we conceded three tries. We recovered a bit in the second half but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get back into the game.”

Elsewhere, Chi’s women’s basketball remain unbeaten in the league after a 74-36 win at Roehampton.

Point guard Katie Little said: “Before the game we did a 24-second tribute to Kobe Bryant. We started excellently, ending the half 30 points ahead and managed to see out the victory well.’

The men’s and women’s hockey ones lost to King’s College twos and Imperial ones.

Fresher Josh Lott said of the men’s match: “We got off to a great start in the first ten minutes by moving the ball quickly and getting into good positions to recover the ball in the attacking half of the pitch.

“We created some good chances but unfortunately were unable to put the ball in the goal. We then became sloppy and made some mistakes. “During half time we regrouped and discussed what we need to improve on in order to get that goal we needed. We managed to pull one back but it finished 2-1 to King’s.”

Imperial beat the women’s side 5-2.

Roehampton and Reading were both 8-4 winners over the Chi men’s and women’s tennis and in netball there were losses for the twos, fours and fives.

Second-placed Essex beat Chi men’s volleyball 3-1.

Chi’s women’s badminton lost 5-3 to table-toppers Brighton but the men’s team came away from the same university with a point.

The University of Chichester’s football teams returned to BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) league action after the winter break - with mixed fortunes.

The first team, second in South Eastern Tier one, lost 3-2 at home to St Mary’s as a last-minute goal condemned them to a third defeat this season.

Chichester went 1-0 down in the opening minute after a cross from the right was swept in.

It might have been all square moments later but for an impressive double save by the away keeper, who beat away efforts from Iffy Onwuachu and Alex Weinberger.

The home side equalised in the 22nd minute when a wayward goal-kick came to Emmett Dunn. The Canadian fired the ball into Onwuachu and his wonderful lay-off set Alfie Lis through on goal to tuck a shot into the bottom corner.

Ash Downs made a superb stop when a long-range strike deflected off the back of Callum Chase forcing Downs to adjust drastically and claw the ball away from his net.

St Mary’s regained the lead on 33 minutes when a fierce drive was brilliantly cleared off the line by Liam Griffin only for an opposing player to fire in the loose ball.

Chichester levelled on the stroke of half-time when Dunn sent the ball back into the box. Onwuachu reacted first and grabbed the equaliser.

St Mary’s thought they had taken the lead for a third time when their striker controlled the ball from a corner, dribbled away from his marker and turned a shot in on the swivel. But the scorer had used his arm.

Ten minutes later, Chicheste thought they’d gone in front. A Jack Breed cross was met superbly by the head of Chase and guided past the stranded St Mary’s stopper. However, the referee overturned the goal for offside.

The hosts’ back line faced immense pressure during the closing stages, with a goal-line clearance from Chase and a triple save from Downs the notable moments.

Home hearts were broken in the dying seconds when a mis-hit shot trickled inexplicably through Downs at his near post to give the visitors the points.

The Chi football second team went up against Surrey ones, looking to mount a challenge for the South Eastern Tier 2 title.

Chichester took the lead midway through the first half, Ollie McArthur smartly finishing a swift counter attack.

Things got even better for the twos before the interval when Harvey Wright clinically tucked away his spot-kick, having been brought down.

After the break, the hosts clawed their way back in to the game with a goal but Chichester were able to put the game to bed soon after.

Rafael Santos, in his first appearance in nine months, was rewarded for his efforts as he dispossessed the goalkeeper and rolled the ball in to an empty net.

Chi leapfrog Surrey, climbing to third in the table, just two points off leaders Portsmouth.

Chichester’s football threes and fours lost 4-0 and 2-0 to Portsmouth twos and Reading threes respectively. Leo King and Tommy Dawson’s goals were not enough for the sixes as New Bucks ones ran out 4-2 victors.

The Chi women’s football firsts, who are South Eastern Tier one leaders, suffered defeat for the first time this season losing 2-1 at home to St Mary’s.

The women’s second team were beaten 8-1 by UCFB (Wembley).

Reports by Ciaran McCaughan, Ollie Flack, Ian Worden, Jay Rowland and Cam Russell