Yet to lose this season, Chalfont St Peter made the trip from south-east Buckinghamshire on the back of a dramatic 17-16 mid-week penalty shootout win over fellow Isthmian south central division club Hanwell Town in the Velocity Trophy.

The hosts, like the Saints, and not for the first time this campaign, were forced into a number of changes. Chichester were without club captain Connor Cody, first team regulars Matt Axell and Jamie Horncastle, together with August player of the month and top scorer Scott Jones.

Miles Rutherford & Co then lost Callum Overton in the warm up so Josh Clack, similarly on his way back from injury, stepped up into the starting XI.  Steve Mowthorpe returned in goal and Corey Heath, back from suspension, partnered Ben Pashley in the centre of defence alongside fullbacks Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson. Rory Biggs joined Lloyd Rowlatt in midfield with Kaleem Haitham, Iordache and Clack offering support to Jimmy Wild up top.

Dunn, back at Chichester after a switch from Bognor in the week, joined fellow youth team products Theo Bennetts and Denis Gurau on the bench. Ryan Peake, his concussion protocol complete, was also named amongst the subs with City stalwart Ant Ender as back-up for Mowthorpe.

The Oaklands Park outfit started the better of the two sides. Ryan Davidson went close with an early opportunity in the third minute heading a Lloyd Rowlatt corner narrowly over Dan Purdue’s crossbar.

The 19-year-old Chalfont keeper had to punch a second corner clear moments later.

Rowlatt, given the skipper’s armband in the absence of Cody, then made a super tackle on David Pitt before threading a slide rule pass towards Wild that Purdue just got to ahead of the Chi No9.

At the other end Mowthorpe, who was certainly the less busy of the two keepers in the first half, got off his line quickly to cut out a ball from Ricky Brennan intended for Kofi Quartey.

Iordache next picked out Wild but his touch was too heavy and Purdue gathered easily enough.

Biggs, who put in a real shift in the middle of the park, helped out a teammate with a measured back header to Mowthorpe who then beat Luke Jones to a through ball.

Heath, Iordache and Wild were all involved in the best move of the opening 15. Wild knocked the ball into the path of Iordache only for Man of the Match Purdue to get a glove to the Romanian’s effort.

Back to back opportunities came and went in a minute. First, Quartey accepted a gift from Mowthorpe and Pitt would have got in had the Chi No1 not redeemed himself with an excellent recovery and then Mowthorpe found Wild who took the ball down brilliantly but couldn’t steer it past Purdue.

Rowlatt would probably have given Chi a 20th minute lead but his fierce drive was diverted for a fourth corner that Purdue, so assured at other times, flapped at but his defence cleared their lines.

The visitors lost a first player of three on the half hour mark when Jones hobbled off to be replaced by Hakim Nyariki.

Clack was then fouled and Iordache pulled a fine save out of Purdue who tipped his set-piece over.

Haitham had a shot blocked and Davidson glanced another header wide.

Pitt next fired one over Mowthorpe’s bar after a nice exchange between Andre Odetola and Quartey.

In a period of pressure from the visitors before the break Mowthorpe made an impressive stop to deny Sean Giordmania and Ricky Brennan gave the Chi keeper something else to think about.

The first five minutes after the restart were equally frenetic. Wild’s tame shot didn’t trouble Purdue and neither did Riccardo Alexander-Greenaway’s shot at the other end that was always rising but Mowthorpe did well to hold on to a curling attempt from Pitt.

Purdue then turned away a Wild effort and got his gloves on a powerful header by Heath this time, that he palmed away for a corner.

Chalfont’s captain Luke Elliott had to go off in the 51st minute and the visitors lost a bit of shape as a consequence.

Hutchings got down the left in Chi’s next attack and found Wild who headed inches just over.

Then Clack latched on to a super pass from Pashley but once again Purdue came to the Saints rescue.

It was all Chi now and home fans thought they had taken a deserved lead after an hour but Iordache’s cracking shot crashed into the side netting.

Purdue turned a drive from Rowlatt round his post before some composed defending by Hutchings bailed the hosts out after a neat piece of play between Pitt and Quartey.

There was a change up for Chichester with Dunn coming on for Wild. And the Canadian was soon in the thick of things linking up with Hutchings and Iordache.

Clack then wasn’t far away with a free-kick before Purdue was finally beaten in the 72nd minute from the spot after a foul on Heath in the box following a frantic spell when Haitham rattled the woodwork and Purdue somehow blocked Clack’s follow up.

Callum Doyle might have levelled sixty seconds later but Mowthorpe got his angles right and then Dunn doubled the lead with a super header on 86 minutes that gave Purdue no chance.

The last three seasons have seen Chi make a bit of history with a run to the fifth round of the FA Vase in 2017-2018 and promotion to Step 4 this term for the first time ever.

This is the furthest the club has been in the FA Cup for some time. They will find out who they face in the next round on Monday but return to league action on Saturday 14th September with a tough test away to league leaders Cray Valley PM (Kick Off 3pm)

Chichester – Mowthorpe, Davidson, Hutchings, Biggs, Heath, Pashley, Clack, Rowlatt, Wild, Iordache, Haitham, Subs: Dunn, Jones, Peake, Gurau, Ender.