Ryan Young, a key figure in Chi’s 2018-19 promotion campaign, started between the sticks in place of the recently departed Steve Mowthorpe. Emmett Dunn and Rob Hutchings lined up at right and left back either side of Lewis Hyde and Ben Pashley. Matt Axell, in his customary No4 spot, joined captain Jamie Horncastle, Ethan Prichard, Kaleem Haitham and Gicu Iordache with Callum Overton up top.

The Rocks dominated the first period and Gavin McCallum tested Young in the sixth minute before a timely tackle by Hyde snuffed out another attack.

An overlap down the right flank opened Chi up 60 seconds later and the hosts were awarded a penalty with the referee’s assistant waving his flag demonstrably.

Young did well to get down low to Ashton Leigh’s spot kick to deny Bognor an early lead.

Ethan Robb got a talking to from the ref moments later for a heavy challenge on Axell and then Hyde turned away a dangerous cross from the game’s stand-out player Mongoy.

Iordache found Haitham with a lovely cross-field ping as Chi got into the hosts’ half but Haitham’s pass to Overton was wayward.

Bognor moved the ball about slickly only for Mongoy to stray offside.

Next McCallum pulled a shot wide and Axell broke things up following a decent passage of play involving 10 precise passes.

Iordache swept a ball out to Hutchings down the left but his cross was poor.

Charlie Bell and Jason Parish combined effectively and presented McCallum with another opportunity only for the No7 to drive off target.

Rocks keeper Amadou Tangara, who’d had nothing to do till now, came out to claim an Axell free-kick at the mid-point.

Joe Cook then tried his luck from distance before Young got to the ball ahead of Parish and gathered a delivery by Leigh.

The home side’s No10 caused further problems but Hyde blocked strongly and fellow defenders cleared the follow up cross.

Haitham might have elected to pass to Dunn charging down the wing but tried to feed Overton who was flagged offside.

An exchange between Calvin Davies and Mongoy got Bognor in behind Dunn only for skipper Horncastle to divert the ball out for a corner that Iordache turned away. Leigh’s out-swinger was headed over by Rocks captain Craig Robson and then five minutes before the interval Mongoy beat Dunn in a foot race only for Parish to blaze over.

Dunn was caught all ends up on the stroke of half-time and conceded a penalty for a second game in a row when he brought down Parish.

Mongoy stepped up and Young was beaten this time with a better taken pen straight down the middle.

The hosts made five changes at the break while Chichester restarted with the same XI.

For 10 minutes or so both teams lost possession cheaply.

Joe Dandy gave Pashley something to thing about but the Chi centre back got to the ball first. Sub Diedrick-Roberts whipped his corner in only for Hutchings to head clear at the front post.

A brilliant tackle by Horncastle denied a marauding Mongoy and then a pinball moment left players and spectators alike bemused as the ball cannoned off the woodwork, a player or two and Young.

Axell and Hutchings made way for Rory Biggs and Flori Vucaj.

Hyde and Pashley both got in brave challenges before a measured cross set up a chance for Mongoy.

In a rare attack at the other end Iordache, who looked sharp in his first pre-season minutes, picked out Prichard in what proved to be the 18-year-old’s last action, but he couldn’t get a shot away.

Alex Weinberger replaced Prichard with 20 to go and then Mongoy, a threat all night, forced Young into a smart stop.

Chi youngster Joe Masters came on for Iordache just before a set-piece from Haitham gave Tangara something to do.

Bognor doubled their lead when Ben Mendoza drifted too easily past several players in the middle of the park and set up Diedrick-Roberts one-on-one with Young and the hosts’ No17 tucked the ball home with some aplomb.

Young then pulled off the save of the match tipping over a fierce effort by Mongoy.

Chi’s sole attempt on goal came in the 86^th minute when Overton crashed a shot against the upright before an unmarked Mongoy made it 3-0 steering in a cross from the right.

Chi welcome VCD Athletic to Oaklands Park on Saturday 14^th August for their first match of the Isthmian South East campaign (Kick Off 3pm).

Chichester – Young, Dunn, Hutchings, Axell, Hyde, Pashley, Prichard, Horncastle, Overton, Iordache, Haitham. Subs: (Biggs, Weinberger, Masters, Vucaj, Oakwell-Boulton)