First Team
FA Trophy First Round Qualifying Tue 13 September Oaklands Park
Chichester City
0
Faversham Town
  • Embery (23')
1
0-1

There was just one change to the starting XI that lined up against the Tanners with Eric-Georges Dellaud replacing an injured Rob Hutchings at left back.

The hosts haven’t had a lot of joy in this competition to be honest since their promotion to Step 4 of the non-league pyramid in 2019 but got away with two penalty shouts early doors in this rearranged fixture following the death of the Queen.

The first of these, 30 seconds in, seemed a stonewall pen after Isiaq Adebayo’s pace saw him drive into the 18-yard box only to be pulled down.

Refereee Joshua Langley-Fineing wasn’t interested and again dismissed Faversham penalty appeals moments later when Connor Wilkins went over following a Ryan Davidson challenge in the area.

Chi shot stopper Kieran Magee had his first save to make in the fifth minute as Embery broke down the left flank and fired an effort into Magee’s midriff.

Dellaud then made a timely interception and Lewis Hyde headed firmly clear after Biss got turned by Toby Bancroft.

Next, Ethan Prichard’s burst of pace set up an opportunity at the other end but he might have pulled the trigger earlier and Faversham keeper Leighton Fanshawe gathered easily enough.

Fanshawe then claimed a Davidson delivery as the high tempo opening continued.

Embery forced Davidson to concede a free-kick which Bancroft took and Joe Clarke steered out for the first corner of the night before slick exchanges between Prichard, Davidson and Olly Munt earned Chi one of their own which came to nothing.

Biss wasn’t far off with an effort that curled narrowly over on 16 minutes and the ball wouldn’t sit up for the No4 after he won a challenge deep into the Kent side’s territory.

Josh Clack and then Prichard pulled decent stops out of Fanshawe before Munt spurned a glorious chance when Kaleem Haitham controlled the ball brilliantly and teed up the summer-signing.

The Oaklands Park faithful expected the net to bulge but Munt blew his opportunity and the visitors countered and broke the deadlock with what proved to be the winner as Embery capitalised on a mix-up.

It might have been 2-0 in the next attack but Magee got something on Embery’s attempt following good work by Bradley Schafer.

Nice link up play between Munt and Clack presented the Chi captain with a chance on the half hour mark but he fired straight at Fanshawe and then passed up a free header.

Prichard failed to get the ball under control as Chi probed again and Davidson dragged an attempt wide before Emmett Dunn was in the right place at the right time to deny Nathan Wood.

Biss was dispossessed on the stroke of half time but Bancroft ballooned his effort over the bar.

Munt fired one over too in the hosts’ first raid after the restart.

Clack then held off his marker impressively and Fanshawe did well to claim a Haitham drive from distance.

Wilkins and Wood combined down the left and got in behind Davidson only for Magee to come out smartly and clear.

New boy Ethan Robb replaced Clarke on 56 minutes and Dunn, who moved up into midfield as a consequence, played a lovely flick to Munt and ran on to the return pass only to hit his shot over.

Munt and Clack then hooked up but the final effort lacked both power and accuracy.

Josh McFaull got in ahead of an advanced Dunn once more on the hour and Faversham skipper Matt Bourne made a timely header to turn Munt’s corner kick away.

Fanshawe, who had a fine game, came to the visitors’ rescue steering a fiercely struck set-piece round the post for a corner.

Wilkins then saw his effort somehow crash back off the crossbar before Clack turned and called Fanshawe into action again.

Ben Mendoza came on for his first appearance after an injury lay-off in place of Munt with 20 to go.

Biss walloped one into a brave Bancroft and Mendoza hit another high and wide.

Then Magee reacted innovatively to head clear a super through ball as Embery sought to get in.

Chi continued to press and Davidson’s cross was inches away from Dunn before both Mendoza and Clack got touches of sorts on other deliveries into the mixer.

Fanshawe then did brilliantly to palm Clack’s thunderous shot round his near stick for a corner and beat Clack to Haitham’s inviting measured pass.

Magee was on hand to deny Wood from close range as Faversham sought to double their advantage with three minutes of normal time to go just before the hosts were reduced to ten men when Biss saw red for a lunge.

Adebayo and Wood were given yellows as things heated up somewhat and a Davidson shot on the turn wasn’t far off as we moved into six minutes of additional time.

Dunn got man-handled without any caution and at the death, with Magee up for the corner, only a spectacular last-ditch challenge from Prichard after the away side broke denied Faversham a second goal.

Chi are in FA Cup action away at Isthmian premier division Folkestone Invicta on Saturday 17th September (Kick Off 3pm) and travel to Littlehampton for a league game on Tuesday 20th September (Kick Off 7:45pm).

Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Dellaud, Biss, Hyde, Dunn, Prichard, Clarke, Clack, Munt, Haitham (Bello, Robb, Hutchings, Rowlatt, Mendoz).