Unsurprisingly, Miles Rutherford & Co went with the same starting XI that lined up against Haywards Heath at the weekend where an imperious performance on that occasion saw Chi thump Heath 4-0.

Here the hosts went ahead early doors and defended doggedly to a man to protect another clean sheet.

Finn Daniels-Yeomans for the visitors found teammate Reece Hallard five minutes in but whilst his touch was neat he failed to trouble Kieran Magee with a tame effort.

Chi left back Rob Hutchings then wasted a set-piece after Prichard was upended sixty seconds later.

The Lancers probed again but Ryan Davidson recovered superbly, taking a knock for his troubles.

Hallard broke swiftly down the left and picked out Ash Mutongerwa only for Emmett Dunn to turn his attempt out for the first corner of the match which came to nothing.

A slick move involving Lloyd Rowlatt, Jamie Horncastle, Kaleem Haitham, Hutchings and Dunn ended with Horncastle just missing out as he slid in.

Rowlatt’s gorgeous one-two with Canadian Dunn set Prichard up for his ninth goal of the season in all competitions, and a cracking finish to boot.

Next, Rowlatt almost got Josh Clack away but his pass with a little too heavy before first Ben Pashley and then Davidson also played balls that were marginally too firm.

A typically no-nonsense challenge from Horncastle instigated another Chi attack which fizzled out on 21 minutes.

Haitham was clattered by Modou Jammeh before Lancers’ keeper Alieu Secka didn’t fancy Pashley’s inviting pass towards an advanced Prichard.

Davidson then picked Rowlatt with a lovely ball that the midfielder nearly cut back into the area.

The hosts won their first corner on the half hour mark which Rowlatt drilled short to Clack. The Chi captain played it to Prichard who took too long to shoot this time.

At the other end Davidson headed away a dangerous delivery from Marcel Powell and Magee got a firm glove on Mutongerwa’s effort but the No9 was offside anyway.

Magee was called into action again punching clear Powell’s cross and Hutchings blasted one over the bar.

The Chi custodian was out swiftly, and bravely, to beat the visitors’ striker to the ball on 36.

An opportunity for Lancing came and went five minutes ahead of the break when Powell whipped in a cross which Jammeh couldn’t quite reach.

Hallard then carved the home side’s midfield open with a run but the danger was eventually snuffed out before Secka found himself in no man’s land and Chichester failed to capitalise.

Referee Andrew Dunn cautioned Jammeh in the two minutes of time added on for what might have been an elbow on Dunn.

Clear cut chances were few and far between in a rather lacklustre second half as Chi dug in.

Davidson dealt comfortably with Darius Goldsmith’s 47^th minute free-kick before Hutchings headed the ball safely back to Magee.

Hallard then joined Jammeh in Mr Dunn’s notepad for a crude challenge on Rowlatt.

Prichard walloped the resulting set-piece into the Lancing wall and Hutchings’ follow up shot was held by Secka.

Powell had a go at the other end with an effort that nicked off a defender for a corner which Davidson cleared.

Moments later Magee gathered Powell’s long-ranger and Hallard slipped past Lewis Hyde only for Davidson to make a telling tackle.

Horncastle, who’d picked up a knock, was replaced by Joe Clarke and Ollie Starkey came on for Powell as the visitors rang the changes too.

A lovely turn by Prichard got him away from his opponent only for the back line to hook Clack’s consequent cross clear.

Clarke and Rowlatt exchanged passes as Chi pressed and earned a corner which Rowlatt took and Secka claimed.

Mutongerwa then raced on to a wayward back pass and cut inside but Magee gathered his deflected effort.

An overlapping Hutchings almost got on a Rowlatt through ball before Starkey and Jammeh combined down the left only for the final cross to veer off a teammate for a goal kick.

Next, Prichard had an effort diverted for a corner which Secka got to first.

Clack and Rowlatt probed down the left and Dunn was inches away from getting to the delivery.

Rowlatt and Prichard were at it a minute later winning the hosts another corner which Hyde, who scored City’s second on Saturday, got a foot on but his attempt swerved wide.

Connor Cody was introduced for Hyde with a couple of normal time to go and had defending to do as Lancing forced a catalogue of six corners in quick succession in additional time.

Hallard spurned a decent opportunity late on after a mazy run firing his shot into Magee’s midriff.

The win takes Chichester up to 10^th place.

Up next is an away trip to Cray Valley PM on Saturday 4^th February (Kick Off 3pm).

Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Dunn, Hyde, Pashley, Haitham, Horncastle, Clack, Rowlatt, Prichard (Bello, Moore, Cody, Munt, Clarke).