It wasn’t a good day at the office to be fair for Chi, who put in a performance in stark contrast to the shift at home to league leaders Ramsgate midweek.

Kris Oti gave the hosts the lead only three minutes in with a shot from some distance following a mix up between defenders. His effort looked to be going wide but caught a rooted to the spot keeper Kieran Magee out low to his right.

Ethan Prichard, who scored both the Chichester goals on Tuesday night, might have replied sixty seconds later but his cross-cum-shot did little to trouble Luke Glover at the other end.

Connor Cody, back in the Chi side, headed the ball away from danger, and then Joe Moore hooked it forward.

Magee miscued up against Alfie Rogers only to win a goal kick before Oti and Charlie Harris combined and Emmett Dunn cleared.

Cody was there once more to concede the first corner of the match on 15 with a firm tackle after Leon Moore and Joel Daly played a neat one-two.

Lloyd Rowlatt got challenged firmly a couple of times – nothing doing according to referee Stephen Hawkes on both occasions.

And then Mr Hawkes gave Rob Hutchings a good talking to for an altercation with Harris.

Next, skipper Josh Clack picked out Joe Moore who should have shot.

Isaac Bello ghosted beyond Daly down the right but his cross was wayward,

Rowlatt then was impeded by Nathan Cooper on the edge of the penalty box for a set-piece which Prichard whipped over after a yellow card for Cooper.

Clack forced Glover into a decent save on the half hour mark and Hutchings was poleaxed moments later – the free-kick was again poor.

Glover spilt a Clack cross as Chichester sought to get back into the game.

Hutchings’ delivery was then cut out by Rob O’Toole before a half clearance by Glover gifted the visitors a throw on the right that Bello launched into the box for Prichard to swing and miss.

The Hawks countered but Cody came out on top in his duel with Oti.

Magee had to have his wits about him to claim Hamish Morrison’s deep cross and Daly pickpocketed a number of players only to be tackled eventually with another cross landing on the roof of the net.

O’Toole’s back-heel didn’t quite come off five minutes or so ahead of the break and then a lovely touch by Clack set up an opportunity but his attempt went over the bar.

A Magee mistake might have been capitalised on by O’Toole on the stroke of half time and the Chi custodian gathered Morrison’s delivery easily enough.

Clack found Hutchings two minutes after the restart but his cross was cleared comfortably at the near post before a Hutchings snap shot went wide of the other stick.

Rowlatt then struck an effort low and hard but off target before Cooper was replaced by Will Miles.

A super Rogers’ cross caused a bit of mayhem on 56 and a fine block from Dunn on a follow-up shot before the game was lost a minute later when Mr Hawes awarded a soft penalty for a Cody tackle.

The Chi players didn’t protest too much and Rogers duly converted to make it 2-0.

The Hawks player came off for Luke Robinson some four minutes later and Chichester also rang the changes, introducing former Whitehawk player Olly Munt and Kaleem Haitham for Joe Moore and Joe Clarke.

Harris had a flash shot deflected out for a throw-in which was flicked on and cleared by Hutchings.

Lewis Hyde then made a timely intervention to deny Oti getting a second goal and hacked away Charlie Lambert’s subsequent delivery.

Next, only the woodwork prevented Prichard from bagging a nineteenth strike of the season in all comps before the tricky No11 was upended on the edge of the box and got the right height with his free-kick but couldn’t get it round.

Magee was forced into a stop with a couple to go to deny Oti – punching the ball away.

And then Hutchings out-muscled Oti before Miles cracked one off target.

Magee pulled off a fine save at the death to deny Charlie Lambert and both Harris and Oti spurned decent chances to make the victory even more emphatic.

Miles Rutherford’s men welcome East Grinstead to Oaklands Park on Easter Monday 10^th April (Kick Off 3pm) and then Ashford United in their last home game of the season on Saturday 15^th April (Kick Off 3pm).

Chichester – Magee, Bello, Hutchings, Moore, Hyde, Cody, Clack, Dunn, Clarke, Rowlatt, Prichard (Munt, Haitham, Montague, Weinberger).