Josh Clack hit a hat-trick, Jimmy Wild scored two, with further goals from Conrad Honore and a late one by sub Olly Munt.
The hosts switched from the 3-5-2 formation they employed midweek in the one-all draw at home to newcomers Merstham. Rob Hutchings and Emmett Dunn sat either side of Curtis Da Costa and captain Connor Cody. Joe Moore, who was brilliant all game, lined up in midfield alongside Joe Clarke, with Clack, Wild, Honore and Isaac Bello at No7, 9, 10 and 11.
Both sides came into the match lacking a bit of confidence after one win in five.
The corresponding fixture, played on grass rather than the new 3G surface at Oaklands, finished 2-0 to Chi thanks to goals from Clarke and Lloyd Rowlatt in the penultimate league game of 2022-23.
And the reverse match in October ended 1-1 after Steve Hutchings’ first half penalty was cancelled out in the second half.
Here, Omar Folkes impeded Cody sixty seconds in, and it was 1-0 on two minutes after Kieran Magee’s super long-pass picked Bello out for a pin-point cross which Wild tapped in with ease.
Bello delivered again towards Clack moments later who appeared to be pushed – no pen according to ref Luke Chapman.
EG’s Connor Tighe then did Magee but the ball went out for a goal kick.
A link-up between Wild and Clack led to the first corner of the afternoon.
Hutchings took this and Wild went close, and then Honore curled a right footed shot beyond custodian Matte Pierson to double the lead.
And we’d only played seven minutes.
Moore headed comfortably back to Magee before Wild got adjudged offside twice after neat passages of play.
Camron Lawson’s effort was easy for Magee on 14.
Clack made it 3-0 from close range however, when Bello and Dunn combined down the flank.
Magee collected safely enough in the 18th minute before Moore was well-in on Folkes and Cody tidied up.
Bello, so instrumental these days, fired a cross over which was smuggled out for a corner. Hutchings whipped it over and Pierson punched clear.
Chichester were on fire now, but a decent move involving Bello, Clack, Clarke and Moore fizzled out.
Bello got in at the mid-point only to fire his attempt the wrong side of Pierson.
A rare raid saw Michael Wilson pass to Matthew Daniel who was flagged offside.
Wild then had a go with a shot that was turned out; Clarke had an effort blocked; and another went wide.
Chi put the ball in the back of the net again on 25, which was ruled out for offside.
The Wasps skewed one horribly four minutes later and Tighe fired a go too high.
On the half hour mark Hutchings and Wild exchanged passes only to be dispossessed in the box before Harrison Parker bought a foul.
Tighe crossed this but Hutchings headed away.
It all went a bit flat for a while; Jerson Dos Santos was regularly flagged offside; and a dangerous free-kick was wasted.
Moore went on a clever run that was ended when he was fouled and Clack took the resultant free-kick.
Next, Hutchings hit one into the side-netting off a defender for a corner that came to nothing.
Great football a minute before the break led to Chi’s fourth via Wild again, now on his hattrick.
A super move, full of twisting and turning, might have made it 5-0 only the hosts didn’t pull the trigger and a Clack rabona was perhaps a little too audacious.
Chi spurned three crosses in stoppage time but went into the interval four ahead in the first league game of February.
There was a coming together of Wild and Wasps’ skipper Ryan Green on 46 and the Chichester player headed clear Wilson’s set-piece.
Then Dunn set Wild up for a chance which Pierson saved magnificently.
Da Costa got on the end of Hutchings consequent corner, although his powerful header went just over.
Tighe, was it?, caught Moore before Mr Chapman awarded a free-kick at the other end on the edge of the area.
Tighe took it and Folkes was first to the loose ball and smashed past Magee for what proved to be a consolation goal.
Clack though put the hosts 5-1 up less than a minute later from close range once more after Bello’s long throw-in.
It was all Chi now who peppered a number of crosses over.
Hutchings forced Parker and Pierson into a risky chance and then was shrugged off the ball by Dos Santos.
East Grinstead rang the changes just before they were hit for six thanks to superb Bello perseverance which led to Clack’s hit and hattrick on 65.
Moore broke up an EG counter and then the home side made a triple substitution as Munt, Mo Jammeh, and Kaleem Haitham in his first game back for months, replaced Bello, Clack and Honore.
Dunn had an opportunity ahead of the last 20 or so but didn’t know much about it; Wild was passed to by Jammeh but took too long and lost control; and Jammeh had a lovely shot that thumped the woodwork; one disallowed; and another blocked.
Munt put the icing on the cake however on 88 as he struck the ball out of reach of the despairing Pierson.
Other chances came and went as we played out six minutes of additional time.
So, after three wins, one draw, and four losses in a busy January, Chi picked up an emphatic victory at the beginning of the new month and moved up a spot to seventh place. They face high-flyers Cray Valley PM away on Saturday 10th of February 2024 (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Bello, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Cody, Clack, Clarke, Wild, Honore, Bello. Subs – (Jammeh, O’Brien, Munt, Prichard, Haitham).
