It was his fourth league strike in four games and his side’s third clean sheet on the bounce.

The hosts came into the encounter after shutting out league leaders Cray Valley PM for the first time in the Isthmian South East this season and thumping third place Sittingbourne away.

Meanwhile, Sevenoaks, who beat Chi by a lone goal in October in the reverse, had won at home to Lancing and Erith & Belvedere in their previous two.

There was just the one change to the City starting XI as Mo Jammeh came in for Conrad Honore, who moved to Burgess Hill Town midweek.

Lloyd Rowlatt also returned to the squad for the first time after a lengthy injury lay-off.

Chi keeper Kieran Magee kicked the ball beyond Rob Hutchings 60 seconds in.

Then the visitors’ No2 Jerald Aboagye’s header found Emmanuel Mensah who won an early corner off Curtis Da Costa and striker Kieron Cadogan had a go, although Magee claimed easy enough.

The hosts countered as Wild and an advanced Hutchings hooked up before Isaac Bello, who scored one of the three at Sittingbourne last time out, pinged the ball over to Hutchings on the left flank but he couldn’t control it.

Wild showed a bit of skill moments later only for things to get smuggled back to the Oaks custodian Dan Colmer.

Bello won a throw-in down the right-hand side before full-backs Emmett Dunn, with his parents from Canada in attendance, and Hutchings combined for an effort that went off target.

At the other end Magee dealt with Mensah’s shot comfortably.

Next, Josh Clack got squeezed out after a neat Chi move and a Jammeh effort similarly caused little trouble.

It was all rather flat for 10 minutes or so.

Cadogan hit wide of the mark through a cluster of players; Dan Bennett pulled one too; and the away team also failed to capitalise on a corner which Joe Moore conceded.

Magee gave away another with a wayward punch before Wild spurned an opportunity from close range and Jammeh forced Colmer into a one-handed save.

Wild then dragged an effort across goal on 25 minutes.

Dunn and Dan Carr competed for an Aboagye delivery that went out for a goal kick and Carr cleverly did three Chi players and turned only to get off a tame shot which Magee gathered.

Bello and Jammeh linked up on the half hour but couldn’t pick a marauding Hutchings; Wild lurking at the back stick was likewise not found; and Moore’s attempt was blocked.

And then Wild broke the deadlock with the only goal of the game – and a rather freakish one at that which somehow squirmed under Colmer from outside the box on 36.

It might well have been 2-0 though less than a minute later as Jammeh played Bello in but the otherwise reliable No11 lifted over the bar.

Dunn’s misjudged back-header led to a corner for the away side.

However, a teammate was impeded and City broke.

Wild’s cut back was turned out for a corner, which Hutchings took and Dunn headed over.

Mensah drove past Hutchings and into the penalty area at the other end on the stroke of half time. Another player on another day might have gone down but to his credit Mensah stayed on his feet and referee Andy Dunn awarded a corner, which came to nothing.

Jaiden Drake-Thomas came on for Ricardo Thompson at the break as the visitors re-set.

Bello played the ball behind Wild in the first attack of the second half.

Skipper Connor Cody then set up Hutchings for a delivery that was finger-tipped over by Colmer.

Hutchings took the subsequent corner but it was turned away by Bennett.

Next, Jammeh had another shot and the Kent team forced a couple of corners of their own as momentum swung this way and that.

In the 55th minute the ball just eluded Carr before Hutchings’ cross was deflected back to Colmer.

Then Aboagye skipped past Clack’s challenge, although his ball missed the most forward teammate.

Moore intercepted but his pass to Wild was hit too firm.

The hosts pressed on the hour mark only for Wild to get fouled in a dangerous spot.

His free-kick however, struck the wall and neither Clack or Bello could bring the loose ball down.

Carr was replaced by Kayne Diedrick-Robert on 64 and Magee made a rare save, although an Oaks forward was offside anyway.

Hutchings took an excellent corner three minutes later and Wild, Joe Clarke and Cody all passed up opportunities to double the lead.

Karn Miller-Neave was cautioned; Matthew Attenborough-Warren came on for the visitors; and a decent cross got hit towards Wild in a lively spell.

Wild tried his luck from distance on 70 but to no avail and Mr Dunn waved away appeals for a home team penalty and awarded a corner instead.

Chances came and went for Jammeh and the visitors as we went into the last 10.

Magee did well to grab an Attenborough-Warren delivery and Miles Rutherford & Co. rang the changes as Olly Munt and Kaleem Haitham were introduced for Bello and Jammeh.

Haitham’s pass to an overlapping Hutchings was too long just before Cadogan pulled an effort wide late on.

Hutchings held an opponent off; Drake-Thomas hand-balled; Wild drew a foul; and Attenborough-Warren won a set-piece just outside the box which Chi steered away.

So, after an unbeaten month, Chichester stay one place off the play-offs.

Up next, is Merstham away, on Saturday 2nd of March (Kick Off 3pm).

Chichester – Magee, Bello, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Cody, Clack, Clarke, Wild, Jammeh, Bello. Subs – (O’Brien, Prichard, Munt, Haitham, Rowlatt).