The hosts made a number of changes to the starting XI that lined up against National League South Worthing on Saturday in that narrow 2-1 loss courtesy of a late strike by a Rebels’ trialist with three to go. Kieran Magee returned between the sticks with Rob Hutchings and Isaac Bello on the left and right and Ben Pashley and Curtis Da Costa in the middle of the back four. Joe Moore was accompanied in the middle by Dean Cox, Mo Jammeh, Ethan Prichard and Dion Jarvis with Jimmy Wild in his customary role up top.
The visitors, who reached the Wessex Premier play-off semi-finals last year only to lose 1-0 to eventual winners Shaftesbury, had a cross from Jarvis to deal with in the opening minutes after good work from Hutchings and Moore.
They then conceded a free kick which Prichard took and the keeper turned out for a corner that Hutchings delivered but Cox fired wide of the mark.
Next, a nice move from the home side produced a cross from the right only for the No1 to get impeded.
Bello then broke down the wing latching on to a decent ball and crossed trying to pick out Wild.
Prichard couldn’t keep Hutchings’ pass in; the left back combined with Jarvis for a shot that was blocked; before Jarvis was muscled off the ball.
A couple of other Chi moves came to nothing as first Wild and then Jammeh saw link-ups end in throws.
Then Hutchings took a corner which Bello won before a Portchy defender almost caught his own keeper out as Prichard crossed.
At the other end a cross from the left got cut out by Bello, and Magee dealt with another easily enough.
Prichard hit a fierce shot just wide at the mid-point before Pashley pinged Hutchings for a cross that was too deep.
The away side similarly played a delivery a bit long and then Pashley denied Portchester twice with super interventions, and another effort went narrowly wide.
Chichester pressed once more as Jammeh had a go.
Jarvis did too and a heavy tackle on Jammeh in the box was overlooked by the ref.
A Prichard corner short to Jarvis led to a cross that caused little trouble.
The two players hooked up again a minute later for another attempt that was blocked for a corner which Chi headed over.
Prichard tried his luck from distance to no avail, as did Cox, and good defending stopped Jarvis and Wild getting in.
Former Horndean player Connor Duffin was then booked for an infringement and unusually sent off moments later for a foul on Hutchings just before the break after Prichard blasted wide.
Miles Rutherford & Co introduced Lloyd Rowlett, Josh Clack, Joe Clarke and Olly Munt at half-time.
Pashley, in an advanced position, was brought down in the box on 47 and Clack stepped up and dispatched his penalty kick into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0.
Bello then spurned a chance to pull the trigger and Portchy won a set-piece in a dangerous position and hit the free kick straight into the wall.
The hosts broke and Munt found Rowlatt whose super touch led to a shot that was saved.
Chi rang the changes again on the hour mark as the trialist who netted against Worthing came on with Prichard, Moore and Jarvis for Wild, Da Costa, Pashley and Cox.
Rowlatt doubled the lead with an excellent goal in the 64th minute and Bello opened things up five minutes later with a brilliant run but lifted his effort over.
Jarvis made it 3-0 on 76 when a Prichard shot fell kindly to him at close range and he steered the ball home.
The visitors’ captain James Cowan pulled one back with a Beckhamesque long-ranger from inside his own half that dipped over Magee’s replacement.
It was 4-1 two minutes later though as an incredible strike from Munt hit the back of the net.
And Rowlatt wrapped things up at the death latching on to Hutchings’ saved attempt from some distance.
Chi welcome Moneyfields to Oaklands on Saturday 20th July (Kick Off 3pm).
