There was just the one change to the Chi starting XI that lined up in that impressive 3-2 win away at Lewes last time out with Joe Moore returning to his holding role. Emmett Dunn moved to right back instead of the suspended Ryan Davidson and accompanied Ben Pashley and Curtis Da Costa, in the middle of the back four, with skipper Rob Hutchings at left back. Rowlatt, alongside Joe Clarke and Isaac Bello, occupied the other central mid-positions with Ethan Prichard and Jimmy Wild up top.
It was 17th against 19th in the league, separated by seven points, as Chichester faced a team they have a pretty good record against at Oaklands in the South East Division and County Cup, with Shaun Saunders back at the helm.
Hutchings steered back to keeper Kieran Magee after Whitehawk captain Charlie Walker went over.
Then Dunn and Bello combined for a shot that was diverted for a Chi corner that the visitors dealt with in the third minute.
Walker, who scored from the spot in that 3-2 win at Bognor at the weekend, was flagged offside as the away team pressed and a couple of throws came to nothing.
Andrew Briggs was booked for a foul and Mensah failed to get a connection on No9 Callum Barlow’s decent cross.
Kai Jennings opened things up once again with a defence splitting run and the lively Mensah delivered.
Moore was adjudged to have pushed a player and dead ball specialist Briggs took the free-kick.
10 minutes in Rowlatt and Hutchings hooked up but the final pass to Prichard was poor and the ball went out for a goal kick.
Walker fired one high and wide at the other end on 14 and Mensah and Imran Kayani posed another threat before Magee turned the latter’s effort round for a corner.
Briggs whipped this in and Chi won a free kick for an indiscretion.
Next, Pashley cut out Barlow’s pass and Moore earned another set-piece which Hutchings took.
Then Prichard crossed and Dunn headed over.
Either Chevron McLean or Kayani delivered towards Mensah who then tackled Hutchings, perhaps unfairly, and earned the Hawks a throw.
Bello was well in and Kayani was pulled up for offside at the mid-point.
Jasper Sheik collected a Prichard pass to Wild that was just too long and Kayani was somehow denied a goal at the Tennis Club end when his attempt hit the underneath of the bar and bounced down and out.
Barlow and Clarke clashed moments later as Whitehawk won a series of corners.
Moore cleared Briggs’ first one before Will Seager got away with a handball during the second kick.
Rowlatt conceded another up against Jennings that the busy Briggs whipped in again and Dunn cleared this time.
Rowlatt tried to pick Prichard before Magee beat Kayani to the ball.
Both sides exchanged throws next as the visitors enjoyed an extended spell of pressure and Mensah fizzed a shot not far off target which got deflected for a corner that was hooked away.
Mensah was down for a bit before Chi won a free kick after Da Costa was impeded.
Mensah and Kayani tried to combine but Clarke made a block and Hutchings cut out a Charlie Bennett ball.
After a long period of domination Whitehawk had the ball in the net when Wasiri Williams, scorer of the 99th minute winner against the Rocks on Saturday, crossed to Kayani who was rightly flagged offside.
Hutchings then blocked a Mensah cross; Wild missed out on a chance to play Prichard in; and Da Costa did well to deny Mensah with the last kick of the half.
The Whitehawk goal, which had been coming to be fair, was a bit soft but after doubling up on Hutchings down the right, the ball came over to Mensah who struck home off a post.
Bello then broke and got Dunn away down the right but the final cross was too close to Sheik.
The away side played in two crosses, one of which was too deep, before Chi won a free-kick for a foul on Bello that was saved by the keeper.
The next pass towards Bello was rather wayward and Da Costa tried to pick out Hutchings advancing up the left flank.
Then a move from the hosts was broken up and Kayani forced Magee into a save before Rowlatt and Bello earned a couple of throws.
Kayani’s next shot/cross went out for a goal kick.
Rowlatt capitalised on a mix-up at the back between Sheik and Williams and steered the ball into the empty net to make it all square on 63.
Momentum started to shift and Bello, Rowlatt and Dunn combined for an effort Rowlatt pulled wide.
A cross and a pass got struck rather hard either side of Barlow coming off for Harry Bridle.
Rowlatt was well in; Chi cleared as Kayani and McLean pressed; and Moore covered efficiently.
Dunn had a Walker ball to clear with 15 minutes of normal time to go before a super Bello cross found Prichard who fired off target.
Then Williams headed Rowlatt’s through ball back to Sheik and the visitors got flagged offside when they broke.
Rowlatt shot wide after a slick Chi move and Williams was yellow carded for a foul on Bello.
Next, the Chi No7 went on a brilliant run and won a throw as we headed into time added on.
Rowlatt hit one high over the bar following Bello’s long throw and Clarke’s forward pass was headed safely back to his custodian by Williams.
Magee made a save on 91 to deny Mensah a second goal and at the death Bello superbly won a corner which Hutchings took and a Clarke air-shot brought things to a close.
Miles Rutherford’s men move up a place to 16th in the league at the half-way point of the season and welcome Hendon to Oaklands Park in the last game before Christmas on Saturday 21st December (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Dunn, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Pashley, Bello, Clarke, Wild, Rowlatt, Prichard. (Horncastle, Munt, Muvuti, Rustall, Jammeh)
