Miles Rutherford, Dabba & Co without injured top scorer Jimmy Wild; keeper Kieran Magee; skipper Rob Hutchings; and forward Ethan Prichard started Magnus Norman between the sticks, Ryan Davidson and Emmett Dunn either side of Curtis Da Costa and Ben Pashley in the back four, with Joe Clarke the holding player alongside Mo Jammeh, Clarke and Rowlatt in midfield and Rustell up top.
A fine header from Pashley cleared the danger as the visitors pressed 60 seconds in and then Rustell got flagged offside twice at the Archery End.
Bello intervened to prevent another Lewes move before Jammeh did the same and raced down the left only for the Chi No7 to lose control in a promising attack.
Bello hit an effort off target on nine minutes before Rowlatt, who scored the winner in that 3-2 thriller at the Dripping Pan, broke the deadlock with a nice finish from outside the box after a slick exchange in the 13th minute.
It might have been 2-0 moments later but Bello had a couple of shots blocked.
And then Davidson got clattered – no yellow card for the Rooks player according to referee Robert Harrison.
Man of the Match Dunn played a long back-pass to Norman and his counterpart Toby Bull did well to get off his line and snuff out the threat posed by Rustell and conceded a Chichester throw.
The West Sussex side then won the first corner of the match which Dunn couldn’t quite get hold of effectively when the loose ball fell to him and it went out for a goal kick.
Tolu Ladapo was adjudged offside and a Jammeh pass to Dunn was a bit too strong.
Next, Rowlatt tried to combine with Bello but Mr Harrison blew his whistle for a handball.
It all got rather cagey and then Jammeh was presented with a decent opportunity, although he didn’t elect to fire first time, and on the half hour Rowlatt wasn’t able to get a shot off either.
The midfielder then whizzed one wide of the mark before the away team earned their first corner and captain Danny Bassett’s cross went out for a goal kick.
Nice play from Rustell led to a Chi throw on the College Lane flank and Moore and Rowlatt set Rustell up for a slightly sluggish attempt.
Lewes probed once again but the diag with potential drifted out of play.
Dunn, Clarke and Davidson rebuilt before Rowlatt fizzed a go, only it wouldn’t curl enough to threaten Bull this time.
And then Bull had to respond quickly when one of his defenders almost diverted the ball into his own net.
Seven minutes ahead of the break Jammeh blocked Matt Warren’s delivery and moments later the hosts won a set piece for a foul on a marauding Bello.
Jammeh might have doubled the lead in the 40th minute but a defender made a timely interception and a linesman decided Ladapo was offside as the East Sussex outfit sought an equaliser.
Neat stuff from Dunn and Pashley prevented Ladapo and Warren causing any trouble, and on the stroke of half time Bello launched a bomb into the box but the Rooks backline cleared.
Chichester won another throw early in the second period that Davidson took and Moore and Bello combined for some impressive trickery from the No7, although the ball eventually rolled out for a Lewes goal kick.
Jammeh was impeded on 48 and a subsequent Pashley pass to Bello was too strong.
And then Rustell scored a contender for goal of the season from fully 40-yards with an unbelievable lob that caught a back-pedalling Bull out.
Alfie Allen forced a lovely save out of Norman and Dunn picked up the game’s only booking for a foul on Warren and the consequent cross swept narrowly wide.
Davidson hooked away; Lewes won a corner; Da Costa tidied up; and a naughty Bassett got away with one for an awkward challenge.
A Moore mistake provided Bassett with a half chance only for Davidson to clear again as did Rowlatt when a short corner came to Bobby Unwin.
The period of pressure finished with the Chi backline clearing another corner when the ball nicked off Pashley before Clarke grabbed the final goal as a Bello throw was headed onto the woodwork and the midfielder reacted first to stab home.
Next, Dunn went on a lung-bursting run but couldn’t get his shot off before Allen pulled an effort wide and Moore cleared.
Bassett was pulled up for offside on 68 and Rustell was exchanged for Olly Munt after some physio treatment for the City striker.
Unwin hit the post in the 72nd minute and Warren made a couple of headers before Jammeh cleared at the other end.
Norman gathered a Peter Ojemen cross after he combined with Bassett and Marcus Sablier, and the Lewes No6 struck a wild effort wide of the goal.
The Chi custodian then dealt with Bassett’s hit easily enough before a coming together of Da Costa and Warren didn’t lead to a pen, although the Chichester player had to receive some treatment.
Pashley headed safely back to Norman after a few throws for the home side and a bit of wrestling between Dunn and Ladapo came to nothing.
Bello’s shot was blocked by Bull as we went into the last two minutes of normal time and his opposite number Norman tidied up when the Rooks probed.
Moore put an end to Ladapo’s attack and sub Shae Hutchinson was felled on the edge of the 18-yard box.
Norman collected Warren’s delivery on 92 and both teams exchanged free kicks before Mr Harrison finally called time.
City remain sixth in the league, two points off the play-offs.
Next up for Chi is a match away at Hendon on Saturday 5th April (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Norman, Davidson, Dunn, Moore, Da Costa, Pashley, Bello, Clarke, Rustell, Rowlatt, Jammeh. (Scrimshaw, Munt, Bennett, Prichard, Magee)
