Horsham played Chi three times in 2024-25 winning 2-1 at the Fusion Aviation Community Stadium in August, and drawing 1-1 in the reverse fixture at Oaklands Park where they dumped Miles Rutherford’s side out of the Sussex Cup in October 2-0.
Rutherford, Danny Potter, Darin Kilpatrick & Co started Kieran Magee between the sticks, skipper Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson at left and right back alongside Ben Pashley and Jamie Horncastle in the centre of the back four. Joe Clarke joined Isaac Bello, Joe Moore, Lloyd Rowlatt and Olly Munt in midfield with Rustell up top instead of the injured Jimmy Wild who scored two penalties against the Hornets in the previous campaign.
Pashley, uncharacteristically a bit out of sorts, gave a foul away in the opening minutes before the Horsham No18 whipped a cross in too deep for Ola Ogunwamide.
Olly Munt steered the ball back to Magee in the 5th minute and Bello broke down the left 60 seconds later.
Rowlatt was impeded by No8 and then Pashley conceded a corner which Harvey Sparks delivered and the visitors cleared.
A nice pass from Rowlatt to Rustell set the striker up for an opportunity he dispatched with some relish to give the Lillywhites the lead.
Horncastle expertly snuffed out the danger posed by Sparks a couple of minutes later and Pashley diverted back to his custodian who hooked it clear.
Ogunwamide turned on some skill in the 15th minute, although the ball eventually went out for a goal kick before good defending from Davidson tidied things up in the following Hornets’ raid.
Next, Pashley gave the ball away cheaply but Ogunwamide, who stood out in the first 45, couldn’t profit.
The Horsham No10 got away with a shirt-tug on Davidson at the mid-point before Pashley played a wayward forward ball.
Ogunwamide did Hutchings on 24 minutes although the Chi right back got up well to turn the resulting cross away.
A long-ranger from Moore then was palmed round his post by the trialist Hornets keeper for City’s first corner which Rowlatt took and Clarke fizzed a strike off a defender for another one before Davidson spurned a chance to double the lead with a header that went wide.
Pashley blocked No19’s cross at the other end and Ogunwamide bobbed and weaved into the box only for the ball to go out for a goal kick.
A long ball from the Horsham No2 enabled Ogunwamide to win a corner which Sparks once again took and Jack Strange headed over when well-placed.
Pashley gave the ball away needlessly and James Hammond pounced on it for the equaliser.
Horncastle made a smart tackle to break up a Hornets’ attack and Clarke got Chi going again before Davidson headed off target after Bello was fouled and Hutchings’ set-piece picked him out.
Ogunwamide almost benefited from a Magee mix-up and another mistake might have given the Yellow and Green a second goal but the ref awarded Chichester a free-kick instead.
Magee then held an effort from No18 and Pashley headed the ball beyond Magee for a corner.
Munt, who scored in the Graeme Gee Memorial Cup against Moneyfields last weekend, was bundled over in stoppage time after neat stuff between Moore and Davidson but the ref overlooked it and soon blew for the interval.
There were multiple changes at half-time for Chichester with Theo Bennetts, Ethan Prichard, Jack Farrier, Emmett Dunn, Mo Jammeh. Bertie McDonald, No14 and Vigar all coming on.
Bennetts and Farrier shepherded the ball back to Magee before Farrier tried to find Hutchings but the pass was too long.
Hutchings’ impressive cross gave Vigar a chance on 54 but he headed over.
Next, a neat twist and turn by Bennetts instigated another Chi attack before Hutchings’ delivery was blocked and Jammeh played a misplaced pass when he could have/should have shot.
A clever set-piece on the hour mark found Dunn and the Canadian’s header picked out Vigar who failed to capitalise on it.
Magee claimed a Hornets’ free-kick after Jammeh conceded one in the 63rd minute before Bennetts, Hutchings and Jammeh combined to set up Vigar for a clever finish.
Flori Vicaj replaced Pashley in the heart of the defence on 65 and the hosts won a corner which came to nothing.
Clarke returned in place of Hutchings four minutes later and an intelligent piece of skill from Jammeh almost got Vigar in once more.
The home side delivered from the left but Magee gathered easily enough and things swung this way and that as Prichard nearly lobbed keeper Lewis Carey ahead of Jammeh being impeded in the area – no pen according to the ref though.
Prichard fired one inches over the bar and Vicaj hacked away the delivery by the Hornets’ right back.
Prichard was adjudged offside following an inviting ball from Vicaj and at the other end Dunn made two important clearances.
A mazy run by Chichester’s new right back led to an effort which sailed narrowly over the bar and Jammeh couldn’t get a decent connection in the final minute.
Chi welcome Havant & Waterlooville to Oaklands Park on Saturday 12th July (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Hutchings, Davidson, Horncastle, Pashley, Clarke, Munt, Bello, Rowlatt, Moore, Rustell.
