Miles Rutherford, Dabba, Danny Potter & Co brought Ryan Davidson into the starting XI and stalwart Jamie Horncastle replaced the absent Curtis Da Costa to accompany Ben Pashley in the centre of defence alongside captain Rob Hutchings at left back and Kieran Magee between the sticks. Those were the only two changes to a side that held Invicta at the weekend. Joe Moore again lined up as the holding midfielder behind Joe Clarke, Isaac Bello, Lloyd Rowlatt and Emmett Dunn with Billy Vigar up top.
The Lillywhites won the corresponding fixture 1-0 in 2024-25 at the Enclosed Ground thanks to Lewis Rustell’s Texas lone-star goal, but here he joined Theo Bennetts, Olly Munt and new boys Ciaran Martin and Preston Woolston on the bench.
Chi played downhill in the opening half and Joel Daly conceded a throw in the opening minute before No6 Hugo Odogwu-Atkinson also gave one away after Bello and Vigar combined.
Then Josh Nandhra fouled Magee before the shot-stopper kicked a ball out into touch.
Harry Bridle, on loan from Gillingham and who shone for the Hawks all night, had the ball in the back of the net four minutes in only for it to be chalked off for offside.
And then Bello was also flagged offside too and Horncastle cleared a corner with a towering header.
Chichester won one of their own on nine which came to nothing and Bello linked up with his skipper and Rowlatt to force a save out of Josh Shattell.
Next, Pashley cleared a long Stefan Wright throw and a blatant foul on Vigar was overlooked by ref Edward Smith and his lino.
Charlie Lambert spooned one when he intercepted a poor Magee kick and Wright received some physio treatment following a collision with Vigar.
A decent chance came and went for the hosts from a corner and Nathan Cooper had another header which was also turned out for a second corner on the other side that Lambert delivered and the visitors smuggled away.
Neat stuff from Davidson pressing forward earned a corner in front of the Chi Ultras which Hutchings took and Vigar headed narrowly wide.
Dunn got dispossessed just before the half hour mark and Moore cleared comfortably before Clarke’s effort was snuffed out as the away team started to press.
Horncastle then picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Bennetts with Davidson moving across to the centre of the back four.
Bello was adjudged by Mr Smith to have impeded Wright five minutes before the break and Hutchings and Bridle got a talking to as well by the ref.
A ball towards an advanced Bennetts was then hit too long and went out for a goal kick before Wright won another throw-in off Hutchings and Davidson got dispossessed by Lambert who crossed dangerously and earned the hosts another corner just ahead of the half-time whistle.
There were no further changes at the interval and Nandhra did Pashley straight after the re-start, although Magee was out smartly to claim.
Hutchings’ one-two with Bello didn’t quite come off and Albanian Florian Kastrati over-ran the ball which rolled out for a Chichester goal kick.
Next, Magee gathered Wright’s cross and Vigar got bundled over – no foul according to Mr Smith and his officials.
A lovely delivery was claimed by custodian Shattell and a decent tackle by Cooper gave Chi a throw before Hutchings nearly found Clarke with a free-kick but the Whitehawk keeper beat him to the ball.
His opposite number Magee then denied Nandhra on 57 and Clarke, not for the last time, missed a clear-cut effort as his header from a Hutchings’ corner hit the bar and went over.
Nandhra’s head injury instigated a break and some physio on the side-line before Rowlatt’s attempt cannoned off a Hawks’ player and out for a corner.
Bello got caught by Cooper, who psyched him out all game to be fair, on 69, and Davidson was shown the game’s only yellow card for something he said.
Lambert got replaced by Iffy Allen in the 71st minute and City won a couple of throws down the right flank.
Then Bridle blasted over the bar and Clarke spurned another glorious gilt-edged opportunity lifting it again too high.
A lovely intervention from Bennetts broke up a slick Whitehawk move and Dunn forced Shattell into a brilliant stop with arguably the best chance of the match.
Nandhra was subbed for Alfie Rogers with six minutes of normal time to go and the home team won a corner after a set-piece before Daly blasted off target and Rustell replaced Vigar.
Hutchings miss-hit one late on as four minutes of injury time was added.
So, it finished all-square again.
Chi travel to Hashtag United next for another league fixture on Saturday 16th August (Kick Off 3:00pm).
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Moore, Horncastle, Pashley, Clarke, Dunn, Vigar, Rowlatt, Bello (Bennetts, Martin, Woolston, Munt, Rustell).
Photos to follow.
