Miles Rutherford, Dabba & Co were without midfielder Lloyd Rowlatt and defender Jamie Horncastle who both started in the goalless draw away at Whitehawk midweek so new signing Ciaran Martin got his debut in the middle of the park and Curtis Da Costa accompanied Ben Pashley in the heart of the defence with skipper Rob Hutchings and Davidson as full backs either side of Kieran Magee in goal. Joe Moore once again lined up as the holding player behind Joe Clarke, Isaac Bello and Emmett Dunn with Billy Vigar No9.
The Tags did the double over Chi last season, thumping the Sussex side 4-0 at Oaklands Park in November and winning 2-1 in the reverse fixture thanks to a Misha Djemaili 95th minute strike in February.
Lewis Rustell, Theo Bennetts, Bertie McDonald, Ethan Prichard and Preston Woolston were on the bench.
The Lillywhites had defending to do in the opening minute at Aveley as Pashley cleared and the hosts won a throw off Clarke.
Then Bello and Vigar got things going and Martin headed into the danger area only for Hashtag keeper Jamie Grossart to kick the ball away as the visitors won their first throw-in which Davidson took.
Next, Moore found Bello with a lovely pass that Nathan Wilson eventually steered out for the game’s first corner. Hutchings delivered this and Clarke’s header was hooked away.
Not for the last time, the home team were flagged offside five minutes in before Clarke lifted a shot over the bar after Pashley and Martin combined.
Djemaili and Toby Aromolaran then instigated a move that also led to an offside and Clarke earned the away side a free-kick which Hutchings took only to lift it over the bar.
Bradley Sach threatened on 13 but hit wide of the mark and at the other end a Hutchings’ cross was deflected for a second corner which Hutchings again took and Pashley almost scored the opening goal with a decent effort that Grossard spectacularly saved.
Bello launched a long throw in the following Chi attack but Clarke’s header didn’t really trouble Grossart.
Martin headed away Emmanuel Robe’s delivery in the 16th minute and Sach was flagged once more.
120 seconds later Dunn got fouled by Jermaine Anderson and Hutchings’ set-piece picked Martin whose attempt was turned away by the Tags’ back line and Bello this time was impeded on the edge of the box for a free-kick which Hutchings cracked into the wall with Bello blazing the rebound high and wide.
And then Vigar broke the deadlock neatly tucking away a delicious Hutchings’ pass at the mid-point for his opening goal of the season.
The hosts pressed but a well-disciplined Chi back line caught Djemaili offside and Martin headed the following ball away.
Shot-stopper Magee claimed Smith’s cross easily enough and his counterpart skewed the ball out for a City throw on the half hour before Pashley headed out Aromolaran’s delivery.
Next, Davidson saw his shot ricochet off an opponent for a throw which a resulting Bello bomb forced Grossart to claim.
And then captain Max Cornhill picked up a knock and had to be replaced by the lively Pigue Humble 10 minutes from half time.
Hashtag won their first corner on 38 which was taken short to Robe and Djemaili lifted the ball in and the hosts gained another one on the other side which Rutherford’s men cleared.
Next, Vigar’s run earned Chichester a corner of their own off Robe that Hutchings delivered and in the following attack Davidson’s pass towards Dunn was a little too firm.
Da Costa somehow headed the ball out for a corner which Robe took and Hutchings cleared, and in the couple of added minutes before the break a bit of Robe skill saw him dance into the box only for Vigar and Moore to deal with the danger effectively.
Neither team made any more changes at the interval and Clarke turned the ball out for a Tags throw in the 46th minute.
Bello won Chi a throw as well 60 seconds later and Aromolaran blocked a Da Costa pass for a visitors’ goal kick.
Then Martin tried his luck with a shot that spun out for Clarke to have a go on two occasions and also a third attempt that was diverted for a Bello throw.
Robe, a threat all game, lost his footing in the penalty area when well-placed and Djemaili struck one straight at Magee.
A slick move then resulted in Aromolaran getting flagged offside and Magee denied Sach’s fizzing shot.
The equaliser came on 54 minutes when Aromolaran did both Davidson and fellow defender Da Costa down the left flank and the hapless Hutchings turned the consequent cross beyond Magee and into his own net.
Robe was replaced by Luke May-Parrott before Davidson got caught highly by Smith who received a yellow card in the 57th minute.
Prichard and Rustell then came on for Martin and Vigar as Chichester rejigged and Dunn made a fine tackle.
Sach was adjudged offside and Anderson booked on 62.
Bello pulled a punch out of Grossard with another long throw and Da Costa tried to find Rustell as the match swung this way and that with Aromolaran firing over the woodwork; Hutchings hooking away a throw; and Prichard stealing the ball and attempting to link up with Rustell.
Next, Bello drove one just wide and Harry Haysom conceded a corner under pressure from Rustell.
Captain Hutchings delivered this and Davidson grabbed what proved to be the winner with a fine header at close range with 18 minutes of normal time remaining.
Hashtag won a corner off of Da Costa on 75 which Djemaili took short and the hosts bagged what they thought was a leveller but George Barker’s assistant ruled it out for another offside.
“You Don’t Know What You’re Doing” chanted the Tags’ faithful before Prichard fired one way off target after nice stuff from Bello.
Clarke was exchanged for Preston Woolston in the 78th minute and Haysom intercepted a ball intended for Prichard from Bello.
Sach blasted a shot at Magee after a promising move that led to a corner and one on the other side which Pashley, resolute all game, headed away.
Then Smith gave the ball away needlessly but the hosts subsequently rebuilt and with 4 minutes of normal time remaining Rustell failed to get a decent connection when clean through.
Bello bobbed and weaved into the box after good work from his teammate Moore and Anderson earned a Hashtag corner that Djemaili took and Magee safely gathered.
May-Parrott delivered another in time added on that Pashley conceded and the Essex team won two more as they desperately pressed for the all-important equaliser.
Bennetts replaced Bello late on and Tags sub Kegan Caull pulled one wide before the hosts headed over with the last chance of the match.
As a consequence, unbeaten Chi move up to 10th place in the Isthmian premier division with Hashtag one point below having won one, drawn one and lost one of their opening three games.
Next up for the Lillywhites is a home game against Welling United on Saturday 23rd August (Kick Off 3:00pm).
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Pashley, Clarke, Dunn, Vigar, Martin, Bello (Bennetts, McDonald, Woolston, Prichard, Rustell).
