Miles Rutherford, Dabba, Danny Potter & Co made just the one change to the side that beat Carshalton 3-0 on the road on August Bank Holiday Monday as Billy Vigar lined up at No9 with captain Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson either side of centre backs Curtis Da Costa and Ben Pashley and Kieran Magee in goal. Dunn again began as the holding midfielder behind Joe Clarke, Lloyd Rowlatt, Isaac Bello and Ethan Prichard.
The two teams shared the spoils one-all in a pre-season draw at Oaklands Park only last month when Bello scored a 28th minute opener and Ryan Seager bagged the equaliser some 10 minutes later.
Here, on a wet penultimate day of summer, Chi won a corner in the first minute that Prichard took and the Hawks cleared easily enough.
Havant’s skipper Seager then fired one over the bar 60 seconds later after a good run down the right flank by Matt Hayden and a delivery from Olly Pendlebury.
Next, Dunn linked up with Man of the Match Bello but the Hampshire side hooked the ball out for a throw before the Lillywhites won a free-kick for an obvious foul on Da Costa.
A slick move up the left wing led to a second Chichester corner on six minutes which Prichard took once more only for it to be headed away.
Rowlatt had a shot blocked and the hosts wasted a good opportunity at the other end as Alfy Whittingham lifted an effort over the woodwork when well-placed.
George Milner-Smith’s fine tackle on Vigar resulted in another Chi throw before Clarke’s intervention gave the Hawk’s their first corner 12 minutes in.
This got played short for a cross that was steered out for a second one which Davidson and then Bello headed clear.
Nana Owusu cut inside in the following home side attack and struck a dangerous drive which clipped a post before things flagged in the next few minutes or so.
Owusu caught Da Costa unfairly and Rowlatt couldn’t get his feet right when Vigar tried to pick him out.
Hutchings’ cross was then headed out before a wayward ball in went out for a visitors’ goal kick.
Vigar’s neat flick teed Prichard but his pass didn’t find Bello and some clever skill by Leo Young won the Hampshire team a throw-in.
Hayden and Harvey Laidlaw both got flagged offside by a well-marshalled Chichester back four before Hawks’ keeper Ben Dudzinski was forced into the game’s first real save at the mid-point.
Another chance went begging when Seager blazed over an inviting cross from Laidlaw; Chi earned a corner moments later; and Prichard conceded a free-kick on 28 minutes.
Next, Pashley outclassed Owusu in a foot-race and Prichard and Hayden also battled for the ball.
Then Laidlaw’s cross was beyond all the Havant forwards and drifted out for a goal kick before a delicious pass from Davidson almost set Vigar up.
Bello’s nice turn, run and shot got held by Dudzinski seven minutes before the break and Hutchings messed up a pass back to Magee who got out ahead of Whittingham to give away a throw.
A poor ball from the back failed to pick a Havant player and Laidlaw’s cross from the left was hacked away.
The away side won a couple of throws as we headed towards the interval, one of which a Bello bomb, almost fell to Vigar.
Magee then denied Laidlaw with a one-handed reflex stop and Pashley tidied up as Whittingham threatened again.
It got a bit scrappy for a little while with passes going astray before the half-time whistle blew.
Mitchell Aston replaced Nigel Atangana at the break and the hosts kicked off.
Hutchings out-muscled the Hawks attacker two minutes into the second period and then an exchange between Prichard and Vigar led to a brilliant hit from Dunn from some distance for what proved to be the only goal of the game.
Whittingham might have equalised five minutes later but didn’t have his shooting boots on after Seager set him up and hit one high over the crossbar.
Davidson got away with a blatant foul on the influential Owusu on 51 before the Havant No1 beat Bello to the ball and Whittingham pulled an attempt wide this time after doing Hutchings down the right.
Next, Prichard smacked an effort that took a deflection and Rowlatt also had a go in the same passage of play.
Davidson fired one off-target too and Prichard shot wide of the mark on the turn.
Magee and Whittingham collided – nothing doing according to the ref and at the opposite end Bello couldn’t quite get past the keeper as Chi probed.
And then Clarke hit the woodwork and Dudzinski, who didn’t know much about it, gathered the loose ball.
Vigar got fouled on 64 minutes by Young who was booked and Da Costa’s decent header from Hutchings’ consequent set-piece was well-held by the Havant shot-stopper.
Prichard then hit one over trying to lob the keeper on 65 and Ethan Giwa-McNeil replaced Owusu; Dunn gave away a ‘strange’ foul; and Pashley cleared once more.
Giwa-McNeil dragged an effort wide of the mark with 20 minutes to go but he was offside anyway before he cracked a shot into a cluster of Chichester defenders.
Bello couldn’t convert after Rowlatt played him in on 72 and Whittingham was seemingly caught by Pashley – no pen according to the officials.
Magee then gathered a lovely cross cleanly and Bello was upended by Brendan Wilson for a booking.
Hutchings’ high ball was claimed by Dudzinski and after an offside Pashley was yellow-carded for time wasting.
The Chi No6 then headed away Laidlaw’s cross with 10 to go.
Theo Bennetts replaced Prichard in the 81st minute and Clarke’s forward header was cleared without any trouble by the Havant custodian before the Hawks won a corner but not a penalty, despite protests.
Next, Magee denied Seager who was offside anyway and the Chi goalie claimed a Pendlebury delivery.
The Havant sub forced Magee into a save which he turned out for a corner that Pendlebury struck too long and Joe Moore came on for Rowlatt with a minute left.
The hosts desperately sought an equaliser and a decent move involving Pendlebury, Wilson, Milner-Smith and Laidlaw led to another corner which Davidson headed away.
The home side were reduced to 10 in time added on as Young picked up a second booking.
So, Chi condemned Havant & Waterlooville to a third defeat in all competitions on the bounce and that’s two clean sheets in a row for Rutherford’s men.
Potters Bar, who did the double over Chichester last campaign, visit Oaklands next Saturday 6th September (Kick Off 3:00pm) and it’s Jim Yeo’s wedding that day too.
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Dunn, Da Costa, Pashley, Bello, Clarke, Vigar, Rowlatt, Prichard (Powis, Cahusac, Bennetts, Moore, Horncastle, Rustell, McDonald).
