Chi did the double over the Essex side last season thanks to a 3-1 win at home when Jimmy Wild bagged a first half equalizer and a brace from Ethan Prichard either side of half-time did the damage, and defeated Ricay away 2-1 after a Joe Moore strike and an own goal.
The hosts came into the game following that 3-0 drubbing of Lewes last week at Oaklands and had Ryan Davidson and Emmett Dunn back from suspension on the bench alongside Lewis Rustell, Jamie Horncastle and new signing forward Misha Djemaili from Hashtag United.
Miles Rutherford, Dabba, Danny Potter & Co made just the one change to the starting XI that beat Lewes with Olly Munt coming in for the injured Mo Jammeh. Theo Bennetts began at right back once more with skipper Rob Hutchings on the other side and Ben Pashley and Curtis Da Costa in the heart of the defence in front of keeper Kieran Magee. Moore lined up as usual as the holding midfielder, alongside Lloyd Rowlatt, Joe Clarke, Isaac Bello, Ethan Prichard and Munt.
The Lillywhites started brightly and Prichard combined with Bello after five minutes but he lost the ball and the move broke down.
Munt found himself in two minds two minutes later and skewed his shot wide of the mark.
On 9 the visitors’ No2 Jazzi Barnum-Bobb pinged a delivery over at the Tennis Club end and Bennetts was fouled.
60 seconds later an opportunity fell to Hutchings who spurned a first-time shot before Bennetts drove into the Billericay box only to get dispossessed.
Both teams won a couple of throws and then Pashley was well in on Liam Nash.
Elliot Long crossed dangerously as the away side probed and Prichard conceded the first corner 16 minutes in which Man of the Match Jack Evans, who spent six years at Chatham Town, took.
Matt Johnson was flagged offside before Prichard nearly outdid keeper Sam Donkin and looked to have been impeded – no pen according to referee Patrick Jolliffe.
Next, Da Costa lost out to Evans although he recovered and made a fine intervention.
At the mid-point of the half Prichard twisted and turned nicely, only to crack an effort onto the crossbar at the Archery End.
And then Rio Oudine-Morgan, on loan from Ipswich, fired one over the Chi woodwork and Pashley’s cross-field pass to Bello was cut out by Donkin.
Hutchings was poleaxed on 25 minutes but Mr Jolliffe overlooked this and a Bello ball in was headed away by Danny Scopes’ backline.
Moore hacked clear another Evans corner before Johnson’s impressive header against the run of play broke the deadlock.
Bello thought he had been brought down in the penalty area moments later but the ref ignored his protests and Long smacked a shot inches wide of Magee’s right-hand post as things heated up.
Da Costa tackled Nash effectively and Pashley played the ball calmly back to Magee.
A super smack from the influential Long was saved superbly by Magee for a corner which Evans once more delivered.
This got played back in and Ricay defender Tommy Davis headed wide.
A lovely Chichester move resulted in a Bennetts’ cross being diverted for a corner on the Festival Theatre side which Prichard wasted.
And then with two minutes to go before the interval Nash and Max Jolliffe caused havoc in the Chi box and Pashley inadvertently misdirected the ball past his own goalie for 2-0.
Rowlatt tried to pull one back in time added on but it was gathered eventually by Donkin before Munt hit one over the bar on the stroke of halt-time.
Neither side made any changes at the break but a lovely pass from Clarke just over a minute into the second period teed Munt up for a cracking goal that got the hosts back in it.
Fired up, Chi pressed still further and Davis had to head away a Hutchings’ cross on 48 minutes before it could have been 3-1 but Oudnie-Morgan struck the frame of the Chichester goal.
Then Barnum-Bobb was booked for a nasty foul on the Chi skipper five minutes in and the same Billericay player might have seen red for another misdemeanour before being replaced by Hanza Bin-Semakula.
Rowlatt was well-in on 56 minutes and the hosts’ backline caught their opponents offside again.
Prichard’s delivery on the hour was too deep; Donkin blasted the ball out for a Chi throw; and Prichard’s hit was cleared by the Ricay sub before Nash blazed one over the bar.
Djemaili, who scored for Hashtag in both wins against Chichester last campaign, was introduced in the 69th minute and Magee claimed an Evans’ cross easily enough.
Next, Clarke stung Donkin’s gloves with a super strike before lovely stuff from Bello set Rowlatt up for the deserved goal that made it all square on 73.
Bennetts was then replaced by Davidson in a straight swap and Hutchings got dumped by Billericay sub, and Braintree Town loanee, Freddie Hockey.
Rowlatt couldn’t get the ball under control after Bello teed him once more and another chance went begging moments later.
Donkin claimed Bello’s cross without any more trouble with seven minutes of normal time to go and Clarke whacked the ball into touch after the visitors threatened.
The away team’s keeper gathered Prichard’s hit easily enough and Djemaili was booked for a foul on Jay Porter.
Johnson’s header didn’t cause Magee any problems in the 86th minute and the hosts gave away a free-kick after Pashley held Nash.
Prichard cleared the set-piece though before Bello had two stabs but fired the second one wide before Prichard blew a couple of crosses at the other end three into the six minutes or so of additional time.
The Essex side might have nicked it 60 seconds later but Evans’ shot was deflected and Magee got to it.
The Chi custodian had to palm a cross from the right away and Bello’s attempt at the end was gathered safely by Donkin as both teams settled for a share of the spoils.
The Sussex side don’t have a game next weekend because of FA Trophy matches but welcome Dulwich Hamlet to Oaklands Park on Saturday 1st November (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Bennetts, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Pashley, Bello, Clarke, Rowlatt, Prichard, Munt (Horncastle, Dunn, Rustell, Djemaili, Davidson).
