There were changes to the line-up that lost to Worthing in the Dave Kew Memorial Cup last time out. Emmett Dunn switched to right back in place of Ryan Davidson, Ryan Peake came in for club captain Connor Cody to partner Ben Pashley in the centre of the defence and Matt Axell and Penny slotted into midfield.
After a sluggish opening Dunn had the first real chance of the game in the 9th minute following a break down the right wing but shot straight at the keeper.
The visitors took the lead sixty seconds later when Jones capitalised on a mistake and rolled the ball into an empty net.
Dunn, Rowlatt and Clack were then involved in a slick move as the Badgers keeper did well to get something on Clack’s effort after a sharp turn.
Next a deflected Jones shot looked like it might loop in and at the other end the hosts should have pulled one back after their No.10 rounded Steve Mowthorpe.
Clack doubled Chi’s lead on 19 minutes and it was 3-0 moments later after neat exchanges between Rob Hutchings, Rowlatt and Clack set Penny up for a super finish.
Rowlatt then lifted a ball towards Jones but the keeper got out quickly to clear and the hosts spurned a second opportunity steering a free header wide of the post.
Jones thumped a Clack cross in just before the half hour mark but the referee’s assistant flagged for offside and Clack rattled an upright after Kaleem Haitham went close.
A nice piece of skill from Penny led to a shot that was gathered at the second attempt and just before the break Rowlatt forced the keeper into a smart stop.
Jamie Horncastle came on for Hutchings at the break.
The first 15 minutes or so of the second half were fairly uneventful.
Clack crashed a free kick into the wall and Chi forced a couple of corners that came to nothing.
Sam Ndlovu and Ethan Prichard replaced Clack and Haitham just before a crisp drive from Rowlatt fizzed into the bottom left hand corner to make it 4-0.
Next Ndlovu jinked into the box but his cut back to Prichard was smuggled away.
Neither Horncastle or Jones could get to Dunn’s cross in the subsequent attack and then Dunn wasn’t far off with a header from a Prichard delivery.
Further chances came and went.
Ndlovu headed into the keeper’s arms; Jones chose to pass when perhaps he should have had a shot; and Prichard, impressive in pre-season so far, forced the keeper into a decent save in time added on.
Andover based Penny, who was at Solent last season, said, “It’s a new challenge for me. It’s a league higher than I was playing so obviously the tempo’s going to be slightly different but I think the style of play will suit me well. There’s some great boys here. They obviously did brilliantly last season. I hope I can fit in”.
Next up for Chichester is an away trip to Lancing on Tuesday 18th August, again behind closed doors.
Chichester – Mowthorpe, Dunn, Hutchings, Axell, Peake, Pashley, Clack, Rowlatt, Jones, Penny, Haitham. Subs – (Ndlovu, Vucaj, Prichard, Horncastle)
