Miles Rutherford & Co shuffled the pack making four changes to the starting XI that held Dulwich Hamlet to an entertaining goalless draw in the league midweek. Kieran Magee lined up between the sticks with Ryan Davidson, skipper Rob Hutchings, Curtis Da Costa and Ben Pashley in defence. Joe Moore returned to midfield alongside Finlay Chadwick, Lloyd Rowlatt, Billie Clark and Ethan Prichard with Jimmy Wild up top.
A pass from Pashley to Rowlatt in the first minute sent him away to find Wild before a Chadwick foul gave the visitors from Kent a free kick.
Davidson conceded a throw and then Rowlatt impeded Frankie Smith and keeper Magee made a spectacular save at point blank range.
Hutchings then played back to Magee who took a touch and cleared, and Wild headed away another Bay set piece after Davidson caught Artem Kuchkov.
Rowlatt tried to play Clark in on 8 but the away side’s goalie Harry Brooks intercepted.
Mo Kamara pulled one wide before a lovely Rowlatt twist and turn saw him do Kamara and win a free kick.
Wild forced an opportunity moments later and man of the match Moore linked up with Clark for a cross towards Rowlatt who was tackled – no penalty according to the ref.
Prichard then hit a shot over the bar from not far out and captain Hutchings shepherded Kamara’s long pass out for a Chi goal kick.
Good battling from Moore led to a ball to Chadwick and Hutchings found Wild who was offside.
Davidson bailed Da Costa out and gave away a throw before Herne Bay were flagged offside at the midpoint.
Next, a poor Magee clearance fell to Kamara who fired just over and his counterpart denied the hosts with a stop at the other end.
Another Bay attack petered out and a Smith delivery was easy enough for Magee to claim.
The ball ran away from Wild as he looked to get in on 25 and Magee gathered comfortably at the Tennis Club end when Kamara crossed.
Wild did Skye Salmon and shot just over the woodwork and Rowlatt came out on top in three consecutive challenges but neither Hutchings nor Wild could capitalise.
A Magee mistake resulted in a corner, although he didn’t appear to actually get the last touch, but teammates blocked when the kick was cleverly played short.
Prichard shot just off the mark on 33 and Da Costa cleared as the visitors pressed.
No3 Jack Parter was adjudged offside when he tucked the ball into the back of the net after Chadwick lost possession.
Then Moore and Hutchings combined for a cross that Rowlatt wasn’t going to win.
Herne Bay won a corner five minutes before the break and Pashley intervened to get the ball back to Magee.
The Chi centre back then made a super block as Kuchkov and Michael Salako linked up.
A corner on the stroke of half time gave the home team something to think about.
A free header was blocked by Davidson for another corner kick on the other side which Magee gathered this time.
A neat one-two between Clark and Moore led to a Chi corner.
Hutchings took this and Chadwick had a shot on the turn to no avail.
Neither side made any changes at the interval.
Clark gave away a free kick as the visitors pressed again and Kamara cut inside but Magee got there first and Rowlatt was fouled.
Prichard blasted one over and the away side cleared after a decent Chi move.
Both teams exchanged free kicks seven minutes in and Kuchkov had a speculative attempt.
A super Hutchings’ delivery led to a Clark cross that was smuggled away before the left back and Chadwick hooked up for a cross which was also cut out.
Wild won a throw and then a corner which ended in a Bay set piece for a foul before a delivery from the right towards Smith at the back post led to a shot which was steered on to an upright and out for a Bay corner.
Parter delivered this but Magee claimed without any trouble.
Rowlatt dallied when he might have just shot and Wild spurned a chance to shoot low and hard.
Wild then picked Prichard whose go was saved by Brooks for a corner that Hutchings took.
Next, Prichard forced a corner on 66 which came to nothing and Jammeh and Bello were introduced for Chadwick and Clark.
Kuchkov’s free kick was cleared easily enough and Bello found Prichard for an effort which didn’t really trouble Brooks.
Herne Bay skipper Liam Friend headed wide; Rowlatt hit the bar; and Joe Clarke and Emmett Dunn replaced Davidson and Wild.
Clarke fired over with 15 of normal time to go and Jammeh won a free kick which the visitors headed away for a Bello throw.
Jammeh got on the end of this but Brooks saved.
Prichard was hauled down on 80 – no foul though according to the ref.
And then Joel Odeniran was booked for a foul on Moore and Hutchings’ set piece went just wide.
The away side made a couple of changes losing Friend to what looked like a hamstring injury.
Two Bello long throws caused a bit of trouble with Pashley getting something on the second one.
Herne Bay forged an opportunity and won a free kick after Pashley caught an opponent and was cautioned.
The resulting overhead kick went well off target and Chi probed through Dunn and Rowlatt for a cross which got cleared.
And Bello broke the deadlock as we edged into time added on after neat work from Rowlatt.
The Chi midfielder was then instrumental in the 94th minute when a clever touch and turn from Jammeh led to the second goal.
Chichester face Horsham at Oaklands Park in the County Cup next on Tuesday 8th October (Kick Off 7:45pm).
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Pashley, Clark, Chadwick, Wild, Rowlatt, Prichard. (Munt, Dunn, Clarke, Bello, Jammeh)
