Miles Rutherford, Dabba, Danny Potter & Co went with the same starting XI that beat Cheshunt 4-0 on Good Friday. Kieran Magee again lined up in goal behind skipper Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson at left and right back together with Curtis Da Costa and Ben Pashley in the centre of defence. Emmett Dunn partnered Mo Jammeh, Joe Clarke, Isaac Bello and Lloyd Rowlatt in midfield and Rustell, who has now scored three in the last six matches, started up top in place of the injured Jimmy Wild.
It finished 1-1 in the reverse fixture in manager Shaun Saunders’ first game back at the Hawks’ helm when Rowlatt’s second half equaliser cancelled out Emmanuel Mensah’s opener.
Here, Chi knew that a win would keep up pressure on fifth-placed Dover in their play-off push, but haven’t had a lot of joy at this particular stadium in recent years.
Chichester began patiently though with Pashley, Dunn and Da Costa spraying the ball around in the first build-up before Jammeh tried to play Rustell in but it was gathered by keeper Joseph Osaghae.
Rustell then cleared a Stefan Wright long throw and Chi rebuilt through Da Costa and Hutchings.
Jammeh tried his luck on five minutes although his speculative effort was off target before Rustell had a free header moments later but couldn’t get any direction on it.
Hawks’ captain Charlie Walker got a talking to by referee Will Briers for a challenge on Bello and next Harry Bridle was adjudged offside as Jordan Maguire-Drew did Da Costa.
Nice stuff between Jammeh and Rowlatt earned the visitors a throw-in and then Hutchings hit a forward pass towards Rustell and Osaghae intercepted.
Youngster Sonny Causton made a mistake and Bello profited to have a shot blocked before Pashley tried to pick Rustell only for Osaghae to intervene.
There was nothing the Whitehawk keeper could do though on 20 when Davidson whipped a ball over and Rowlatt advanced it to Rustell who found the back of the net with a cracking hit.
How the Chi Ultras packed behind the goal enjoyed that one!
A foul on Rowlatt was then not given but one by Hutchings was, who clearly impeded Mensah, winner of pretty much every Hawks’ award before kick off.
Pashley’s long searching ball was no trouble for Osaghae at the mid-point and Bello volleyed wide of the mark.
The Chichester No7 got fouled by Causton who was yellow carded and Hutchings took the resulting free-kick which was too deep and went out for a goal kick.
Next, Walker tried to find Maguire-Drew but his pass was rather long before the Hawks skipper picked up a first booking that would come back to haunt him for a foul on Rowlatt.
Neat play from Jammeh first and then Rowlatt almost teed Rustell up again but the ball was smuggled out and Hutchings made a brilliant recovery tackle to deny Charlie Lambert.
Joe Clarke might have doubled Chi’s advantage with a shot on the turn but it went wide.
Then Mensah and Lambert exchanged passes and Bello chased to win a throw which he launched long and Clarke, who won everything in the air all game, spurned a headed chance.
In the 41st minute Bello and Rowlatt hooked up for a shot which Osaghae smothered and 120 seconds later Davidson and Rowlatt one-twoed for a delivery that Osaghae parried.
On the stroke of half time Davidson set Rustell up for another go which the keeper repelled this time.
Archie Johnson came on at the break for Causton at left back with the visitors staying as is.
Barlow impeded Da Costa and Walker won a throw off Rowlatt.
Bello broke things up before the Hawks, now playing down the hill attacking the Din end, had a shot after Lambert and Wright combined.
It all got a bit scrappy to be fair in the opening 10 minutes before Hugo Odogwu-Atkinson struck one over the bar on 57 and then a Magee error almost gifted Lambert an equaliser. The resulting corner was also nearly capitalised on by the home team as Chichester rode their luck.
And on the hour mark Bridle hit an effort wide as well.
Rustell went down for some physio treatment and had to be replaced by Charlie Bennett before Davidson conceded a set-piece on the edge of the box in the 65th minute and Maguire-Drew’s shot hit the woodwork only for the Chi back line to clear the loose ball.
The corner was taken by Maguire-Drew and he had another delivery which was headed wide.
Next, Clarke intercepted and tried to play Bellow in only for Osaghae to get there first before Bennett set Clarke up for a drive which sailed over the bar.
Rowlatt got dispossessed by Wright down the wing although Magee, one-handed, dealt with his subsequent cross and then gathered.
Whitehawk were reduced to ten when Walker took Bello out for what might easily have been a straight red 9 minutes from the end.
Clarke shot over again and Pashley got impeded by Wright for a booking.
Clarke, Jammeh and Hutchings then linked up and Bello almost got in before Hawks’ pressure led to a Maguire-Drew cross that was somehow smuggled away and a corner hit deep to sub Nathan Anyanwu.
The officials signalled three minutes of time added on and Chi hung on without further incident to claim their fifth clean sheet in six games.
Dover drew 1-1 with relegated Hastings so are on the same points as Chichester in the last play-off spot but with a better goal difference, which adds another edge when the teams meet in the last game at Oaklands Park on Saturday 26th April (Kick Off 3pm).
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Clarke, Da Costa, Pashley, Bello, Dunn, Rustell, Rowlatt, Jammeh. (Moore, Munt, Bennett, Prichard)
