Miles Rutherford, Danny Potter, Darin Kilpatrick & Co started Kieran Magee in goal, skipper Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson at left and right back alongside Ben Pashley and Jack Farrier in the heart of defence. Joe Clarke as the holding player lined up behind Isaac Bello, Emmett Dunn, Lloyd Rowlatt and Ethan Prichard in midfield with former Arsenal man Billy Vigar at striker.
Pashley was well-up straight away and his back four teammate Hutchings did some neat stuff before winning a throw off the impressive Hawks trialist No12.
Farrier, who put in another decent performance, cleared and then Prichard spotted the visitors’ keeper off his line and tried to lob him with a wild attempt.
Six minutes in Farrier got fouled by an opposition player and 60 seconds later Clarke moved the ball out into touch for a Havant throw.
Olly Pendlebury drove down the right wing and picked out Ryan Seager only for the centre forward to blaze over the bar.
And then a nice turn from Vigar, who scored the second up at the 2024-25 Isthmian premier division champions on Tuesday, led to a smart cut-back but no one was there to capitalise on it.
Brendan Willson outdid Bello with a superb header 13 minutes in before Rowlatt won a throw and former Portsmouth player Nigel Atangana hit a lovely cross-field pass that the Hampshire side might have done more with down the left flank.
Both teams probed in a 10-minute spell without really testing either custodian and Reuben Austin whipped over a cross that Chi dealt with easily enough.
Next, Pashley intercepted as the Hawks pressed and Magee claimed ahead of Harvey Bradbury.
The Havant No12 linked up with fellow midfielder Mitchell Aston at the midpoint of the half only for the ball to ricochet off Bradbury for a goal kick just before the drinks break.
Prichard then almost dispossessed George Milner-Smith in the 27th minute and the hosts took the lead when a nice pass set Bello up for a good finish under the legs of the trialist goalie.
An unfortunate touch by Vigar on the half hour mark meant he lost control and Clarke got impeded by Bradbury a minute or so later.
And then Vigar should have doubled the hosts’ lead as he rounded the keeper but fired over.
Rowlatt did pretty much the same in the following Chi attack also hitting one over the woodwork.
Milner-Smith was called into action again as Hutchings attempted to pick his top two and the No12 bought a foul off Dunn with nine minutes to go to the interval.
Next, Pendlebury fizzed a set-piece too high and Clarke steered Austin’s delivery out for another Havant corner.
On 38 minutes Hutchings caught the dangerous No12 in the box and the ref had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Seager calmly tucked his penalty beyond Magee for the leveller.
A cushioned header by Bradbury to Pendlebury instigated a move that finally fizzled out and Austin, seemingly offside, got away with one although Davidson steered the ball out for a throw just before the break.
Jamie Horncastle, Lewis Rustell and Joe Moore came on for the second half.
Then Prichard and Bello tried to get things going once more but the ball was lost and Prichard got a talking to for some petulance after he thumped the ball into the hoardings.
Moore was outmuscled by Atangana, now wearing the skipper’s armband, who subsequently drew a foul from Rowlatt five minutes into the second period.
A super cross by Hutchings earned Chi their first corner, and another one led to a Davidson header off target.
At the Archery End Magee denied Alfy Whittingham before a Chi trialist replaced Clarke in midfield ten minutes after half-time.
The hosts looked good in the following spell as a forward pass was nearly gathered by Rustell up top and a neat one-two between Pashley and the trialist resulted in a final ball that was too straight.
Whittingham got flagged offside; Prichard played a poor pass to Hutchings; and the Hawks wasted a free-kick after a handball on the hour.
Bertie McDonald, Mo Jammeh and the trialist who featured in the other two friendlies against Moneys and Horsham were introduced with 29 to go before Flo Vicaj and Dunn came on for Pashley and Hutchings in the centre of defence and at left back.
Magee was forced to make a save on 65 and then the Chichester trialist and Moore tidied things up.
Nice skill from McDonald, Dunn and Jammeh resulted in a shot which was blocked and Jammeh pulled a fantastic save out of the Havant keeper for a corner which Horncastle couldn’t get any real direction on with his header.
Another trialist replaced the injured Jammeh, and Rustell and Clarke returned ahead of a second drinks break.
Two Chi trialists won a corner on 79 that was eventually hooked away and a clever turn and pass from Rustell almost teed up Clarke.
The Sussex side got another corner and Horncastle was impeded with six minutes remaining of normal time.
Magee gathered a set-piece that Pendlebury curled round the wall on 87 and a Hawks’ cross from the right-hand side fortunately hit the bar and post with practically the last kick of the match.
Chi welcome Christchurch to Oaklands Park next on Friday 18th July (Kick Off 7:45pm).
Chichester – Magee, Davidson, Hutchings, Clarke, Farrier, Pashley, Rowlatt, Dunn, Vigar, Bello, Prichard.
