Without utility player Emmett Dunn who was away in Canada and the sick Jimmy Wild, Dabba and H made just the one change to the starting XI that beat Hashtag United at Oaklands Park last weekend. Curtis Da Costa once again partnered Ben Pashley in the back four alongside skipper Rob Hutchings and Isaac Bello either side of custodian Kieran Magee. Joe Moore lined up as the holder in midfield together with Lloyd Rowlatt, Misha Djemaili and Joe Clarke. Ethan Prichard and Ogobo began up top as usual with Lewis Rustell, Jamie Horncastle, Olly Munt, Theo Bennetts and Mo Jammeh, against his old club, on the bench.
The hosts are flying high after being promoted through the Isthmian South East play-offs in 2024-25 and began brightly enough as both teams probed.
Hill keeper Alfie Mansell had to kick away Rowlatt’s flick on early doors and his counterpart Magee gathered a through ball without any trouble before a Hillians’ corner was thankfully headed over in only the third minute of the half.
Magee then collected a through ball from Glen Rae and a pass towards captain Kieran Rowe was rather long for him.
Next, Isaac Bello struck his cross-field ball too strong for Hutchings as did Rowe looking for Luke Gambin on the left flank.
Chi fans in the festive crowd of 870 or so thought Jack Merres might have got his keeper in a spot of bother with a back pass that he headed dangerously close to the goal-line but Mansell made it before at the other end striker Ben Pope had the first shot which Magee gathered.
Pashley conceded a free-kick on Max Fiddes which Rea delivered and Obodo nodded forwards Hutchings’ pass as Chi pressed that Mansell got to ahead of Prichard.
Gambin was then flagged offside, not the last time a well-marshalled City defence would catch a Burgess Hill opponent like this, 13 minutes in before Obodo wasn’t far off target with a hit after nice stuff from the impressive Rowlatt in the middle.
Sixty seconds later the Chi centre forward had another go which went narrowly wide and Pope almost got in at the other end ahead of Magee denying Rowe in the 16th minute.
And then Chichester went one up when Obodo capitalised on a defensive error and beat Mansell to send the away supporters nuts.
The hosts sought to respond and won a corner off Clarke soon after this and Harry Lawson’s shot bounced off a couple of Chi players and finally clear.
At the mid-point, Rea played a ball into the box looking for Pope but it went out for a goal kick and Prichard’s decent run opened things up with no end product before Magee collected Rowe’s cross,
It all got a bit scrappy for a spell with the hosts getting constantly judged offside.
Djemaili nicely cut out the final ball in a threatening Town move and on 36 the hosts snuffed a Chichester attack involving Rowlatt and Obodo and hooked away.
Hutchings cleared Hamish Morrison’s cross before a poor effort by Bobby Price caused little trouble.
Next, Chi lost Prichard to an injury with seven minutes of normal time of the opening half to go and Munt replaced him before City won their first corner on 42 after Rowlatt’s attempt nicked off a defender which Hutchings sent over and Mansell flapped at for another on the same side.
This got headed away and a Hillians’ attack petered out as Hutchings comfortably shepherded the ball for a goal kick.
The Chi skipper had a cross cleared in time added on and Gambin blasted one over at the death after neat play from the influential Pope before both Munt and Djemaili spurned chances in the next visitors’ attack on the stroke of half time.
Neither side made any changes at the break and three minutes into the second period Pope got booked for a high tackle on Pashley.
Then the hosts were flagged offside for the umpteenth time and Pashley flicked away Gambin’s cross on 52.
Moments later Hutchings had a foot race with an opponent but got the ball back to Magee who cleared for a Hill throw.
Pope nearly lobbed the Chi keeper in the 56th minute but Magee clawed away with a fine one-handed save before Pope’s anxiety-inducing long throw caused a few worries to say the least.
And it was 2-0 on the hour mark thanks to a lovely move involving Rowlatt, Djemaili, Hutchings and Moore that Obodo thumped home with relish – his third goal in two games, as things moved all a bit smash and grab.
Hutchings next went down for some lengthy physio treatment and Lawson was subbed for Brannon O’Neill as Burgess Hill rejigged.
Munt’s neat pass to Djemaili almost came off and Obodo then lost the ball before a nasty clash of heads saw Djemaili break his nose with blood gushing out all over the place to be replaced by Rustell.
The hosts also made another change as Stefan Vikoje came on for Price.
Chi earned a corner with 74 gone that came to nothing and their opponents won a set-piece just outside the penalty area which Gambin took and Fiddes smashed in the knock-down to pull one back.
Hill ramped things up in the last quarter of an hour and first Da Costa and then Clarke had deliveries to head away.
Magee claimed next and a Bello bomb was collected by his counterpart at the other end.
Da Costa hacked away into Fiddes’ privates before Obodo cleared another long throw from Pope.
Chichester had a Gambin corner to face on 85 that got cleared eventually and another Pope missile soon after.
Obodo was then booked for kicking the ball away petulantly and Bennetts replaced him with two minutes of normal time to go.
Referee Patrick Joliffe added seven minutes of additional time however, and it all got a bit Battle of the Alamo.
Burgess Hill thought they had done it again with a late leveller on 94 minutes only for a lino to flag for offside and Bennetts might have made it 3-1 sixty seconds later but won his team a corner that came to nothing before Mr Joliffe finally blew.
So, Chi finish 2025 in 9th place following three wins and a draw in an unbeaten sequence.
Next up is Carshalton Athletic on Saturday 3rd January (Kick Off 3.00pm).
Chichester – Magee, Bello, Hutchings, Moore, Da Costa, Pashley, Djemaili, Clarke, Rowlatt, Obodo, Prichard (Bennetts, Horncastle, Rustell, Jammeh, Munt).
Happy New Year everyone!
