Chichester City beaten by Corinthian - Bognor Regis Town held - Selsey sink Worthing

Chichester City 0 Corinthian 3

Isthmian south east

Corinthian snapped Chichester’s three-game unbeaten run as April began in the cruellest fashion.

The visitors went ahead on 41 minutes, added a second through a Callum Overton 67th minute own goal and wrapped things up with five to go after Chi had been reduced to ten men following Lloyd Rowlatt’s dismissal.

Ryan Davidson returned to an otherwise unchanged starting XI.

A long ball almost found Josh Clack two minutes in but a defender got it back to keeper Aiden Prall.

City fightback no surprise to Killpartrick.

At the other end Chi skipper Ben Pashley cleared Kweku Ansah’s cross and Ben Mendoza’s through ball towards Clack was too firm.

A bit of skill from Kaleem Haitham got him away down the left but Prall gathered.

Kieran Magee dealt with a Frankie Morgan delivery and Oscar Housego failed to catch Magee out with the follow-up.

Ethan Prichard jinked past a couple of players but delayed getting off a shot.

Your chance to get shirty with the Rocks.

Lekan Majoyegbe fired one inches wide on seven minutes.

Emmett Dunn glanced an effort on to the bar.

Housego and the impressive Morgan instigated a move on the left wing that won Corinthian their first corner which Jack Mahoney met unmarked at the far post with a header to break the deadlock.

Overton had a shot blocked as Chi sought to respond.

Chi’s performance in the second 45 was in stark contrast to previous week as they huffed and puffed and rarely troubled Prall.

A break down the left involving Prichard and Rob Hutchings fizzled out and the visitors’ captain Jack Bath headed away Clack’s cross.

Housego’s free-kick picked out Ryan Sawyer but Magee got something behind his header.

Joshua Stirman replaced Ansah in the 65th minute sixty seconds before Overton, Chi’s top scorer with 14 goals in all competitions, inadvertently turned a corner past his own keeper to give Corinthian a 2-0 lead. The hosts were then reduced to ten following a heated fracas as Rowlatt was brandished a rare red card.

The Corinthian player who crashed into Chi’s midfielder escaped punishment, but James Billings was given a yellow for his part in the flare-up.

The hosts won a free-kick with five minutes of normal time left. Hutchings delivered to Davidson but the ball was cleared and then Davey and Oloyede carved up the middle of the park for Corinthian’s third and final goal.

Whether Magee could have been more assured, or Oloyede might have taken the ball out of the keeper’s hands, whatever, the 85th minute goal stood.

Chi head to Kent on Saturday to play Herne Bay.

IAN WORDEN

Hornchurch 3 Rocks 3

Isthmian premier

Calvin Davies embodied the fighting spirit that helped the Rocks come back three times to earn a point from a 3-3 draw.

Davies, Rocks man-of-the-match, grabbed a brace and Charlie Bell hit home a third as Bognor notched up the second win in two games since Robbie Blake was appointed manager permanently following Jack Pearce stepping aside.

Davies’ second strike was a mesmerising effort from the halfway line straight from the re-start after the hosts had scored -- and his overall display demonstrated a work ethic that seemed to galvanise Robbie Blake’s never-say-die team at Bridge Avenue.

Yes, it helped that Hornchurch gaffer Mark Stimson was forced to play midfielder Joe Christou in goal with two keepers unavailable through suspension and illness but that shouldn’t detract from what was a gritty performance full of spirit.

Blake, along with assistant Jamie Howell, handed striker Shola Ayoola a start -- Nathan Odokonyero took his place on the bench with a slight knock -- and had to shuffle his pack in the absence of influential defender Jake Flannigan. But those who wore the green and white on the day did the club proud.

The Urchins, in fourth place, on a superb run and battling for a play-off place, presented as a strong, physical side who seemed to cope much better on a pitch that was, frankly, a disgrace. It was bobbly beyond belief and totally unsuited to the visitors’ usual passing game. Word had filtered down to the press box that Stimson had called a halt to a training session on the surface on Thursday night after just six minutes, so concerned was he at the state of the pitch.