CHICHESTER CITY DEMOLISH ST FRANCIS RANGERS

CHICHESTER continued their storming start to the season with a 5-2 demolition of St Francis Rangers.

Two penalties in three minutes right on half time unexpectedly put Rangers back on terms but in the end they were well beaten by City who took the game to them from the start.

Tom Broadbent (ex-Littlehampton and Bognor) made his debut in a starting line-up that had five changes from the previous week.

Although Chi looked eager, they had to wait 32 minutes for the opening goal and by then Rangers had created a few good chances of their own.

First chance for the hosts came when Tom Djamaluddin helped on keeper Simon Lehkyj's clearance to send James Westlake away down the right and his cross just evaded the onrushing attackers.

Jake Forward then broke down the other flank and cut inside the full back before having his angled drive parried by Matt Short.

City went ahead when James Temple robbed Matt Carruthers as he tried to deal with an awkwardly bouncing ball and then eight minutes later Callum Cutler fired in number two from the edge of the box.

Just before that Chris Maynard had gone agonisingly close and as half time approached Rangers were thrown a surprise lifeline.

First Sam Palmer was upended and Geoff Pitcher converted the resulting penalty, and then the ex-Albion player capitalised from the spot again when Forward was brought down.

At the start of the second half Rangers had Chi on the ropes but failed to beat keeper Short, who pulled off an excellent save to deny Palmer.

And after weathering the brief storm, the visitors came back strongly. They went back in front on 69 minutes when Joe Briggs volleyed home when a corner fell to him on the edge of the box and then three minutes later Adrian Brockway made it 4-2.

Brockway struck again from close range in the closing minutes but there was still time for Pitcher to go close to a hat-trick when his shot beat Short but thumped against a post.

Report taken from the Mid-Sussex Times