CUTLER THE HERO AS TEN MAN CHICHESTER BEAT THREE BRIDGES

CALLUM CUTLER was making the headlines for all the right reasons as ten man Chichester beat Three Bridges 3-1 in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round on Saturday.

Ben Vassallo failed a late fitness test so Adie Girdler handed Cutler his first start of the season and he didn’t disappoint with an industrious performance, two well taken goals and the man of the match award.

The first real scoring opportunity came on the half hour mark when James Temple shot straight at the keeper following some good wing play by Cutler and Ford, and the same two midfielders combined several minutes later to feed Joe Briggs who shot into the side netting.

The break through finally came after 37 minutes when defender Shawn Benjamin went on a 40 yard run deep into the Three Bridges defence and his cross found Cutler who drilled the ball past Mark Fox from 15 yards.

Chichester had a strong penalty claim turned down just before the interval when Searle was blatantly obstructed by the Three Bridges keeper, only for the referee to award a free-kick to the home side and harshly book Searle for diving.

Chi doubled their lead on 49 minutes after Fox failed to hold onto a Cutler shot and James Searle was on hand to bravely beat Tyler and Fox to the loose ball whilst leaving both defenders in a crumpled heap.

Three Bridges pulled one back through Carl Dunk on 64 minutes and their cause was helped further a minute later when Joe Briggs, who had been booked for an earlier scything challenge, received his marching orders for kicking the ball away in frustration.

The Chichester defence rode their luck as first Benjamin cleared an O’hara shot off the line, then substitute Romain just headed over when Carden seemed better placed to score and finally Buckingham’s shot just shaved the bar.

In the dying minutes, Ford put through Cutler on the half-way line and he completed a sterling individual performance with a mercurial 45 yard lob over the stranded Three Bridges keeper.

Chichester’s reward is a home tie against AFC Totton in the FA Cup Preliminary Round on August 29^th.

Report written by Martin Smith