LATE MULLEN GOAL EARNS POINT FOR CHI AT PEACEHAVEN

A last minute goal from Lee Mullen rescued a point for Chichester City in their top of the table clash at Peacehaven & Telscombe on Saturday.

Peacehaven had already beaten City in the FA Vase at Piddinghoe Avenue earlier in the season but City made an ideal start this time by taking a sixth minute lead. After absorbing early pressure City broke from defence and Michael Long took the ball down the right to cross to an unmarked Callum Cutler with time to work the ball onto his preferred right foot and strike his shot past Jake Buss in the home goal.

City held their lead until the interval thanks to a goal line clearance by Jamie Ford and a flying save by Anthony Ender to turn a fierce shot from Tom Burton onto the crossbar and eventually away to safety.

But two minutes into the second half Peacehaven drew level from the penalty spot as Andy Wilkinson was fouled and Callum Saunders sent Ender the wrong way from the 12 yard mark.

Now it was end to end stuff on a pitch hard and icy in places and soft and yielding in others with both sides seeming to abandon their passing game in favour of a more direct style.

With 12 minutes remaining this approach brought reward for Peacehaven as Craig Bunch got clear and set up Saunders to make it 2-1 from close range.

Now it was City that had to take the initiative and with the final seconds ticking away they got their reward. Substitute Adrian Brockway curled a free kick around the defensive wall and Buss could only parry the ball out to Mullen to drive in a last gasp leveller.

There was barely time to restart before the final whistle and a check to find that Championship rivals Whitehawk had maintained their form with a 5-0 hammering of Hassocks.

Report written by Trevor Wallis

Chichester Team: Ender, Minton, Ford, Broadbent, Benjamin, Mullen, Briggs, Cutler, Temple, Vassallo, Long.
Subs Used: Broackway & Maddison
Not Used: Lempriere & Bonniface
Scorers: Cutler, Mullen

Booked: Benjamin
Sent Off: -
Man of Match: -
Attendance: 67