Chichester City United need just one point from their final home game with Sidley United on Saturday to clinch the Sussex County League Division One Championship title after a 5-0 victory at Shoreham last weekend.

City can now only be caught if they lose to Sidley and Rye & Iden secure a big win at Pagham. East Preston's title challenge finally faltered with a 1-0 home defeat by Three Bridges and now the honours will be decided between the teams at the geographical ends of the County.

If City can clinch the title it will be a first success for the merged Portfield and Chichester City club that joined forces in 2000. City won the Championship as a separate club in 1980 but the merger has created a springboard for success after both Clubs experienced hard times in the 1990's.

City's final away game of the season saw them make the short trip along the coast to struggling Shoreham who have been bottom of the table all season with just two wins from 35 games and it seldom looked as if there would be any upset to the form book.

City were soon on top and perhaps the biggest surprise was that the Shoreham goal could stay intact for nearly twenty minutes before Scott Tipper headed home a Mark Jackson cross after Tony Stephens had carried the ball down the left flank.

Jackson made it 2-0 on the half hour converting a chance at close range when Neil Murfin's persistence on the right had taken him to the by-line and City might have added further goals before the interval as Fennemore rattled the upright and Tipper glanced another effort just wide.

Shoreham had a decent shout for a penalty kick turned down just before the interval and sadly for the game as a contest it was virtually their only threat on goal all afternoon.

The expected goal feast in the second period failed to materialise until the arrival of Roger Moore as a substitute with twenty minutes remaining sparked a little flurry of goalmouth activity. The woodwork had already withstood another thump from Fennemore but now City found space in the tiring home defence to exploit their hosts deficiencies.

With fifteen minutes to go a thunderous shot from Matt Smith was deflected off the back of team mate Ben Hitchman just sufficiently to find the inside of the post and City had a healthy three goal advantage that was soon further extended by a double strike from Moore.

Moore himself won the corner that Paul Jones headed back neatly for City's leading scorer to head home and then Moore created space at the edge of the penalty area to rifle his shot past the goalkeepers dive.

Those late strikes also gave City a five goal advantage over Rye on goal difference but the Church Road side should still look to end their season in style if success is to be theirs. Home supporters will only be too aware that City have generally reserved their best performances for their away trips with 12 wins on their travels and only 10 at Church Road.

Report written by Trevor Wallis for the Chichester Observer

Chichester Team: Preston, Murfin N., Jackson, Hitchman (Osborne), Jones, Leigh, Stephens (Thomas), Smith, Fennemore, Tipper (Moore), Cole
Subs: Moore, Thomas and Osborne (all used)

Chichester Scorers: Tipper, Fennemore, Smith, Moore (2)

Attendance: 57