Chichester City boosted their hopes of the Sussex County League title with an important win at third placed Rye & Iden on Saturday.

Rye have recently emerged as title contenders in their own right and anything less than victory would have all but ended City's ambitions. Instead they produced a battling display and the two moments of skill that decided a fiercely contested encounter.

City manager, Adie Girdler, was still without Paul Thomas and Leigh Cole but moved Matt Osborne into defence alongside Steve Leigh and Ben Hitchman to end Paul Jones' ever present status. Tony Stephens returned after injury and Matt Smith was also back in the side after missing the midweek game with Arundel.

After one or two early flourishes from the home side, City settled into their rhythm and forced three early corners that saw Neil Murfin and Leigh hit their shots wide from the edge of the penalty area before taking an 16th minute lead.

The goal was created by Murfin controlling the ball long enough to release Russ Hardwell down the left and Lewis Fennymore was waiting at the far post to volley the cross into the net from close range.

Rye now responded with a vengeance as City conceded a spate of free kicks in the zone 25 to 30 yards from goal but O'Callaghan, Price and McArthur either found a wall of white shirts blocking their efforts or that their shooting was wayward.

In fact the home side looked rather short of ideas as their front runners were tightly marked and their set pieces brought no reward.

Four minutes after the break City extended their lead and once again it was a rare piece of creative play in an otherwise blood and thunder clash. Fennymore was the provider this time dashing to the right byeline before pulling the ball back onto the head of Roger Moore to score from five yards.

It was Moore's 18th goal of the season and nudged him ahead of fellow striker Jamie Laidlaw.

Once again Rye responded with an aerial bombardment and a series of set pieces but their play was all rather predictable with little use made of the open spaces and Loft, Price and McArthur were all booked for excessive zeal in the midfield scrap. In fact McArthur was dangerously close to being dismissed for the second week running for another crunching tackle late in the game but escaped with a lecture from the referee. For City, Stephens and Smith made sure that O'Callaghan and Price never got a chance to dictate play in the hurly burly of an overcrowded midfield.

And finally when they needed him most, Lee Preston made an important save to deny Ray with his outstretched left leg when it seemed the big defender must score from close range.

It wasn't pretty but it was one of those days when the result was more important than the quality and the City players were well satisfied with their afternoons' work.

Elsewhere, East Preston kept their Title challenge on course with a 4-3 victory over Redhill after trailing 3-1. East Preston remain four points clear with a game in hand.

Report written by Trevor Wallis

Chichester Team: Preston, Hardwell, Jacskon, Fennymore, Jackson (Laidlaw), Hitchman, Osborne, Leigh, Stephens, Fennemore (Jones), Moore, Murfin N., Smith
Subs: Jones and Laidlaw (both used), Murfin S. (not used)

Chichester Scorers: Fennemore, Moore

Attendance: 120