Chichester City United registered their 13th League draw of the season on an uneven pitch at Worthing United on Saturday.

The home side played all but twenty minutes of the game with ten men after the early dismissal of player-manager, Ian Browne, but City were unable to exploit their advantage.

It was clear from the outset that controlled football was going to be difficult on a dry and erratic surface and the game suffered as a result, but there was little excuse for the horrible late tackle on Matt Osborne that led to Browne’s sending off. The Worthing boss was subsequently also sent away from the home dugout and watched the second half of the game from a vantage point outside the boundary fence.

Inevitably Worthing adopted a defensive line up but fell behind just eight minutes after the departure of their manager as City put together the best move of the game.

Scott Tipper started the move inside his own penalty area and spread the ball wide to Neil Murfin before arriving in the scoring zone at the other end to blast in his 25th goal of the season.

One up and playing ten men it should have been easy street for City but instead the home side drew level just seven minutes later. A cross from the right skipped across the heads of the City defence and Lee Bone was unmarked at the far post to head in the equaliser.

Dean Fuller in the home goal then saved well from Alex Ward’s header and breathed a huge sigh of relief when Mark Wozniak was too timid with his shot when presented with a glorious close range chance.

Sonny Banks also missed a good chance at the other end but the home side were guilty of a score of illegal challenges and contested decisions that saw four more names added to the referees’ notebook.

The second half was just as scrappy with City creating most of the chances without ever really being in full flight. Fuller saved at the feet of Tipper and charged down an effort from Murfin but Tipper also put a couple of efforts wide and substitute Darren Hickman saw his shot pass across the face of the goal.

And when the final whistle eventually arrived it was a relief for players and spectators alike with the pitch the only winner and both sides nudging slightly further away from the relegation places where the three bottom sides all lost.

Report written by Trevor Wallis

Chichester Team: Squires, Hitchman, Jackson, Wright, Price, Osborne, Ward, Thomas, Tipper, Murfin N., Wozniak.
Subs: Itagaki & Hickman (both used)

Chichester Scorers: Tipper

Attendance: 43