Two goals from Club captain, Paul Thomas, inspired Chichester City United to recover from a goal down to beat high flying Rye & Iden United at Church Road on Saturday.

Thomas has had his problems with injuries this season but was back in his element for this fixture ploughing up and down a heavy pitch alongside team mate Alex Ward, who also seemed to relish the difficult conditions.

The City skipper was the first to threaten the visitors defence with a strong run to the by line and a shot across the face of the goal. But it was the visitors that took the lead on 20 minutes as the ball pinged back and forth across the home penalty area before falling to Duncan MacArthur to apply the final touch.

Russ Hardwell responded for City with a long run from inside his own half but found Rye goalkeeper, Will Toal, equal to the task of tipping the final shot over the crossbar.

Tom Cusden then headed behind for a corner as Neil Murfin swung in a wicked looking cross from the right and Toal saved another piledriving effort from Hardwell as City pressed to get back on terms.

With the Rye forwards pretty well shackled by the defensive formation of John Price, Dave Wright and Ben Hitchman, City continued to press forward for an equaliser but found themselves increasing frustrated by some solid defending from the Rye back line. Mark Jackson flicked on one effort to Murfin but the visitors defence closed ranks before Murfin could get his shot away and a big appeal for a penalty didn’t impress the referee.

Thomas then drove his shot past the angle of the upright and crossbar and Jackson hesitated a moment too long as the ball ran out of the penalty area into his path.

But eventually the combination of pressure and patience was to pay off for City in the 75th minute. Ward surged through the midfield, Scott Tipper nodded the ball on and Thomas darted between two Rye defenders to score from eight yards.

Three minutes later City had taken the lead as the Rye defence backed off substitute Scott Murfin long enough for the young striker to tee up a fierce shot that surprised Toal to the extent that he could only knock that effort down into the sight lines of Thomas to hammer in his second goal.

Rye still had the best part of fifteen minutes to claw their way back into the game but City held firm and Tipper was only inches away from extending the home lead with a left foot shot that grazed the far post in the final moments.

So for the second week running City had claimed victory with late goals and another three points lifted them back up to 12th in the table.

Report written by Trevor Wallis

Chichester Team: Squires; Hardwell, Jackson, Wright, Price, Hitchman, Wozniak, Thomas, Tipper, Murfin N., Ward
Subs: Hickman & Murfin S. (used). Joyce, Hugaki & Lui (not used).

Chichester Scorers: Thomas (2)

Attendance: 48