Chichester City United ended their League season on a low note with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Eastbourne United on Saturday.

City’s recent form has been good with six straight wins but it took a long time for the home team to get into their stride. Maybe too many players were thinking about Wednesday evening’s Cup Final with Ringmer. By the time City focused on the job in hand they were already trailing by two goals and facing an uphill struggle.

Eastbourne took the lead after just fifteen minutes when a through ball bisected the home defence and Nathan Crabb ran onto the pass to drive a low shot under Peter Houkes.

Eight minutes later Crabb supplied the corner for Mark Reeves to rise unmarked to head the visitors further ahead.

City’s leading goalscorer, Scott Tipper, joined the injury list shortly afterwards with a painful knock on the ankle to be replaced by Scott Murfin.

Reeves went close to extending the visitors lead before City finally woke up and started to put some pressure on the Eastbourne defence. Darren Hickman put a decent chance wide, Scott Murfin hit a dipping shot just over the crossbar and Matt Smith just failed to get enough contact with a Neil Murfin corner, but City were still well below their best.

A much improved second half performance saw Eastbourne ‘keeper, Sam Reed and his defence under almost incessant pressure as Hickman saw a shot cleared off the line and Reed saved at full stretch from Matt Smith. Smith then rattled the crossbar and Shaun Dennis again cleared the follow up off the line.

But the visitors goal seemed to have a charmed life and with Reed making a string of decent saves there was only five minutes remaining when City eventually reduced the arrears. This time it was a long throw from Ben Hitchman that discomforted the Eastbourne defence and Alex Ward got just enough head on it to divert it past Reed.

It set up a hectic final five minutes around the Eastbourne goal but when Reed blocked a close range shot from Neil Murfin in the last seconds with Ward closing in you knew it wasn’t going to be City’s day.

Report written by Trevor Wallis

Chichester Team: Houkes, Smith J., Guarnaccio, Smith M., Hitchman, Angell, Ward, Murfin N., Tipper, Cutler & Hickman.
Subs: Murfin S., Itagaki (both used).
Scorers: Ward
Attendance: 40