Chamal Fenelon was in electric form against his old club, claiming a hat-trick, and strike-partner Mike O’Neill bagged the other two in a memorable send-off to the dilapidated Portfield ground.

City looked the more hungry side from the start, and a goalkeeping error on 28 minutes gave them the lead.  Mark Fox mis-kicked a backpass straight to the feet of Russell Hardwell, who pushed the ball to Fenelon for an easy finish.

Markel Greenidge thought he’d equalised for Bridges six minutes later, but his header into the net was ruled offside.  Within seconds, Fenelon tore away by himself to the other end of the park and although Fox managed to get a hand to his aerial shot, O’Neill was perfectly positioned to pounce on the loose ball and make it 2-0.

A spell of Bridges’ pressure culminated in Greenidge reducing the deficit with 39 minutes played, and City suffered another setback just before the interval when Martyn Hope limped off – meaning lone substitute Danny Walker had to come on.

But after the break, City took the game by the scruff of the neck with Fenelon showing flashes of brilliance that explain why his name has caused such a buzz over the last twelve months.  First, on 55 minutes he brutally smashed in an unstoppable free-kick from more than 35 yards out, and 9 minutes later demonstrated the silky side to his skills by bringing the ball down, turning perfectly and firing home - this time from a mere 25 yards.

At this point though, a Three Bridges revival began.  Confusion in the 78^th minute with some of the players thinking the ball was dead resulted in Williams Pearoux stabbing a goal from short-range, bringing the score to 4-2.

Then, with quarter-of-an-hour remaining, Darren Hickman scythed down Aaron Hay and Pearoux converted from the spot to put his side right back in the hunt.

The avalanche of goals continued, however.  O’Neill escaped down the left-wing for Chichester and floated the ball over the keeper to restore the two-goal cushion.  O’Neill then almost struck again, hitting the post from a rebound after Fenelon’s effort also came off the woodwork.

Right at the close, Bridges’ won a corner and their towering teenage centre-half Sam MacVicar strode up to head another goal and round off an action-packed afternoon.

Having clung onto their First Division status, Adie Girdler’s side can at last relax in their final game at Ringmer this weekend before looking to rebuild for next season.

Before the game, Darren Hickman was presented with the award of Chichester’s player of the season.

Report written by Chester Browton