Chichester have their Banbury cake and eat it

Chichester completed their first league double of the season on a wet and windy afternoon at Kingsham when they beat Banbury 3-2.

Banbury took an early lead through sloppy defending from Chichester.

This seemed to ignite Chichester who started to dictate the play and their equaliser came midway through the first half when good inter-play between Martin Gough and Andy Sparshot sent the ball to the back post and the diving Cameron Mead deflected it in.

Some excellent possession and transfers through the midfield of Matt Cox, Alex Thakore, Jack Lerwill, Luke Emmett and Sparshot enabled Chichester to take control.

A penalty corner was won and Gerald Cox fired the ball to the right post for Gough to deflect the ball into the roof of the goal.

Chichester made it three when the energetic Emmett beat 2two players and smashed the ball into the top corner.

Both teams geot frustrated and Emmett paid the price by getting the first yellow card of the game.

The second half saw more sloppiness from both sides and Banbury intercepted a poor pass from Chichester and broke into the D to score.

Conner McLaughlin was the stand-out Chichester player, influencing the game while defending and attacking - another impressive display from the young home-grown starlet.

Chichester saw out the rest of the game and will try to continue their resurgence at Oxford University this week.

CHICHESTER: Godsmark, Matthews, McLaughlin, Spear, G.Cox, lerwill, M.Cox, Sparshot, Emmett, Mead, Gough, Holton, Thakore.

Centurions 0 Hailsham 6