Farnham take trophy win at Chichester City – on day when football was not the most important thing
Chichester City lost to Farnham in the FA Trophy third qualifying round on an emotional day – in their first game back after the passing of striker Billy Vigar.
Billy sadly didn’t recover after a collision with a wall in the league fixture at Wingate & Finchley barely 10 minutes into the game that left him with a significant brain injury.
City’s starting XI featured Lewis Rustell up top in front of holding midfielder Joe Moore together with Lloyd Rowlatt, Joe Clarke, Isaac Bello and Ethan Prichard. Skipper Rob Hutchings and Ryan Davidson lined up either side of centre backs Ben Pashley and Curtis Da Costa with Kieran Magee in goal.
The second minute saw Hutchings and Prichard combine for a Davidson cross that got cut out. At the other end Da Costa had to head clear Brandon Mason’s cross when Ogo Obi and Darryl Sanders hooked up.
Moore won Chi a throw on the College Lane flank which Bello launched and Moore tried his luck with an audacious overhead kick that narrowly went over.
Obi pulled one wide before being flagged offside; Clarke found Bello although a Town defender shepherded the ball back to his keeper Zaki Oualah; and Bello got flattened but no free kick was given. A cheeky Clarke backheel didn’t quite come off before Prichard bagged the opener at the second time of asking on 14 minutes, beating the keeper at his near post.
It might have been 2-0 when Prichard’s shot flew inches over the left-hand stick. Davidson saw a header saved and Mason’s cross was cut out.
Hutchings’ misplaced back-header was capitalised on by Obi who tucked the ball beyond Magee for the equaliser on 19.
Harry Cooksley’s cut back was cleared by the Lillywhites and Davidson got subsequently fouled by Mason. Obi drove in again only for Hutchings to smartly intervene.
The away side broke and it needed Bello to make a well-timed tackle on Obi and concede a throw. Owen Dean drove down the right wing but the move fizzled out before he pulled a shot wide of Magee.
Chichester won a corner after neat work from Bello which Hutchings delivered but to no avail, and Pashley had to have his wits about him and head away Mason’s threatening cross.
On the stroke of half-time Mason got his team’s second as he cut inside and found the back of the net with a firm hit fromlong distance.
Bello was brought down on the edge of the box two minutes into the second period and Prichard stepped up and curled an amazing set-piece to the keeper’s left and made it 2-2.
Bello almost got to a sloppy Farnham back-pass and Davidson tidied up as the visitors pressed through Jordan Stepney and Obi.
Prichard dragged one wide on 52 and Mason hit a cross beyond everyone. Next, Davidson headed safely back to Magee when Town probed and teammates cleared as Dean and Obi threatened.
A free header from Sanders went narrowly wide in the 57th minute and an attempt from Chichester following good work from Rowlatt, Rustell and Moore was similarly off target.
Obi went close on the hour mark and Magee denied the Farnham striker moments later. Three subs came on for the Surrey side on 63 and Davidson picked up the game’s first booking.
Mo Jammeh came on for Rustell as Chi rejigged and a Bello bomb was cleared before Prichard struck a shot over the woodwork.
Town went 3-2 up with 17 minutes left when Obi grabbed his second with a neat finish into the corner. It might have been 3-3 seconds later but Jammeh somehow missed a header from close range.
The visitors had appeals for a penalty waved away as Hutchings was deemed to have made a fair tackle.
Sub Imran Uche wasn’t far off in the 82nd minute and at the other end Bello teed Prichard up but he couldn’t find a telling finish. Prichard had another shot blocked before Cooksley wrapped things up from close range to make it 4-2.
Obi won a penalty but Magee went the right way and pulled off a super save.
Chi are back in league action on Saturday at Oaklands against Lewes (3pm).