Hockey: In-form Chichester are too keen for MK

In-form Chichester extended their unbeaten run to five games against newly-promoted Milon Keynes.

Chichester just about came out on top of the early encounters with solid distribution from Gerald Cox and Stephen Spear which enabled the team to find their feet.

Chichester eventually broke the deadlock after 20 minutes through Cameron Mean. Matt Cox found Martin Gough down the right and he broke into the D and was fouled to earn Chichester a penalty corner.

The ball came out to Jack Lerwill, who slipped it to the left left to Cameron Mead, his flick was goal bound when it struck a MK defender on the chest to earn Chichester a penalty flick.

Mead stepped up and fired the ball into the top corner to give Chichester a 1-0 lead.

Chichester went down to ten men for the rest of the half when Alex Thakore was given a yellow card for breaking down play.

The second half turned out to be a lot more open, which helped Milton Keynes back into the contest.

On a quick counter attack, MK levelled with 25 minutes remaining.

Chichester had the perfect response as the young and talented Alex Holten dribbled past three MK defenders and won Chichester their second penalty corner.

Gerald Cox slipped the ball to Andrew Sparshot, who composed himself and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to give Chichester a 2-1 lead.

It was soon 3-1 when Lerwill stole the ball from the MK defence and fired the ball into Gough, who calmly put the ball in the bottom corner.

Chichester ended their ten-minute rampage with Mead completing his double when he received the ball on the top of the D and reversed the ball past a stunned MK goalkeeper.

The final ten minutes proved a role reversal of the previous ten as Chichester sat back and invited pressure.

Chichester’s cause was not helped when Lerwill was wrongly yellow-carded for a tackle which he was ten yards away from.

MK won two penalty corners and scored both to go into the final two minutes 4-3 down. Chichester managed to get over the finish line and collect all three points ahead of a top-four clash at Teddington this weekend.

CHICHESTER: Godsmark, Spear, G Cox, Matthews, Lunn, Lerwill, M Cox, Sparshot, Holten, Thakore, Mead, Gough, Emmett.

Horsham IV 0 Centurions 2

Ladies Sussex League div one

Centurions made the first attack, but Horsham pressed and Sleet, playing for the first time in defence, made important stops.

Horsham kept pressing, but Proctor was firm in the centre and denied progress beyond the top of the D.

Williams, Thew and Brooker had shots on goal but were unable to convert. Harris stopped a counter-attack from Horsham and just before half-time, Centurions scored with a shot from Pordage.

The second half saw Centurions quickly under pressure, but good team play kept Horsham at bay.

Hurford thwarted Horsham’s progress down the right and Brown controlled the left.

A concerted effort by Centurions saw several more shots on goal, and Pordage slotted home Thew’s shot as it came through the Horsham keeper’s legs.