Dan Hegarty’s bullet header sent Chichester City into the quarter-finals of the RUR Charity Cup with a 3-2 win at Ringmer in a game which saw both sides reduced to 10 men.
Miles Rutherford’s side will now host Horsham YMCA in the next round. The last time these two met they had to share the points in a 1-1 draw in a SCFL Premier clash.
Strikers Scott Jones and Dave Herbert were rested for this match, with Lewis Turnbull replacing Ant Ender between the sticks. There were starts for Kaleem Haitham and Tafadzwa Kanjanda, who earned Chi a point against Eastbourne United last weekend.
Josh Clack was the main man up top and it was he who put the visitors ahead when he turned his marker, received the ball and comfortably tucked it away midway through the first half.
Chi could have seen off Horsham when they battered them with chance after chance, but were unable to convert. The equaliser came just over 10 minutes into the second half when Abu Touray went past Turnbull and slotted it into the back of the net.
Seconds later the hosts were ahead when Josh Newman fired a shot into the corner of the net. Ruben French netted the equaliser, his first goal of the season, in the 65th minute when he rifled a shot in off the post.
The deciding goal came when Lorenzo Dolcetti whipped a corner in which met the head of Hegarty who powered the ball home.
The game was competitive throughout but never dirty. However, near the end both teams were reduced to 10 men when Ringmer’s Shaun Skipper and City’s French were dismissed.
Chichester are back in league action on Saturday when they travel away to Haywards Heath.
Chichester: Turnbull, Hartley, Williams, Martin, French, Pashley, Clack, Hegarty, Kanjanda, Haitham, Dolcetti. Subs (Barry, Murage, Ahmed, Vidler)
Picture: TOMMY McMILLAN
