Sidley success moves Chichester City off the bottom

Steadily, Adie Girdler’s selection headaches are easing with Phil Archbold available again and Steve Cotton sufficiently recovered from injury to take a place on the bench.

Opponents Sidley arrived at Oaklands Park unbeaten in five of their past six contests, but on this occasion put on a poor display that matched their previous performance against Chichester when they lost 3-2.

Proceedings were slightly delayed when the referee ordered the City players to change shirts because of difficulties in reading the numbers on their usual white strip.

Sidley’s frail defence was exposed in the eighth minute when Joe Briggs was allowed to run from midfield totally unchallenged.

The City winger took a speculative shot from 20 yards out that bounced straight over Josh Willis into the net.

The Blues almost responded immediately with Scott McDonald missing from close range, but apart from that Sidley never really got going and failed to test keeper Matt Short throughout the afternoon.

Chichester weren’t much better, although Willis was called into action to fingertip a point-blank header on to the crossbar.

Victory was secured when a rash challenge in the area midway through the second half led to Short converting a spot-kick for his fourth goal of the campaign.

CITY: Short, Carrington, Doran, Portas, Bass, Waite, James, Archbold, Reed, Edwards, Briggs. Subs: Cotton, McDuffie.

CHESTER BROWTON