Chichester City punished Folkestone Invicta in a crazy 7 minute period to leave the Alcaline Stadium with all 3 points on Tuesday night.

Interim manager Tim Dixon oped for a similar system to that which beat Bognor Regis Town on Saturday, with Gavin Hoyte, Ian Gayle and Nathan Green making up a back 3, Frankie Morgan and Matthias Fanimo deployed as wing-backs and Evans Kouassi and Dan Smith as a front 2. Luke Allen missed out through injury while Miquel Scarlett dropped to the bench with a knock.

With the fixture having been postponed twice previously heart were in mouths shortly before kick off when the floodlight in the club shop corner of the ground went out. Thankfully, John Law was on hand to save Chichester from a wasted journey.

Invicta started positively and came close to an earlier lead when Fanimo fired through the legs of goalkeeper Magnus Norman, only to see Chichester captain Rob Hutchings clear it off the goal-line.

The league’s top-scorer Jimmy Wild put Invicta to the sword on our trip to Sussex in September and did the same again as he set up 1 and scored 2 in a chaotic 7 minute spell. Wild began in the 10th minute, collecting a loose ball and threading it behind the defence for Ethan Pritchard who finished under Jonny Henly to give the visitors the lead.

Not content with just creating a goal, Wild established himself the the Isthmian Premier Division’s top goalscorer with 2 goals in 78 seconds. Wild capitalised on a defensive error in the 15th minute to race clear and fire beyond Henly at the near post.

Before Invicta had the chance to regroup, Wild controlled a long pass on the edge of the box before lifting it beyond Henly to trickle into the bottom corner for his 25th league goal of the season.

Invicta found a lifeline 5 minutes before the break, Frankie Morgan saw an effort from close range blocked, Joe Turner thundered an initial effort from distance into a defender but a second found a glancing blow that took it beyond Norman.

Before Invicta could begin to mount a comeback, a reckless tackle from Nathan Green on Isaac Bello in 1st half injury time saw the referee reduce Invicta to 10-men.

Invicta introduced Joel-Michael Odeniran at half time in place of Jack Jebb who picked up a knock, keeping to a back 3 before changing the system halfway through the second half with forward Ade Yusuff replacing Fanimo.

With Invicta a man down and Chichester happy to sit on their lead, both goalkeepers were left with very little action throughout the second half. 10 minutes from the end Yusuff forced a first save of the night from Norman with a low effort from distance that the Chichester keeper got down to turn around his post. Kassaraté rose highest to head over the corner at the near post.

Wild went close to completing his hat-trick 5 minutes from time, firing home from a cutback at the near post but the visitors saw out the evening to take themselves within 2 points of the playoffs, Invicta dropping to 13th below Lewes on goal difference.

Goalscorer Joe Turner was selected as our Man of the Match by a young supporters who enjoyed the match from Cugley’s Lounge.

Invicta will aim to bounce back on Saturday when we host Whitehawk at the Alcaline Stadium.