Chichester City's FA Vase run is over

Their dreams of making the last 16 were ended by a 3-1 defeat to Devon side Buckland but they go out with their heads held high after pushing their visitors all the way.

After Western League high-flyers Buckland led 2-0 at half-time, Scott Jones' header midway hrough the second half gave City and a good-sized home crowd hope, but Buckland snatched another 12 minutes from time to ensure their place in round five.

Miles Rutherford's team will be gutted to go out after a run that has seen them beat Whitstable, Sheppey, Ash, Canterbury and Newhaven, but they can now can focus on their Southern Combination premier-division campaign.

There was an early scare for Chichester when a cross from the right was cleared for a corner by Jack Lee and it flew a little too close to Dave Hook's goal for comfort.

Kieran Hartley's shot into the turf from 20 yards was headed on to the top of the net by Jamie Horncastle in an early chance for the hosts as a decent-sized crowd watched on.

City centre-half Lee was booked on five minutes for halting a run by Buckland midfielder Richard Groves. The free-kick caused brief alarm in the City box but a Buckland forward fouled Dan Watts to bring the attack to an end. Then Cliff Walters got into the box from right-back and sent over a cross that no Athletic player could convert.

Jones ran on to a Hartley pass and had sight of goal but his shot across Grant Fisher was palmed away for a corner.

On 12 minutes Jones directed a header goalwards from a Josh Clack free-kick but there was no real power on it. Clack then tried one himself from 22 years but it was always rising over the bar.

At the other endLloyd Gardner got into a good position in the City box but his cross-shot went over from a tight angle.

Chichester's best attack of the opening quarter of the game saw Clack and Hartley both go close with shots at goal, the latter fizzing along the ground and into the side netting.

Gardner's free-kick was spilled at his near post by City keeper Dave Hookvfor a corner that came to nothing.

Gavin Hammond's shot on the turn from 15 yards on 24 minutes was way over the bar. But the Devon side took the lead a minute later as Gardner surged clear down the Buckland left and unleashed a superb shot from 25 yards that flew past Hook and into the top corner.

It was almost 1-1 immediately as Jones met a Clack corner on the right with a near-post header that Fisher had to save sharply.

Ellis Martin's through ball suddenly put Clack in the clear but he was forced wide before shooting at goal, and it was deflected for a corner. City were having plenty of those but Buckland were defending them well.

It was 2-0 on 35 minutes. Another promising City attack broke down and a lightning-quick Buckland break saw Groves run at his man before squaring across the box to Jared Lewington, who controlled it with one touch then finished past the advancing Hook.

Buckland were close to a third when Lewington's header across goal was almost touched in by Gacvin Hammon.

Chichester had the ball in the net a couple of minutes before the break but an offside flag was up.

HT 0-2

The first chance of the second half went Buckland's way as Hook had to come out to deny Groves and the loose ball almost fell to the Buckland player.