Chichester secured full points in their final game of the season with a four-try win and impressive defensive display against Salisbury.
The Blues held the visitors to a single try in a low-scoring affair as they took home five points in a 26-8 win at Oaklands Park.
An early try from the visitors did not dent Chichester’s spirit as they ended the year on a high note.
Chichester found themselves on the back foot to begin the game and Salisbury breached their defence after just seven minutes.
The hosts hit back with a lineout in the corner and, after a catch and drive, prop Richard Ives dotted down to secure the lead.
A dogged defensive display by both sides saw the scores continue to be level but the Blues dominated play and threatened to score despite being a man down in the sin bin.
Salisbury took the lead late in the first period with a penalty slotted through the posts to establish a narrow one-point gap heading into half time.
The Blues started the second half strong and Josh Stops sniped at the scrum to get the ball within metres of the try line, but the ball was knocked on in the tackle.
From the ensuing scrum Salisbury cleared but the ball was gathered by fly half Josef Amin who danced his way through the defence before offloading to Dar Heriot for the Number 8 to carry over the line.
Chichester amped up the pressure and played in enemy territory for most of the second half. The visitor’s defence creaked at times and, after two players went to the sin bin, Chichester broke the temporary deadlock.
From a scrum on 5 metres, Richard Ives took the ball into contact in front of the posts and Josh Stops recycled to centre Tom Blewitt who, with a change of direction, beat his marker to dot down and score.
The blues extended their lead to secure a bonus point in the final minutes from the restart as Rhys Thompson gathered the ball on the 22-metre line. Thompson charged forward, taking the ball into contact on halfway before offloading to speedster Joel Andrews.
The young winger ignited the afterburners and scorched down the touchline, evading the last defender, to score his 16th try of his debut season to cap of the year for Chichester.
Blues finish the 2023/24 season in 9th place in Regional 2 South Central with 47 points.
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