City bosses knew results would improve after recovery from 'fractured' pre-season

Graeme Gee says Chichester City’s bosses knew results would come once they got a stronger squad together.
Chichester City go goal-crazy against Whitehawk / Picture: Neil HolmesChichester City go goal-crazy against Whitehawk / Picture: Neil Holmes
Chichester City go goal-crazy against Whitehawk / Picture: Neil Holmes

City’s start to the season was hit by widespread player unavailability on top of the departures of goalkeeper Steve Mowthorpe and winger Josh Clack.

They lost their first two league games but have since picked up seven points from three games in which they’ve scored 12 goals – most recently putting six past Whitehawk at Oaklands Park on Tuesday night.

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They’ve also come through two rounds of the FA Cup to set up a glamour tie at home to National League South side Maidstone this Saturday.

Assistant boss Gee said after a ‘fractured’ pre-season, they knew they would not be straight into their stride when the campaign began.

He said: “We knew we wouldn’t hit the ground running and that fitness levels weren’t right for the way we like to play.

“We got bitten twice early on but more recently we’ve got the squad together that we knew we could pit against any team in a one-off game.

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“We’re happy with the quality we’ve attracted, and something that’s important to us as a club is that we have players who are friends with each other. We like to have a close-knit dressing room.”

Gee praised the start new keeper Kieran Magee has made to his City career and said they’d picked up other players through manager Miles Rutherford’s contacts – including loanee Tyrone Madhani, who has been a scoring substitute in each of the past two games, an excellent 2-2 draw at Ramsgate and that 6-1 hammering of Whitehawk, a performance Gee said was a delight to watch.

Fit-again Callum Overton sparked the goal feast with two in the first six minutes.

Now Chichester City turn their attention back to the FA Cup, in which they reached the second round two years ago.

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Gee said: “Maidstone is about the toughest fixture we could have had at this stage and on paper there’s only one winner.

“But we have a good record in the Cup against sides from higher league and we’re hoping a big crowd will come along and see what we can do.”

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