Chichester City came from behind to keep their participation in this season’s Emirates FA Cup intact at least until Tuesday evening.

Step 5 Whitstable Town proved dogged opponents on Saturday afternoon and should have been out of sight before a superb Lloyd Rowlett equaliser means the Oystermen are heading to Sussex this midweek.

A mixed afternoon of early showers gave way to sunny conditions after the opening twenty minutes, the visitors struggling to make any in-roads into the Town back four.

And it was the hosts who took the lead on 20 minutes, a cross into the box diverted into his own next by Curtis Da Costa. Town were looking the more dangerous going forward with Chichester unable to make the hosts’ keeper Dan Colmer work.

Although Chichester stepped it up in the second half it was the home side who had the opportunities to settle the tie and they were indebted to keeper Kieran Magee with two superb saves.

With time beginning to run out, City produced their moment, Rowlett firing in superbly from 20 yards out, arrowing the ball out of the reach of Colmer to force a replay at Oaklands Park on Tuesday night (ko 7.45pm)