Chichester City secured an impressive win over play-off chasing Cray Wanderers at Oaklands Park on Saturday afternoon, a result that moves them closer to the safety mark.

The Wands arrived in Sussex keen to pick up a valuable win to keep the pressure on the four sides underneath Folkestone Invicta but it was the home side who made the early running.

City were in front after just four minutes, a nice move across the park ended with a ball across the box finding Lloyd Rowlett in space to slot home the opener. The home side dominated the ball and the first half, Cray indebted to keeper Harry Seaden for a series of fine stops and when beaten an effort cleared off the line, the hosts hoping at half time not to rue the missed chances in the second half.

The Wands made a couple of tactical switches at half time and looked well on top early in the second half but couldn’t make their pressure pay with City doubling their lead on 65 minutes against the run of play, Joe Moore left with the freedom of the penalty area for number two.

That goal seemed to knock some stuffing out of the visitors and the game looked to be made safe five minutes from time as substitute Joe Clarke rifled the ball home from the right hand side of the penalty area.

However, a glimmer of hope for the Wands came with a penalty awarded for handball, Alex Hernandez’s effort well saved by Jasper Briggs, only for the rebound to fall nicely for Frankie Morgan who headed home.

Chichester’s Curtis Da Costa was then sent off for a last man tackle on the edge of the penalty area, the free kick however coming to nothing.

A melee of players coming together saw Ryan Davidson receive a second yellow card to join Da Costa in the dressing room, only for the referee to be concerned a mistake had been made in cards, the assistant on the dugout side confirming the correct decision.

Too little, too late for the Wands to add to the scoreline and a costly defeat leaving them eight points off the play off places with eight games left to play.