University sport: Footballers hit four more... Spitfires downed

The University of Chichester's women's football team went into their home match against St Mary's full of confidence after beating Premier South leaders Hertfordshire '“ and hit four for the second time this season against the Twickenham-based side.
The University of Chichester men's rugby team in home action / Picture by John GeesonThe University of Chichester men's rugby team in home action / Picture by John Geeson
The University of Chichester men's rugby team in home action / Picture by John Geeson

Chichester conceded in the first five minutes but rallied after a slow start. Payton Howard got two and there were goals for freshers Hannah Humphreys and Laura Barton, whose strike was her first for the team.Perry Northeast’s side are second, just ahead of Cardiff Met and Bath. Captain Sophie Phelps said: “We started slowly but got into the game and then dominated. After playing well in the big win against Herts we wanted a continuation of this. “We’ve got Cardiff and Cardiff Met coming up and our aim now is to finish as high as possible and to press Herts for top spot.”The Chi women’s twos fired six past Brighton in a second big away win following the 5-0 thrashing of Portsmouth in the cup.In rugby, Chi’s men’s ones ran in four tries in a 22-6 win over Portsmouth. The men’s twos recorded a first win of the season against University College London but the women’s team lost further ground to front-runners Canterbury Christ Church with a second defeat of the season in the crunch game at Royal Holloway. The Chi men’s football firsts lost 4-0 for the second week running. Danny Potter’s side started badly and Swansea were two up within ten minutes through Connor and Bishop-Wisdom. The hosts might have found a way back into the match from the penalty spot but couldn’t take advantage of this opportunity and the Prem South new boys went up the other end and Toms added another. Hayden wrapped things up with a fourth goal to send surprise package Swansea top. There were victories though for the fours, fives and sixes, who kept their fine run of form going following a hard-fought 3-1 win away to Surrey fours. Jonny Linard opened the scoring with a screamer - the ball darting into the bottom corner from 20 yards. An incredible free kick got Surrey back into it before Jason Riley put Chi back in front with his first of two goals after a sharp run and a composed finish. His second came thanks to a great piece of poaching when the keeper parried a save into his path. Riley duly dispatched the loose ball into the left hand side of the net. In American football, Chichester’s Spitfires fell 12-6 in a close encounter at King’s College London. After a penalty-littered first quarter when neither team could get on the scoreboard it was the hosts who got the first touchdown, running the ball over in the second quarter. Jordan Lamai doubled the Regents’ lead after a fumble recovery before Spitfires quarter-back Seb Gallardo passed to tight-end Ben Wakeford in the end-zone, but it was too little too late. Offensive player of the day, wide receiver Dan Edgoose, caught three receptions for the Spitfires’ most yardage. Chi’s women’s futsal team thumped Bath 21-0 on Saturday but the men’s team lost 4-2 at home to Portsmouth the next day. Marcus Ball said: “It was disappointing. It’s important to try to beat a rival university in a derby, especially as we were at home. We played the better football but they finished their chances. We are underperforming and need to start winning games.”In racquets there were wins for the men’s table tennis team, women’s badminton and men’s tennis that left all three in top spot. Other league leaders include the mixed golf team, who beat Essex threes 6-0, netball threes and netball fives – who like the golfers are unbeaten this season.