Incredible improvement: Chichester City coach delighted by progress over 22-23 Isthmian campaign

He says he has seen ‘incredible improvements’ from a squad he believes is the nost cohesive he has worked with.

And he and fellow coach Danny Potter are already plotting a pre-season schedule they hope will set up City for an even better 2023-24 campaign. City finished tenth this season – making them the second highest of the eight Sussex teams in the division.

They were never in relegation trouble at one stage looked set for a play-off push – until a run of three defeats away to sides in Kent in eight days killed their momentum.

Away form has already been pinpointed by manager Miles Rutherford and coach Potter as an area where a major improvement is needed next term.

Killpartrick told us: “It’s been a successful season.

"I don’t think a lot of people understand factors like the journeys involved or the wage bills a lot of opposition teams are paying out – they’re paying money that wouldn’t be out of place two leagues above.

"We were ready to pounce for a play-off place but those three defeats in a week in March killed us, before we recovered in the final few games.

"I’ve seen incredible improvements over the season. The staff and players have all learned a lot and we must remember it’s a long-term process.

"We’ve played good football on a really nice surface and have a strong identity.

"But as a management team it’s our job to make that identity even stronger.

"We want to win games and entertain people. We’re next to the festival threatre and people pay to come and be entertained by us just as they pay to be entertained at the theatre.”

City’s bosses, who have plans in the pipeline for a new 4G pitch at Oaklands Park to make the club more sustainable, will be hoping for a more serious play-off push in 23-24.

But Killpartrick knows the league will be as dog-eat-dog as ever. “The team will be red-lined in every game – there will be no easy one, no breather. But we’ll be ready for it.”