FOOTBALL: Arundel target the top five

Mullets finished runners-up to Eastbourne last season but sit 13th in the table this campaign. However, with striker Gary Norgate recently returning to the club and an injury and suspension-free squad, Butler and boss Richard Towers have set their side the top five target.

Butler said: "A top five finish would be really good after the start we had but we'll have to go on a very good run.

"With what we've got available now in our squad, we are capable, so long as we don't get any injuries or suspensions to key players.

"I think it's a realistic target and it's a goal to go at. It means there's still plenty to play for, rather than just playing out the rest of the season."

Arundel still have 17 league matches to play this season, after their match at Ringmer on Tuesday was postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch.

It is a similar situation to last season for Mullets, who finished last campaign playing, sometimes, three times a week. This year, a lot of other clubs are in the same position, but Butler said: "It is a bit of an issue now. I've never known a season like it.

"We're behind now on where we were last season and we're already looking at, some weeks, playing Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

"It's going to be a struggle because players won't have time to recover from injuries and it might be difficult for some of them to get time off work twice a week."

On Saturday, Arundel showed what they are capable of with when they thrashed Eastbourne for their largest win of the season.

Butler said: "It was a long overdue performance, it was the Arundel of old.

"Their manager said to us afterwards that it was men against boys. We owe the club and the supporters performances like that, and having Gary Norgate back is massive for us.

"We've had an unsettled side all season but, hopefully, now we can push on."

Mullets went in front in the 25th minute through Scott Tipper's 15th goal of the season, and after Arundel keeper Ben O'Connor had kept out Lucas Mann and Ben Billings, Norgate made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after a foul on Tipper.

Howard Neighbour added the third right on half-time and rampant Mullets went further ahead through Neighbour's second five minutes after the break, before Norgate crashed home the fifth on 55 minutes.

Substitute Dan Basil then struck a post before Neighbour completed his hat-trick with his eighth goal of the season in the final minute.

ARUNDEL: O'Connor; Sneller, Grantham, Archibald, Axell; Hardwell, J.Biggs, R.Biggs, Neighbour; Norgate, Tipper. Subs: Basil (Tipper 57), Hall, Pickford (R.Biggs, Sneller 70), Griffiths.

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