FOOTBALL: County League round-up (April 1)

A heavy pre-game downpour did nothing for the quality on display at Crabtree Park, but it was Wick who took all three points, thanks to a Scott Murfin hat-trick – his fifth of the season – that took the lively striker's tally for the season up to 36.

In truth, Oak had enough chances to have got something out of the game, but a combination of panicky finishing and a couple of decent saves from Wick keeper Alex Bryant kept them at bay.

It was in the 20th minute that Murfin first struck with a rather hopeful shot from the edge of the box, which took a sizable deflection and therefore the ball, beyond stand-in Oak keeper Mark Stuart.

Mile Oak should have equalised almost straight away when Peter Martin was put through, only to be thwarted by Bryant's legs. Ben Torode then cleared a header off the line from Darryl Livesey but Oak were made to pay for not burying their chances when a decent cross from the impressive Torode somehow found its way to Murfin at the back post and he coolly finished his second of the afternoon on 39 minutes.

Mile Oak were still in the game, though, and had Livesey not fired over the bar from just a few yards out just four minutes after the restart, the result could been different.

Wick had chances through Ruben French and Clinton More but only added to their lead when Murfin was put through and fell in the box near Stuart's desperate dive. The resultant penalty he dispatched with some aplomb after 56 minutes.

Murfin had another, far more obvious penalty shout turned down eight minutes later that was waved away by referee Ryan Ellis, under the watchful eye of the five Sussex League assessors or trainee assessors present at the game.

Oak did gain a consolation goal in the 68th minute when somehow the ball arrived at Martin's feet and he made no mistake this time, giving Oak a sniff that they never really capitalised upon.

Wick assistant manager John Price said after the game: "It's not performances but results that count at this stage of the season. We had a number of players out and won, so we can't really complain."

WICK: Bryant; Torode, Pearce, Wrigley, Louis Freitas; Gaskin, Barnard, Huggett, French; More, S.Murfin. Subs: Hand (Gaskin 65), Valentine (Murfin 88), Price, Nolan.

Chris Hazell's 88th-minute equaliser salvaged a 3-3 draw for Littlehampton on Saturday in County League Division 2, after they had led 2-1 with just 10 minutes remaining at Southwick.

Simon Bailey appeared to have given struggling Southwick a priceless win, which would have been their first in the league since November, but Hazell headed home from a Steve Tabor corner to grab Golds a point.

On a surface more akin to a boating lake than a football pitch, which had put the game in doubt, Littlehampton started well and created the first chance when Matt Russell shot over a Jamie Buckett cross.

Buckett then dragged a shot wide, and Wickers' Dave MacNeill saw a snap-shot saved before Southwick went in front four minutes before half-time. Bailey was brought down by Joe Charman in the penalty area, and Ryan Walton fired home from the spot, via goalkeeper Craig Stoner and the post.

It did not take Golds long to equalise after the interval, however, when Matt Windsor swung a free kick over to the back post, and Russell was on hand to head in on 50 minutes for his 16th goal of the season.

Southwick player-manager Dominic Shepherd fired over and Littlehampton's Idriz Adedoja shot wide before Golds went ahead through Lawson, from a Russell corner, in the 62nd minute.

After Wickers' James Wotherspoon and Walton both went close, Wickers drew level nine minutes from time. Wotherspoon was fouled by Tabor, and Walton stepped up to slam home his second penalty of the match.

Bailey then sumptuously volleyed home what appeared to be a vital winner for Southwick, but Hazell had the final say in a thrilling contest.

Golds joint boss John Suter said: "It's two points lost. I felt that all three of their goals could have been prevented, there were two penalties and their third came from a mis-hit Matt Windsor clearance.

"The conditions made it difficult and we perhaps could have nicked it, but it was an end-to-end, entertaining game."

LITTLEHAMPTON: Stoner; Tabor, McKay, Windsor, Hazell; Buckett, Russell, O'Hagan, Charman; Adedoja, Lawson. Subs: Boutwood (Adedoja 67), Manning (O'Hagan 72), Peacock (Russell 80).

Clymping's 11-match unbeaten County League Division 2 run came to an end on Saturday when they lost 2-1 at Little Common.

Under-strength Clymping fell behind on 15 minutes when Steven Morris struck and they doubled their lead through the division's top-scorer Lewis Hole, with his 22nd goal of the season, on the hour.

Clymping pulled a goal back when Billy Rayner netted a penalty, following a foul on Paul Brown, with five minutes left, and they could then have grabbed an equaliser but Richy Moss mis-kicked his shot.

Clymping player-manager Dominic Di Paola said: "We had five of our regular squad unavailable but competed well. I'm not going to be critical of the team because we lost as it was just one of those games.

"They have two class strikers and a class left midfielder and we just lacked a bit of quality on the day."

CLYMPING: Paice; Meehan, Young, Stokes, D.Di Paola; Ghent, Rayner, Shelley, Brown; Hand, Moss. Subs: Gaskin (Hand 70), Browne (Meehan 80).

Arundel assistant manager Simon Butler admitted he is worried by his team's position after they conceded five goals for the second time in a week in Division 1, this time in a 5-2 defeat at Lingfield.

Mullets are currently fifth from bottom, six points off the relegation places, but Butler said: "We're in big, big trouble. We've got games in hand but you need to win them for them to help you.

"We've massively underachieved, the players seem to be waiting for things to happen, rather than making them happen themselves. We've had an unsettled side, which hasn't helped, but it's been frustrating and things can only get better."

Patched-up Mullets were given the opportunity to get off to the perfect start in the second minute, but Gary Norgate fired a penalty over, after Scott Tipper had been fouled.

Russell Hardwell did put them in front, though, on 10 minutes from a Matt Axell cross.

Andrew Dalhouse profited from lax marking to head home the equaliser from a corner just two minutes later.

Mullets' Tom Pickford struck the bar soon afterwards, but Lingfield went ahead in the 20th minute when Simon Wallace tapped home.

Mark Taniortis added the third just before half-time, but Arundel gave themselves hope when Tipper scored in the 63rd minute.

But Steve Ansell made it 4-2, before Dalhouse netted the fifth from the rebound after his twice-taken penalty was saved.

Arundel's home match against Crawley down on Monday eveningwas postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch.

ARUNDEL: Griffiths; Jones, Grantham, Norgate, Pickford; Hardwell, Grove, Axell, Neighbour; Tipper, Huckett. Subs: Williams (Pickford 64), Herbert (Huckett 80), Browne.

Rustington manager Kevin Short believes his side are two wins away from securing their senior status after their 2-0 success at Seaford in Division 2.

Short said: "We can't say we're safe for definite, but I think two more wins should do it. We defended well and created plenty of chances. It was very pleasing and is something to build on.

"We've got two local derbies coming up, against Littlehampton and Clymping, so to secure survival by winning those would be nice."

James Bennett put Blues ahead from a Chris Darwin free-kick in the 20th minute, and after Bennett had a penalty saved, Matt Woodward made it 2-0 with his first touch from a Darwin pass on 85 minutes.

Short added: "We were strong defensively and stifled them, I was pleased with the performance."

Rustington's match at Lancing on Tuesday evening was postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch.

RUSTINGTON: McCarthy; C.Matthews, Wimbleton, Butcher, Green; Morten, Darwin, Bennett, Hudson; Boxall, C.Kirkham. Subs: Adams (Kirkham 50), Woodward (Morten 78), Cumber.

Despite hauling themselves back into the game on two occasions, East Preston's poor defensive display eventually cost them in their 5-2 home defeat to Oakwood in Division 2.

Oakwood's early substitute Charlie Adsett opened the scoring against the run of play of 12 minutes.

EP's Jehan Huet turned in the box and fired home a right-footed shot just two minutes later to draw his side level.

Oakwood then restored their lead right on half-time, when Sam Familton intercepted a back pass and fired home.

Huet again levelled, from the penalty spot, after he was pulled down in the box on 47 minutes.

But a minute later Oakwood had restored their lead when Kieron Purkis fired home.

EP's Kevin Budge then hit a post, before Familton volleyed home at the back post on 65 minutes.

A poor goal kick from EP keeper Maciek Kason then gifted Tom Familton the fifth on 70 minutes. Huet was denied his hat-trick on 87 minutes when he rounded the keeper but had his shot cleared off the line.

EP: Kason; Beaney, Curtis, Waller, Sutcliffe; Nicholson, Da Costa, Howard, Azimi; Budge, Huet. Subs: Harris (Azimi 45), Harrington (Howard 69), Deniz (Beaney 85).

Former EP boss Trevor Waller is in caretaker charge at Division 2 strugglers Midhurst, who won 3-0 at Westfield on Saturday.

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