FOOTBALL: County League round-up (April 29)

A point would probably be enough as United have a nine-goal superior goal difference over fourth-placed Little Common, who have just one match to play and trail United by two points. United could, though, still lift the title as they host leaders Rye on Saturday but United will need two wins and a eight-goal turnaround in goal difference in their favour.

They drew 1-1 at Seaford on Tuesday, after a 1-1 draw at Little Common on Saturday and an excellent 5-1 win at Clymping last Wednesday.

Neil Harris grabbed United a point on Tuesday when he fired home from the edge of the penalty area with five minutes left.

Seaford had taken the lead from the penalty spot on 20 minutes after the ball bounced up and hit Jack Hayward's hand.

United joint boss Fred Proto said: "With two games left, we've got to make sure we get the points to go up. We'd like to make sure we get promoted on Saturday as we don't want to be going into the last game of the season, as anything could happen then."

United's final game is at home to Littlehampton on Monday (11am).

On Saturday, Adam Hunt hit his second goal in as many games to give United a 50th-minute lead.

But the prolific Lewis Hole kept alive Little Common's own hopes of a top-three finish with an equaliser on 80 minutes.

United joint manager Jason Rutherford said: "It was a hard, bobbly pitch, and it was a good result for us. I suppose it's two points dropped because they scored late, but we would have taken a draw before the game."

Last Wednesday at Clymping, Jon Elliot struck to put United ahead in just the second minute, only for Paul Brown to head Clymping level on 15 minutes.

Elliot soon added a second, and Hunt made it 3-1 on the stroke of half-time. Darren Annis missed a penalty before substitute Sam Blundell struck a late brace.

Rutherford: "I would have been happy with a point, but to win 5-1 at a tough place like Clymping is unbelievable."

UNITED v Seaford: Standen; P.Proto, Philpott, J.Elliot; Hunt, Hayward, Pulling, Harris, Green; P.Elliott, Annis. Subs: Joseph (Hunt 70), Saunders (Annis 80), Bean, Bentley.

v Common: Standen; P.Proto, J.Elliot, Philpott; Hunt, Hayward, Harris, Hibberd, Green; P.Elliott, Mitchell. Subs: Bean, Annis, Corkhill.

v Clymping: Standen; P.Proto, Curnow, Philpott; Joseph, J.Elliot, Hayward, Hunt, Green; P.Elliott, Annis. Subs: Blundell (Annis 45), Saunders (Curnow 60).

Lancing kept only their third clean sheet of the season with a 1-0 home win over Oakwood in their penultimate County League Division 2 game on Saturday.

Darren Boswell scored the game's only goal in the 33rd minute after a Dan Griffin lay-off.

Griffin and Boswell were then both denied, but keeper Luke Green preserved the win with an excellent save from point-blank range.

Lancers manager Martin Gander said: "Keeping the clean sheet was pleasing, I think it's only our second or third this season, which is disappointing.

"We've under-achieved this season but, with one or two experienced additions, I believe we can challenge for promotion next season.

"A win against Rustington in our final game would give us a top-half finish, which is better than last season. Losing the likes of Tony Miles has made a big difference, but we've got enough goals in us to challenge next season."

LANCING: Green; Tuppen, Gander, Ford, Mighall; Boswell, Beard, Foster, Early; Griffin, R.Loversidge. Subs: Skipper (Gander 60), Rea (Foster 75), Dube (Early 85).

Storrington signed off their Division 2 season with a second successive 4-0 win, this time at Wealden. It means the Swans have won seven of the final eight games, and are certain of a seventh-place finish.

The personal duel between strikers Richard Ayres and Craig Grantham ended all square as Grantham netted a brace to Ayres' single strike, taking their respective goal tallies to 14 each.

Swans boss Ricky Hamilton said: "We didn't want the season to end. Our form over the last few games has probably been up there as promotion form. I want us to be a strong Division 2 side, and not looking back over our shoulders at intermediate football."

Ayres got the ball rolling in the third minute with a fine finish and Storrington took a vice-like grip on the game when Grantham scored from a near impossible angle half an hour later.

Liam Humphreys crashed a shot home on the hour, and Grantham added the fourth with a left-footed drive. Not even the dismissals of Dave Cook and Wealden's Darren Gearing for violent conduct could dampen the Storrington spirits.

STORRINGTON: G Elliott; Davis, S.Elliott, Carter, Watton; Tasker, Humphreys, Rhodie, Harding; Ayres, Grantham. Subs: Cook (Harding 30), Blaydon (Tasker 70).

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