FOOTBALL: County League round-up (March 25)

IT has been a mixed few days for Lancing Football Club in County League Division 2. They won 5-2 at Rustington on Saturday, but then crashed to a 6-2 defeat at home to Little Common on Tuesday.

Lancers assistant manager Martyn Rea blasted Tuesday's display, and said: "It really wasn't good and I know that Martin (Gander) was devastated and furious with the display, as was I.

"Going forward we're fine, but some of the defending was laughable. It was an abject display, which highlights our inconsistencies.

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"We will strive to put it right, though. There are eight games left and they are all cup finals for us."

Common netted four goals with no response in the first half. The first came from a good move down the right, which was eventually slipped under Lancing keeper Luke Green. Green got a hand to the second, which took a wicked deflection and looped in. A comical, unpressurised own-goal and another strike compounded Lancers' misery before half-time.

For 10 minutes, Lancing then got into the game. Lee Garhnam headed in Darren Boswell's cross, Sims slid an effort over and Boswell's free kick forced a save.

Common, however, hit another two on the break, while Boswell netted a one-on-one chance late on.

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On Saturday, Boswell put Lancers in front from a Luke Mighall free-kick on 30 minutes, and he added a second four minutes later.

Rustington's James Bennett made it 2-1 after half-time but Lee Early soon restored the two-goal advantage.

Blues' Jon Tucker was then sent-off for foul and abusive language, before Boswell completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot,

Chris Darwin became the second Rustington player to be sent off for foul and abusive, but despite being down to nine men, Andy Boxall pulled a goal back to make it 4-2.

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Lancers capped their afternoon with their fifth goal 13 minutes from time, when Lee Garnham fired home from a Boswell corner.

Manager Gander said: "It was a good performance and we were worth the win."

LANCING v Little Common: Green; Early, Mighall, Ford, Gander; Sims, Beard, Garnham, Loversidge; Boswell, Griffin. Subs: Skipper, Clayton, Foster, Hunt, McCabe.

v Rustington: Green; Early, Gander, Ford, Mighall; Boswell, Beard, Sims, Garnham; Griffin, Loversidge. Subs: Foster (Sims 68), Clayton (Griffin 78), S.Hunt (Loversidge 80), Skipper.

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It remains incredibly tight at the top of Division 2, but third-placed Worthing United boosted their promotion hopes with a 1-0 win at Wealden on Saturday.

United joint manager Jason Rutherford said: "It was a great result and you have to win these sort of games to go up. It could have been more but we struggle to kill teams off at times."

Enzo Benn fired wide for United, and substitute Grant Philpott had an effort saved before he struck the winner in the second minute of stoppage time.

Neil Harris, signed from Southwick, made his United debut.

On Tuesday, 10-man United pushed division-higher Wick all the way to extra-time in the quarter finals of the Brighton Charity Cup, but eventually went down 3-1.

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Scott Packer was sent-off for a tackle after just 10 minutes, but Darren Annis turned in the box to fire United in front six minutes later.

Scott Murfin equalised on 76 minutes, before extra-time goals from Daren Pearce and George Gaskin sent Wick through.

UNITED v Wealden: Standen; Hunt, Curnow, J.Elliot, Hibberd; Bentley, Harris, Benn, Hayward, Green; P. Elliot. Subs: Philpott (Green 80), Annis, Joseph.

v Wick: Standen; Hunt, Curnow, Philpott; Packer, Anton, Matthews, Hayward, Jospeh; Annis. Subs: Dowell (Anton 75), Simmons (Matthews 100).

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Storrington's clash at Midhurst on Saturday was postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch.

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