FOOTBALL: County League round-up (March 25)

Last Wednesday, Golds beat Steyning Town but on Saturday they lost at fifth-placed Little Common in a performance which disappointed joint manager John Suter.

He said: "We were poor, and too many of our key players were below par. That's what cost us the game.

"We didn't adapt to the poor surface and, after our recent performances, it was disappointing. We didn't deserve anything from it and it was an indifferent performance."

Mark Funnell put Common ahead after Chris Hazell partially-cleared a corner.

Barney Boutwood fired home the equaliser in the 34th minute, from a John Lawson pass, before a madcap spell early in the second half.

Golds went ahead through a Mark Steward own goal, before Ricky Mote equalised two minutes later. Jared Lusted then put Common in front on 56 minutes.

Boutwood had a decent equalising chance but fired wide and Common held on.

Golds almost threw away a three-goal lead last Wednesday against struggling Steyning.

Matt Russell shot Golds ahead after just six minutes when he followed up John Lawson's blocked shot from outside the box.

Lawson was on target himself just seven minutes later when he doubled the lead as both teams battled with the foggy conditions at The Sportsfield.

Lawson's second made it 3-0 on 38 minutes as he nodded home a quick Gary Young free-kick at the far post, which left Town flat-footed.

Steyning did pull one back on the stroke of half-time when Ryan Pratt scored from close range.

James Pargeter got a late second for Steyning and despite a nervy finale, Golds held on.

Suter said: "For the first 38 minutes, we did ever so well, but then we relaxed, took our foot off the gas, and let them back into it."

LITTLEHAMPTON v Common: Delvin; Young, Windsor, McKay, Hazell; Buckett, Russell, O'Hagan, Wollers; Boutwood, Lawson. Subs: Charman (Wollers 45), Peacock (Boutwood 78), Tabor.

LITTLEHAMPTON v Steyning: Dumbrill; Young, Windsor, McKay, Hazell; Buckett, Russell, O'Hagan, Wollers; Boutwood, Lawson.

Rustington manager Kevin Short bemoaned his team's defending in their 5-2 defeat at home to Lancing in County League Division 2.

Blues, who ended the game with nine men, went 2-0 behind before half-time through a Darren Boswell double.

James Bennett pulled it back to 2-1, following a one-two with Andy Boxall, but Lee Early extended the lead before Rustington's Jon Tucker was sent off.

Boswell's hat-trick made it 4-1, and Blues' Chris Darwin then became the second player to be sent-off for foul and abusive language.

Despite being two men down, Blues got another goal back through Boxall but Lee Garnham got Lancers' fifth in the 77th minute.

Short said: "Our forward play was very good but we were awful at the back.

"It could have been anything and for the neutral it was a good game to watch.

"It was a bit of a nightmare from our point of view. It was a quite bizarre game and frustrating for us. But Adam Woodward and Steve Bennett made their first-team season debuts for us, which was good."

RUSTINGTON: McCarthy; Tucker, Smith, Neal; C.Matthews, J.Bennett, Hudson, Boxall, Darwin; Wimbleton, S.Kirkham. Subs: S.Bennett (Neal 60), Woodward, Adams (Matthews, Hudson 70).

Clymping moved into sixth place in Division 2 on Saturday with a 3-2 win over Seaford.

Richy Moss gave Clymping a 10th-minute lead before Joe Shelley headed the second from Billy Rayner's cross four minutes before half-time.

Seaford pulled a goal back through Seb Kazemi on 59 minutes but Clymping regained their two-goal lead seven minutes later.

Moss raced on to keeper Matt Paice's long kick forward and was brought down in the penalty area, and Rayner scored from the spot.

Dave Gaskin twice went close to a fourth before Seaford set up a nervy ending.

They made it 3-2 through Benjamin Lee's strike with six minutes left, but Clymping held on.

Clymping boss Dominic Di Paola said: "We've had a good start to the year and are up to sixth now, so have just got to keep going.

"We've got some tough games left but everyone's enjoying their football and, apart from the Littlehampton cup result, we've had a good second half of the season."

CLYMPING: Paice; Meehan, D.Di Paola, Young, Stokes; Ghent, Rayner, Shelley, Castro; Bunting, Moss. Subs: Gaskin (Di Paola 70), Hand (Moss 75), Browne, Biggs.

Wick assistant manager John Sharman was delighted with his side's work-rate and team spirit in their 3-2 win over Eastbourne UA on Saturday in Division 1.

The game came just two days after their Sussex RUR Cup semi-final victory over Whitehawk.

Sharman said: "I was really proud and pleased with everyone. It was an end-to-end game, although we had the better chances, and our work-rate and team spirit was outstanding.

"Jamie Wrigley did well in defence and Matt Lebrum in goal made two or three really good saves and played well."

George Gaskin headed Wick ahead at the far post on 37 minutes but Wick started the second half slowly and Eastbourne equalised within 60 seconds through Shane Saunders.

Clinton More tapped Wick back ahead from Scott Murfin's drilled cross on 55 minutes but Eastbourne again levelled through a cracking 20-yarder from Bradley Manton 12 minutes later.

Luke Huggett gave Wick the lead for the third time with 14 minutes left and they held on, despite late pressure from Eastbourne.

WICK: Lebrum; Barnard, D.Sharman, Wrigley, Torode; Huggett, Pearce, West, Gaskin; More, S.Murfin. Subs: Price, Hand, Bryant, Nolan, N.Murfin.

East Preston's unbeaten run of four games in Division 2 came to an end on Saturday when then went down 3-0 at league-leaders Rye United.

Having won two and drawn two of their last four, they went into the match on a high.

It was always going to be a tough match for EP, though, as Rye are in the middle on a three-horse title race with Sidley and Worthing United.

Rye got off to the better start are were soon ahead as Dominic Clarke netted the opener after just five minutes, in the only goal of the first half

Danny Leach doubled the lead on 63 minutes, before Sam Cole wrapped up the scoring and the points for Rye with two minutes left.

EP will now look to get back to winning ways when they enterain 11th-placed Oakwood, who are just one place above them, on Saturday.

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