FOOTBALL: Groves' double sinks Whitehawk

The win lifts Mussels to 10th place with games in hand on all but one of the sides above them. They trail leaders Pagham by 10 points but have four matches more to play.

It was Shoreham's sixth win from their eight league away games this season, and joint manager Darren Donnelly was pleased with his side's performance. He said "We deserved to win. I'm pleased and we defended well when they put us under pressure in the second half.

"We worked hard as a team to get the result and it was a good win for us. We were the better side, and dominated the game. Obviously the two penalty decisions helped us, but the way we played we probably would have won anyway.

"I thought the first penalty decision was harsh for them, but we set our stall out well and they frustrated us for 45 minutes. But once we got ahead, it always looked like we would go on to win."

After Dan Taylor and Dean Smith both went close with headers, Groves put Mussels ahead from the spot after Owen Callaghan was brought down a minute after the interval.

Callaghan then fired his one-on-one opening straight at keeper Ross Standen, and Groves struck the bar with a 25-yard free kick on the hour.

After Whitehawk went close through Sam Francis, Mussels doubled the lead with an exquisite goal from the prolific Darren Annis in the 73rd minute. After Grant Philpott's long ball forward, Annis took the ball down on his chest and his lobbed effort from 35 yards dropped into the net.

Two minutes later, Mussels made the points safe when Taylor's tussle in the box was deemed a foul by referee Neil Wallace, and Groves converted his second penalty.

Francis then forced Mussels keeper Michael Hunter into an excellent save, before Andy Rees notched a consolation for Whitehawk in the final minute when he headed home a corner.