FOOTBALL: Rustington fight back to beat Littlehampton

Chances were fairly limited in the first 45 minutes at The Sportsfield on Easter Monday. Golds were more clinical, while Blues seemed to run out of ideas in the final third at times.

Joe Charman put Littlehampton ahead with a fine finish in only the third minute. A Chris Hazell throw was brought down by Jamie Buckett on the edge of the area. He played it into Charman's path, and he dispatched past a full-stretch Andy McCarthy.

Charman could have doubled the lead just five minutes later as he latched onto Ben Crawford's defence-splitting pass, but McCarthy palmed away his poked effort, while Buckett's rebound was blocked.

Blues' Ryan Hudson then hit the bottom of the post with his volleyed-shot on the turn from Chris Darwin's cross. Rustington should have been level on 35 minutes after a great run from defence by Jim Smith but Ross Adams dragged his shot just wide.

Golds then doubled the lead three minutes later. Jason Wimbleton's scuffed clearance fell to John Lawson, who ran through and neatly finished.

After the break, Blues' pressure paid off in the 55th minute, as Darwin smashed a low and hard free kick from the edge of the area through both the wall and Golds keeper Craig Stoner.

Two minutes later, they were level. A free kick was controversially awarded after referee Wayne Webb had originally given it Littlehampton's way but then changed his mind. Lee Gibbs' strike was palmed onto the bar by Stoner, and Adams turned the ball home.

Rustington went ahead in the 74th minute with the help of a fortunate deflection. While Blues' players shouted for a penalty after a collision in the box, the ball rolled across the area and dropped to Adams, whose stabbed effort took a big deflection off Ross McKay, wrong-footed Stoner, and rolled into the net.

Golds went down to 10 men, when having used all three subs Lawson limped off injured, then nine when Niall O'Hagan picked up a second yellow card for a late tackle and saw red in injury-time.

Rustington boss Kevin Short said: "I thought we were a bit unlucky to go in two down to be honest. The first was a great goal, while it was a bit gutting for their second from a defensive error.

"We've got to play all the top six now, so it's not an easy run-in and was good to get that win. Mathematically we're safe but it's down to the ground gradings. I've set the boys a goal to finish above Westfield so that should mean we're safe."

Littlehampton joint manager Gary Young said: "It was after the lord mayor's show. There were a few tired legs out after the cup final and, overall, it was very disappointing. I have no complaints whatsoever about the result. They were the better side."

LITTLEHAMPTON: Stoner; Young, McKay, Crawford, Hazell; Russell, Peacock, O'Hagan, Charman; Buckett, Lawson. Subs: Adedoja (Charman 62), Windsor (Crawford 66), Manning (Peacock 71), Tabor.

RUSTINGTON: McCarthy; Butcher, Wimbleton, Smith, Green; Matthews, Hudson, Bennett, Darwin; Boxall, Adams. Subs: Gibbs (Matthews 45), Cox (Adams 81), Tucker (Green 89), Woodward, Farrell.

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