FOOTBALL: Weekly County League round-up

LANCING Football Club had lost their County League Division 2 game with Littlehampton by half-time on Tuesday evening, when they trailed 3-0.

It finished 3-1, but Littlehampton were on the front foot from the beginning, and were ahead inside a minute when Jamie Buckett's long-range shot looped into the back of the net.

Golds pressed home their early territorial dominance and found themselves 2-0 up inside 20 minute. Buckett doubled his tally by swivelling in the box to volley home a well-measured cross from the left.

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If that was not a bad enough start to the game for Lancing, their goalkeeper Luke Green then had to be helped off the field after conceding the second goal, with a suspected dislocated shoulder.

Lancers centre-forward Dan Griffin filled in for Green, and played the remaining 80 minutes between the posts.

To round off a miserable 45 minutes for Lancing, Nathan Peacock tapped home Littlehampton's third after some more good work from Buckett.

After the break, Lancing improved dramatically and had something to show for it when midfielder Lee Garnham fired in to give his side hope in the 55th minute. But that was as good as it got for the home side.

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On Saturday, Darren Boswell inspired Lancing to a 4-3 win over Westfield.

The winger scored three and set up the other, which sparked praise from manager Martin Gander. He said: "Bozzy was fantastic, absolutely brilliant, but again we didn't see it out from a position of comfort, which was disappointing."

After a turgid first half, Boswell put Lancers ahead two minutes after the break and then volleyed home the second from a Dan Griffin cross seven minutes later.

Westfield pulled a goal back but Boswell netted his hat-trick goal in the 70th minute. Ryan Loversidge was then sent off, amid a melee for an alleged spitting incident, but despite the brawl, play was allowed to continue and Westfield grabbed themselves a lifeline.

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Again Lancers rallied and it looked as though they had finally put the game to bed through Shaun Skipper. With time running out, Westfield bundled home their third from a corner, but Lancers held on.

Gander added: "The incident with Ryan was bizarre, and although I can't condone what he did, not stopping play was a very strange decision.

"I didn't see the incident, it was too far away, but I felt they should have had a player sent off for the initial challenge that Ryan reacted to."

LANCING v Littlehampton: Green; Borrer, Ford, Mighall, McCabe; Boswell, Hutchinson, Beard, Garnham; Griffin, Partridge. Subs: Simms (Green 11), Skipper (Hutchinson 63), Clayton (McCabe 85).

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v Westfield: Green; Borrer, McCabe, Ford, Mighall; Boswell, Beard, Sims, Garnham; Hutchinson, Griffin. Subs: Partridge (Griffin 65), Skipper, R. Loversidge (Hutchinson, Garnham 72).

Worthing United came from behind to win 2-1 at home to Little Common on Saturday.

An early Lewis Hole strike from a long free kick put Common ahead in the 10th minute.

United levelled three minutes after half-time when Darren Annis turned in an Andy Alexander shot to equalise. It was 2-1 just 12 minutes later. Wayne Joseph's left-wing cross fell to Grant Philpott, who smashed home from close range.

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United joint boss Jason Rutherford said: "It was a tight game and a massive win for us.

"The spirit and attitude we showed was excellent and they're one of the teams up there, so it was an important win. We keep giving away sloppy goals from set pieces but we're still managing to grind out wins."

On Tuesday, United's game at East Preston was abandoned after 25 minutes owing to floodlight failure.

Before the lights went out, United's Andy Alexander's glancing header went just over and Darren Annis hit the bar.

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UNITED v Common: Standen; Hunt, Alexander, Elliot, Hibberd; Joseph, Bentley, Hayward, Philpott; Annis, Benn (debut). Subs: Corkhill, Beeney (Annis, Joseph 85), Moody.

Storrington's 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Rustington on Saturday was another set-back after the optimism of a decent win against Little Common.

Manager Rick Hamilton pointed to a "toothless" display up front, as the Swans failed to worry the visiting keeper, and said his side appear uncomfortable with a favourites tag.

Storrington are comfortably mid-table, but are tantalisingly close to stringing together a really good run of results to begin a march up the table.

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Hamilton said: "I think it was a hangover from last week's win. It was a lethargic display, and we seem to play one week on, one week off at the moment."

Rustington opened the scoring when Daryll Hunter tackled Chris Kirkham and the ball squirmed out and underneath on-rushing goalkeeper Gary Elliott. Kirkham was first to his feet and prodded the ball home.

James Butt doubled the lead before the hour mark, as Swans' marking went missing from a corner and Butt smashed home.

In their attempts to haul a goal back, James Davis fired over and Dean Potter, in his first appearance since an Achilles injury in August, headed straight at the keeper.

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STORRINGTON: Elliott; Blaydon, Carter, Watton, Hunter; Tasker, Rhodie, Humphries, Tidman; Harding, Grantham. Subs: David (Watton 60), Sleat (Hunter 45), Potter (Grantham 75).

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Email the Herald: steve.bailey@worthingherald.co.uk