Brilliant display by Lancing keeper sees them beat Shoreham on penalties

Dean Cox’s side were indebted to the brilliance of Brown in this Peter Bentley Cup tie, as time and again he thwarted everything the Mussels could throw at him. That was until the 91st minute when, in one of those cruel twists only football can provide, he put through his own goal when attempting to clear.

That paved the way for penalties but Brown would redeem himself as he saved the sixth spot kick from Charlie Farmer. Farmer’s team mate and captain, Alfie Proto-Gates, erred with his side’s next effort as he struck the bar to send Lancing through. Four perfect penalties from Tyrese Mthunzi, Ramon De Santos, Szymon Kowalczyk and the excellent Ellis Collier did the job to set up a tie at local rivals Worthing United in the next round.

In truth, Shoreham will feel they did enough over the 90 minutes to warrant a place in round three. The Lancers had their fair share of openings, too, but Mussels looked far more likely throughout the contest.

The dye was cast in the early moments when Theo Maryon found himself through, only to poke wide of the target. Alfie Marchant then utilised his pace and trickery to burst into the box, but his end product did not match his skill and the chance was wasted.

Brown’s first entry into his showreel came in the 18th minute when Jesse Burbridge fired through a posse of players with a 20-yarder, but Brown reacted superbly to claw the ball out.

Dylan Walter was next to sting the palms of the keeper, whilst Lancers went close themselves through Gabe Robinson after good work from Frankie Spiteri.

Charlie Bonwick-Adams was next to go close from right-back, but Lancing took the lead against the run of play a minute before the break.

Shoreham were guilty of playing out from the back and Lancers debutant Kowalczyk seized on the loose pass to steer the ball beyond Elliott Dailly and in.

There cannot have been many better goalkeeping performances at Culver Road than this one. Brown was simply magnificent for his side all night and perhaps his best save was his most unorthodox. It came when Walter picked out Maryon eight yards out but Brown was out quickly to expertly block with a leg before springing into action again to turn away the follow up.

Alfie Mitchell had a header blocked but the Lancers remained a threat on the counter. One such foray saw the diminutive Collier brilliantly burst clear and find Zachariah Rhioui, Rhioui skipped round the advancing Dailly and looked certain to score but somehow blazed over the top with the goal gaping.

Taylor Harding, Michael Donovan and Tyron Berlizov were all introduced as Edwards made a triple substitution in an attempt to turn the tide. But Brown was putting on a clinic and, try as they might, the Mussels simply could not find a way through. The keeper tipped wide to deny the substitute Berlizov and then kept out Alfie Proto-Gates whom had tried his luck with a curler.

Bonwick-Adams was the latest Shoreham player to be thwarted by the stopper, but – as if to illustrate the unique vagaries of goalkeeping – Brown was at fault for the Musselmen’s leveller.

No one inside the ground was quite sure what happened but he dived to collect the ball and it somehow squirmed under him and ended up in the net.

That set up the denouement from 12 yards – Harding and Donovan scored for Shoreham whilst Farmer was denied and Proto-Gates struck the upright. Lancing were faultless from the spot and scored all four to seal their cup progress.