Clymping fell Forest to open up six-points gap at bottom

Rory Barber’s first-half goal was enough for Clymping to move further ahead of second-from-bottom Haywards Heath, who have three games in hand.

Clymping secretary Gav Weller praised the hard-fought nature of his side’s win, and said: “They played the better football and missed two penalties, which obviously helped our cause, but we stuck at it and ground out the 1-0 win, which is pleasing.

“That’s something we perhaps might not have been able to do earlier in the season, so it’s good progress and it’s nice to have that cushion on the teams below us.

“We’ve pulled in some of the other sides above us as well, although we’ve played the most games in the league, so we’ll wait and see.

“Recent results have given us confidence and belief, we had to see it out with 10 men but they never got in behind us, despite playing the better football.”

Barber controlled and finished well on 26 minutes after Steve Webb and Ian Sharpe linked up, but Forest then spurned the chance to level when Clymping keeper Dan Hargreaves pushed away a penalty five minutes before the break.

Another Forest spot-kick was blazed over in the second half, before Daniel Sparrow was sent off for a second booking but Clymping held on for their second victory in three league games.

Clymping travel to fourth-from-bottom Uckfield Town on Saturday. The game kicks off at 2pm.