EP fight back to win at Littlehampton

Golds’ Richie Hellen hit the bar early on from a free kick, while Nathan Peacock also went close before Ross McKay poked home from a Hellen corner on 17 minutes.

Kevin Budge levelled things for EP just after the half-hour mark, finishing at the second attempt from Mark Dixon’s cross.

After the break, John Lawson struck on 48 minutes, again from a Dixon cross, to complete the comeback.

EP continued to push and Budge forced two good saves, while Joe Charman also went close. In a chance to draw things level, Golds’ Jason Jarvis had his one-on-one with five minutes left blocked away.

EP manager Paul Bird said: “We were quite lucky to come in at 1-1 at half-time, and we spoke to the lads and said we hadn’t even started yet.

“But after our second half-performance I think we thoroughly deserved it. The early goal in the second half settled us and we went on to create a few more chances.

“After Saturday, we were very disappointed and we made sure we had a few words to express how we felt. The guys took it onboard, despite a slow start in the first half and did everything we wanted them to.”

Golds boss John Suter said: “Disappointment is the over-riding feeling. It was a game we could have won, we hit the bar twice and had two one-on-ones saved so there’s four chances.

“We are not playing well at the moment, but take nothing away from EP, they played well. I put the goals down to my goalkeeper, really, the first he spilled for Budge to finish and the second from Lawson’s header he went down too early and it bounced over him.”

LITTLEHAMPTON: Banasco-Zaragoza; Young, Mckay, Hazell, Wollers; Gaskin, Hellen, Beadle, Peacock; Burgess, Jarvis. Subs: Schneider (Gaskin 88), Harvey, Tabor, Askew.

EAST PRESTON: Gammons; Dixon, Windsor, Hand, Banfield; Leach, Wilds, Bainbridge; Lawson, Charman, Budge. Subs: Campbell (Leach 50), Farrier (Lawson 65), Da Costa, Gritt, Thompson.