Extra-time success for Golds at Newhaven

Golds manager Mark Bennett felt his side could have had the game wrapped up by half-time against their fellow County League Division 2 opponents, with the number of opportunities his side had in a scoreless first half.

But George Gaskin, Danny Hand and Nathan Peacock were all guilty of missing chances. Hand had an effort ruled out for offside in the second half, before Littlehampton went ahead on 75 minutes when Gaskin bundled home his eighth goal of the season after a goalmouth scramble.

Littlehampton then looked to kill the game off with a second but Newhaven won the ball when Golds were on the attack and broke to level through Freddie Beale’s lob with two minutes to go.

Things almost got worse for Littlehampton but Newhaven had an effort ruled out for offside in injury-time and the game moved into extra-time.

Golds went back ahead on 100 minutes when Ross McKay fired home from Mitchell Hand’s corner.

Substitute Jason Jarvis made it 3-1 when he lobbed home his first goal of the season on 108 minutes and Jarvis then completed the scoring with two minutes to go when he netted a one-one-one opening.

Bennett said: “We should have won comfortably but we just missed so many chances.”

Golds will travel to division-higher Ringmer, who won 7-1 at Shoreham in their first-qualifying round tie on Saturday, in the next round.

Bennett said: “They’re a decent side but we beat them in a pre-season friendly, although you can’t really go by that.”