First United season hailed a ‘huge success’

There was hope, assuming that Haywards Heath were to lose, that Jon Tucker’s side could finish in fifth place, but it was not to be as visitors and fourth-placed Little Common won by the odd goal in seven at Crabtree Lane.

The hosts barely got out of the blocks as centre halves Kieron Playle-Howard and Spencer Newman failed to communicate within a minute of the kick-off to allow Dom Bristow through on goal, but the makeshift frontman scuffed his effort wide. The visitors had a reasonable shout for a penalty a minute later as Playle-Howard appeared to bundle Bristow over, but the referee waved play on.

Little Common did take the lead in the ninth minute, though, as Bristow headed a corner goalwards for centre-back Jerome Smith to volley home from close range.

Wick & Barnham immediately equalised as Mark Pedrick’s precise crossfield pass found Ash Harper on the edge of the box and he buried his effort on 11 minutes.

Tucker’s men were then on the front foot with chances falling to Pedrick and Harper, but it was the visitors who went back ahead as Wick right-back Joss Parsons, under pressure from Bristow, headed past Matt Redman in the home goal after 33 minutes.

The scores were level again on 62 minutes as Harper robbed left-back Steve Mote, took the ball around the keeper and tapped the ball into an empty net.

The game appeared to be heading for a draw until the 79th minute when Common’s Russell Eldridge’s free kick deflected off the wall and into the top corner.

Five minutes later another free kick, this time from the left touchline by James Vaughan, missed everyone and ended up in the far corner to give the visitors a two-goal cushion.

This lead was narrowed on 86 minutes as Pedrick’s scuffed corner got the faintest of touches from Playle-Howard but it was too little, too late, for the hosts.

Tucker said: “It’s been a really successful year, especially the second half of the season and we’ll look to build on this next year. Okay, so today was a slightly disappointing way to finish but I really can’t complain overall.”