Five-star EP clinch double

EP, who had wrapped up the league title the weekend before, took the lead inside the opening minute when Charlie Oatway slotted home a penalty after Danny Hand had brought down Matt Axell.

East Preston doubled their lead on 35 minutes when George Gaskin whipped in an excellent inswinging cross from the right and captain Joe Shelley glanced a header home.

It was 3-0 shortly before half-time when Axell controlled Shelley’s ball forward and then fired home an outstanding volley from 22 yards low into bottom right-hand corner.

Gaskin slotted home the fourth six minutes into the second half and Shelley dinked the fifth over Golds keeper Jon Hendrick from Alex Duncan’s pass on 65 minutes.

Littlehampton kept going, though, and deservedly got a goal back on 76 minutes when Peter Beadle lashed the ball into the roof of the net after Mitchell Hand’s corner was not cleared.

For full report and reaction from EP boss Dominic Di Paola and Golds manager Mark Bennett, see the April 12 edition of the Littlehampton Gazette.