Ringmer AFC suffer week of woe in Worthing
Ringmer AFC suffered two defeats at Worthing United in the space of three days as they bowed out of the SCFL Division 1 Challenge Cup and were stung by a heavy league defeat.
On Saturday, they exited the cup as a poor second round tie ended in a 1-0 defeat.
An error-strewn 90 minutes at the Robert Albon Memorial Ground saw Ethan Roberts' 49th-minute goal make the difference, with Ringmer's defending called into question for the move.
Otherwise, neither goalkeeper was seriously tested on an afternoon where an uneven surface and second-half downpours allowed neither side to find their rhythm.
First-half efforts from Will Fenner and Tyriece Whiteoak, and a 25-yard Lucas Sewell scorcher which went just over the bar was the Blues' best chances, with the tie otherwise petering out for the Blues.
Worthing therefore booked their place in the quarter-finals.
The Blues then suffered their heaviest competitive defeat since May 2023 as they returned to Lyons Way on Tuesday night. They were routed 7-1 by the Mavericks in a bruising SCFL Division 1 encounter.
Keen to deliver a better display, the Blues started in promising fashion, with their five changes, including captain Charlie Northeast and key midfielders Jamie Blackford and Rhys Taylor, improving the overall rhythm of their play.
Once the goals started to flow from set-pieces, however, Ringmer crumbled under the weight of a ruthless Mavericks performance.
Goals from Tom Butler, Ethan Roberts, Dean Sherwood and Lee Garnham put the game to bed by half-time, before Ringmer showed more spirit and responded with Blackford’s beautiful 20-yard second-half goal.
Another defensive error for Worthing's fifth ended any chance of a comeback, with the hosts piling on the misery with two further goals in the closing 20 minutes.
Ringmer do not have any time to feel sorry for themselves, with a long trip to Billingshurst awaiting this Saturday.
The West Sussex side sit 6th in the SCFL Division One table and their league matches this season average exactly four goals per game - the highest in the division.