Super Sids on a roll ... Lavant suffer heartbreak

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Sidlesham 3 Langney Wanderers 0

Sussex League Div 3 Cup QF

Sidlesham booked their place in the semi-finals of the cup in convincing fashion.

They named an unchanged team from the win over Bosham but welcomed Dan Cowell and Steve Williams back to the bench.

Sids started confidently but for the first 20 minutes both sides cancelled each other out.

On 20 minutes, though, Sidlesham strung together a series of passes which eventually cut open the Langney defence and a Danny Millins cross was volleyed home first time by Dan Bassil, low to the keeper’s right.

Sids should have doubled their lead when a deep cross was dropped by the keeper. The ball fell perfectly for Bassil but with the goal at his mercy, he miscued his shot.

Langney had shouts for a penalty just before the break and went close with a header that just went wide, but the home side went in 1-0 up.

The second half saw Sids looking in control but Langney seeming like they could cause a threat on the break.

Bassil was replaced by top scorer Tom Kelly but the home side had to wait until the 80th minute to double their lead when a delightful chest down by substitute Alex Pearce fell to Millins 20 yards out. He took one touch to set himself and fired in low and hard with his left foot.

The game was put to bed when Millins was sent clear down the right and his cross was met first time on the volley by the hard-working Tom Bayley ten yards out, his effort hitting the post and going in. Bayley had worked tirelessly and deserved his goal.

Langney hit their only attempts on target deep into injury time but John Pope made a point-blank save and then a double save to preserve another clean sheet.

MoM was Barry McCoy, with a solid display from the centre-back keeping quiet the league’s top scorer.

Sidlesham will meet Rottingdean or Roffey in the semi-finals and Sids welcome Rottingdean to the Rec for a 2pm league clash this Saturday.

SIDS: Pope, Grantham, Carrigher, McCoy, Robinson, Bennett (Pearce), T Jefkins, Phillips, Millins (Williams), Bassil (Kelly), Bayley.

Lavant 2 Arundel Res 3 (aet)

Sussex Intermediate Cup SF

LAVANT are wondering how on earth they’re not in the cup final after two hours of football that showed the best and worst of a village side very much improved from 12 months ago.

From the off, Lavant were at their opponents and could have been 1-0 up in the opening minute – but the woodwork saved Arundel’s blushes from James Sandford’s effort.

Lavants build-up play was neat and purposeful and in the 24th minute they were given a golden opportunity to take the lead after a Dave Knight cross was handled in the box, but James Brook’s penalty was well-saved by the Arundel keeper.

Further chances fell to Lavant before the break with Brooks in the thick of it but half-time came and Lavant should have been out of sight.

The second half saw Arundel much improved, switching the ball well and using their wide men.

Ten minutes into the half Arundel were awarded a penalty with their forward beating Neil Sanson to the ball and being clipped. Sanson was sent the wrong way from the resulting kick.

Six minutes later Lavant levelled when the impressive James Batten headed home a Sandford free-kick. The remainder of the half was goalless and extra-time was needed.

Lavant started with some good passing moves and again it was Brooks getting on the end of many a move – but it really wasn’t his day in front of goal. But it wasn’t until the second half of extra-time and the 116th minute where the drama truly unfolded.

Knight, with the ball on the dead-ball line, managed to find the back of the net, curling the ball in at the back post. Just four minutes stood between Lavant and the Intermediate Cup final.

But now it was time for the worst of this Lavant side. It was stoppage time in extra time and a long hopeful ball from Arundel seemed to be carrying through to the Lavant keeper, with defender Paul Jones close by.

The end result was the ball looping over Sanson, and though it seemed as if it would trickle wide, credit to the Arundel forward who made the ground up to poke into the empty net.

The game looked destined for penalties, but Lavant were wounded and Arundel took full advantag. School boy defending saw an Arundel forward again felled in the box when all that was needed was for the defence to keep him at bay – there was no real goalscoring opportunity. The forward got up to dispatch the resulting penalty – and leave Lavant’s hearts broken.

LAVANT: Sanson, Gabb, Jones, Lyttle, Wright, Batten, Brooks, Knight, Hancock, Haggar, Sandford. Subs: Maclean, Neville, Loversidge.

Chapel 2 Lavant Res 5

Division four south

Chapel started well and Chris Jones put them in front after eight minutes when he lobbed the keeper from close range.

But this brought Lavant into life and within five minutes they were level from a corner.

Chapel went ahead again through Tony Scutt but within ten minutes Lavant were level with the best goal of the game – a first-time strike from 25 yards.

Just before half-time Lavant when ahead when the home keeper and a defender both lost their footing in the goal area and presented a grateful forward with an open goal.

The second half was fairly even until the last 15 minutes when Lavant added two late goals.