West Sussex League football: Nice Lyttle win for Lavant

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Lavant 4 Holbrook 1

West Sussex League premier division

Lavant’s hunt for their first win of the season was delivered with an assured performance.

From the start Lavant played with an intensity missing from the previous week with the midfield trio of James Brooks, Matt Stevens and Simon Augustus proving a great engine room.

The trio allowed the attacking three of James Sandford, Aaron Hancock and Peter Caveney to cause the opposition’s back line no end of grief.

After 20 minutes Lavant got their reward for a positive start, Hancock breaking away at pace only to be felled in the area. Lavant’s track record from the spot isn’t the best, so spot-kick duties went to centre-back Paul Jones, who thumped it home.

Lavant kicked on and ten minutes later added a second. A free-kick on the edge of the attacking third was taken quickly by Sandford, who found Matt Lyttle wide left. His first touch took him into a great goalscoring opportunity and it was pure desire that had the beating of the defender as he fired home a right-footed drive.

Sandford was set free in the inside right channel and outmuscled the Holbrook centre-half and crossed for the unmarked Caveney to convert from just a couple of yards. That’s three in three now for the wideman.

The second half for Lavant was all about not giving Holbrook any hope of getting back in the match and Lyttle got his second of the game from a sweetly-struck free-kick from 25 yards.

Tiredness started to creep in and a Lavant throw in their defensive third was sent back to the keeper, whose attempted clearance was blocked by the Holbrook forward for a consolation goal.

Holbrook made the last 20 minutes nervous for the home side but the defence held firm.

LAVANT: Bevan, Gabb, Jones, Lyttle, Wright, Stevens, Augustus, Brooks, Hancock, Caveney, Sandford. Subs: Holmes, Mclaren.

West Chiltington Res 0 Lavant Res 3

Division three south

Lavant reserves secured their first win of the season with three unanswered second-half goals to move into fourth spot.

After a poor quick free-kick was intercepted, Lavant striker John Langridge’s effort cleared the onrushing keeper but the bar as well. Ten minutes later, a long goal-kick was misjudged by the Chilt defence but Greg Ayling was unable to reach the loose ball.

An injury to left-back Matt Grace saw a reshuffle and the men in yellow began to take control.

On the hour, Adam Yaxley was denied by a good stop, but Lavant were ahead eight minutes later. A flowing move involving six players resulted in a clumsy challenge on Yaxley 20 yards from goal. Ayling bent the ball sublimely round the wall and in via the post.

Lavant turned the screw and scored again on 75 minutes. MoM Yaxley was again played in down the left and was brought down by a clumsy challenge from Dann. Ayling stepped up to convert the penalty and the away side were cruising.

Langridge drove the ball under the advancing keeper and into the far corner for the third.

LAVANT: Baylis, Smith, Polack, Latham, Grace, Parker, S Yaxley, A Yaxley, Harvey, Ayling, Langridge. Subs: Polack, Cieszynski.

Fernhurst FC again have two senior team playing in the West Sussex League.

The first team are now in divison two south and the reserves are in division five central.

Fernhurst have seen more players signing on for these teams and they are aiming for promotion again this year.

The junior side of the club have about 70 members and this year have entered the South Surrey League for the under-eights.

The club want to build on the success of this and hope to increase the number of junior teams by attracting new members to a fun volunteer-led ambitious club with a good ground.

They hosted a tournament involving Haslemere, Milford and Chiddingfold competed with Fernhurst for the Hospital Cup, which was first awarded in 1932.

Haslemere are the proud holders of the Hospital cup this year and Milford Puma Jets were awarded the Gerald Puttick Trophy for the juniors.

A sum of £100 was donated by the club to the League of Friends at Haslemere Hospital.

For more information about Fernhurst FC, see www.fernhurstfootballclub.org.uk

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