Mac praises battlers

Stevens took a kick at grounded City skipper Alex Ward and McCreadie said: 'We've no argument with the sending off, it was silly.

'Simon's not like that, he's a good player and we will miss him when his suspension starts.

'I was proud of my team's spirit in the second half, you wouldn't have known which side had only ten men.

'We came to life and took the game to them and our equaliser was well deserved.

'I must also praise goalkeeper Russell Tanner, he made a couple of great saves.'

Hailsham had produced little of note in the first half and went behind on 38 minutes after the defence failed to deal with a corner and Scott Tipper smashed the ball past the stranded Tanner.

It could have been worse as seconds later Tipper scuffed his shot from only six yards.

McCreadie stung a few ears at half-time and Town came out revitalised as Ashley Jarvis dropped back to strengthen the midfield.

Hailsham were level on 57 minutes when Martin Richardson was left with space to fire home from 12 yards.

Tanner came to the rescue with a series of saves including a spectacular one-handed effort near time.

Stevens is not available for tomorrow's John O'Hara Cup visit from East Preston.

Hailsham: Tanner, Early (Newby), M Richardson, P Richardson, Spencer, Satchwell, Stevens, French (Cooper), Barden (Skan), Jarvis, Done.

County League Three

Bosham 1 Newhaven 3

NEWHAVEN manager Jason Tighe blew his chances of a hat-trick when he missed from the penalty spot on Saturday. Tighe, who had scored in the 21st and 68th minutes, said: 'To be honest it was a good height for the goalkeeper to save.

'Simon Halsey is our regular penalty taker and he said to me 'are we going to be professional about this?'

'I said 'hang on Si, I'm on a hat-trick and I'm the manager.' My wife and son, who were watching, gave me some stick for the miss!

'Bosham had a couple of half chances but for the most part we were in total control. We could have scored a lot more, Simon Halsey chipped the keeper and the crossbar twice. One day when we take all our chances someone is going to take a real hammering.'

Tighe scored his first goal on 21 minutes after the ball had been cleared from a corner. Chris Georgiou put the ball back in and Halsey at the far post headed across for Tighe to head into an empty net with the goalkeeper out of position.

The second came in the 58th minute when Nathan McGill, who gave Bosham trouble all afternoon, fed Ross Newman to slot the ball home.

It was 3-0 ten minutes later as Tighe slid in to score with a sidefoot volley from six yards.

Tonight Tighe has a full squad when Newhaven are at home to Horsham YMCA Reserves in the Vernon Wentworth Cup.

Newhaven: Hildersley, Edwards, Leiper, Tighe, Bartholomew (Aylward), McGill, Breach, Holmes, Georgiou, Newman, Halsey.

County League Two

Seaford 0 Oakwood 4

SEAFORD had one of their bad days on Saturday as they took a severe home beating from Oakwood.

Seaford slipped a goal behind after only two minutes when Ian Gardiner fed Phil Butcher and the latter fired low into the corner of the net.

Zak Newman was causing Seaford all sorts of problems and he should have scored on six minutes, while at the other end Tristan Jobe missed from six yards from Ben Dartnall's corner.

That was Seaford's first goal attempt and they went two behind on 35 minutes when an Oakwood free-kick 30 yards out found Jamie McCoy unmarked and he knocked the ball home.

Adam Kneller went close from a free-kick on 42 minutes, but the half-time whistle signalled Seaford's poorest display of the season.

Manager Duncan Kneller replaced Lee Plastow with Lewis Wingate to try to shore up the defence, but Oakwood's Newman had other ideas.

Within two minutes of the re-start he got round the back of the Seaford defence and tapped in.

Sam Hamblin and Tom Smith came on for Seaford but there was little improvement and Oakwood scored their fourth with ten minutes remaining when Newman popped up in the six-yard box and flicked the ball home.

Seaford: Maher, Moore, Mayo (Smith), Hammond, Allison, L Plastow (Wingate), A Kneller, Dartnall, Jobe, Callaghan, C Stanyard (Hamblin).

County League Two

St Francis Rangers 6 Saltdean 0

SALTDEAN manager Mark Smeaton is promising big changes after Saturday's comprehensive defeat.

Smeaton said: 'The latest two heavy defeats have been disappointing, there'll be changes for Storrington on Saturday.

'At half-time and 1-0 down we had a chance and I changed it to 4-3-3, but after Craig Bunch and Michael Pietzak missed opportunities we just fell to pieces in the second half.

'We lost my son, Carl, after 20 minutes with a knee injury and I didn't have a reserve goalkeeper so Lee Stevens took over.

'Carl came out to sweep up a through ball and collided with their forward. It was a foul but not a sending off offence as the player was going away from goal.

'We've a young side and are suffering from injuries and suspensions. I've got my captain Justin Cole banned for three weeks now, but at least Lee Slade is coming back and Des Hamilton is nearly free of injury.'

Saltdean: Smeaton (Stevens), Smith, Clarke, Simondson, Burns, Bentley, Bradbury, Cole Saxby (Washington), Pietzak, Bunch (Loader).

County League One

Littlehampton 3 Crowborough 1

THE Crows have only themselves to blame as on a perfect playing surface they crashed to only their second defeat of the season as they created numerous chances but failed to take advantage.

Littlehampton goalkeeper Wes Hallett first denied Dave Adams on 18 minutes and then produced a superb save from a Nathan Godden blockbuster that was destined for the top corner.

The Crows's defence generally held a good line but on 22 minutes was caught out as Derek Chester beat Phil Rhodes and crossed to the unmarked Steve Davies to put the hosts one up.

On 30 minutes Crows wasted a golden opportunity to equalise as Hallett was out of position but Adams's lob bounced wide of the target. Hallett then spectacularly pushed away Chamberlain's free-kick and in the dying minutes of the half saved well from Danny Baker.

The second half was only three minutes old when Littlehampton were awarded a dubious free-kick, and Crows defence was caught flatfooted as Davies powered a header into the top corner.

Crows's Kush Movaffagh then dived bravely at the feet of Alaska Kamara and sustained a cut face for his efforts.

Numerous strange refereeing decisions unsettled the visitors although on 65 minutes they were thrown a lifeline when Steve Prodger raced through from his own half, played a neat one-two with Ransome and fired into the far corner.

On 70 minutes Hallett was carried off on a stretcher with knee ligament damage after a fair challenge from Ransome. Skipper Gary Young took over the goalkeeper's jersey.

It was Littlehampton who struck again after a schoolboy mix-up between Craig Bishop and Movaffagh which allowed Kamara to shoot into an empty net.

The hosts then switched to 4-5-1 as Crows sent on Ross Trevelan as an extra striker. Stand-in keeper Young saved with his legs from Adams and then Wayne Clark beat three defenders but saw his effort go over.

Crowborough: Movaffagh, Meek (Trevelan), Prodger, Rhodes, C Bishop, Godden, Clarke, Chamberlain, Adams, Baker (Body), Ransome.

John O'Hara League Cup

2nd Round

Wealden 3 Wick 0

A good midfield display and excellent defending against an in-form Division One side saw Wealden progress smoothly to the next round.

Manager Mark Simpson said: 'It was a pleasing win, we kept the ball well and took our chances.

'It helped when their main striker was sent off early in the second half for two yellow cards after he had a go at Paul Thomsett.'

After 10 minutes Wes Tate gave the Wick defence a warning of what was to come when he outpaced the defenders and shot across goal but just wide.

Andy Johnson saw a goalbound shot blocked by his brother Chris, while from a free-kick Reece Head's shot rebounded off a defender and Andy Johnson's follow-up was deflected for a corner.

Wealden finally got their reward on 31 minutes when Steve Davies crossed and Wes Tate sidestepped his marker. The covering defender attempted to block Tate's goalbound shot but could only help it into the net.

Wealden were now well on top and Ben Mitchell showed his pace as he cut inside, but his fierce shot was parried away. From the corner Davies found Sean Brownall, but again the Wick keeper saved well.

It was all Wealden now and Craig Ottley had the keeper diving back to flick out his cross shot. Wealden were playing some excellent one-touch football and troubling the Wick defence constantly, the reward coming in the 68th minute when Davies finished well following a powerful run and cross from Tate.

Tate was again the provider for Chris Ward to grab Wealden's third on 89 minutes.

Tomorrow Gareth Clarke returns to goal for the Sussex Senior Cup tie at Crawley Down, but Dan Merry is still missing following his car accident.

Wealden: J Brownall, Head, Thomsett, S Brownall, Ottley, A Johnson, C Johnson (Oliver), Gearing, Davies (Ward), Tate, Mitchell (Hutchinson).