Thommo's red card in thriller

On 77 minutes a goalmouth scramble saw Matt May and Phil Elkins make goalline clearances before the ball flew over the crossbar and seemingly well out of play.

However, the wind bizarrely blew the ball back into the goalmouth where Liam Baitup was on hand to force the ball over the goalline.

The Ringmer players were incensed at the failure of the officials to spot that the ball had gone out of play but to no avail as May was booked and Thomsett dismissed.

Blues' manager Steve Johnson said: 'I was gutted and that goal was crucial. But it was a great game and we deserved something from it.'

On a blustery night the early initiative was taken by the home side, so it was against the run of play that Luke Gedling opened the scoring for Ringmer with a delicate chip after being sent clear by Miles Scerri in the eighth minute.

The play swung from end to end and for the Blues Danny McLaughlin's shot from 25 yards flew over the crossbar while Chris Dicker, one of four ex-Ringmer players on view for Town, saw two efforts go wide. Ringmer lost Mark Price shortly before half-time with blurred vision following an earlier elbow from John Piercy.

A lively opening to the second half saw Gedling create chances for Dan Evans and Aaron MacMillan. Then, following a cross from McLaughlin, Scerri was twice denied by a defender on the goalline.

The hosts pressed for an equaliser and it came with 20 minutes left when a long throw-in from Luke Denton was headed home by Shaun Loft.

Baitup's controversial goal followed, but the Blues drew level five minutes later when Gedling chased a through ball from Aaron MacMillan and rounded the goalkeeper before planting it firmly into the net.

Town stormed back to put pressure on Ringmer's depleted defence and deep into stoppage time a goal-line clearance from Ryan MacMillan fell kindly to Denton on the edge of the penalty area to fire home through a ruck of players.

Ringmer: May, Stagg, Evans, Thomsett, P Elkins, Price (R MacMillan), Beeston, Gedling, King (A MacMillan), Scerri, McLaughlin. Unused subs: Stevens, Adams.