United mugged, then robbed

Peter Baker and Owen Ball missed from 12 yards as The Blues lost out on spot kicks against their Sussex Division One rivals.

"It was a cruel way to lose," said assistant manager Andy Laskey. "I thought it was a game we should have won. We were very comfortable first half, but we didn't capitalise on the chances we had. The second half we just didn't perform at all and, by the time it got to extra-time, we had probably got our heads back on the game and were probably controlling it."

But the failure to convert those first half opportunities was probably where the tie started to drift away from Sidley.

Dave Ward made one of them count to equalise in the 41st minute, but he probably could have had two more as Wick struggled to cope with the link play between Sidley's midfield and forwards.

The Blues had gone behind three minutes before they scored when Ball put through his own goal under pressure from Pete Christodoulou at a corner that goalkeeper Peter Newstead, celebrating his 21st birthday, may have come and claimed.

Sidley hit the front for the one and only time when Peter Baker converted a penalty awarded for handball 11 minutes into the second period.

Wick restored parity once more when Mike Duffell exploited hesitation between Newstead, Ball and Graham Morris to drive home Kieran Howard's ball over the top.

The West Sussex side had the chance to win the match in normal time, but skewed a penalty well wide of the target.

Extra-time was also inconclusive, but Wick progressed when Duffell dispatched their final kick in the shoot-out. Jordan Wood and Morris were successful with their efforts for United, while Newstead saved from Hassan Yassan.

To make matters worse, Sidley left the field to find their dressing room had been broken into and a number of articles had been stolen.

Manager Liam Barham, who limped through extra-time with a suspected cracked rib, was worst hit as his car keys were taken, while a number of players lost relatively small sums of money and non-expensive watches.

Sidley: Newstead, Lister (Wooller), Harrison (Clarke), Ball, G. Morris, Steward, Barham, S. Morris (J. Wood), Baker, Miles, Ward.

Peter Baker and Owen Ball missed from 12 yards as The Blues lost out on spot kicks against their Sussex Division One rivals.

"It was a cruel way to lose," said assistant manager Andy Laskey. "I thought it was a game we should have won. We were very comfortable first half, but we didn't capitalise on the chances we had. The second half we just didn't perform at all and, by the time it got to extra-time, we had probably got our heads back on the game and were probably controlling it."

But the failure to convert those first half opportunities was probably where the tie started to drift away from Sidley.

Dave Ward made one of them count to equalise in the 41st minute, but he probably could have had two more as Wick struggled to cope with the link play between Sidley's midfield and forwards.

The Blues had gone behind three minutes before they scored when Ball put through his own goal under pressure from Pete Christodoulou at a corner that goalkeeper Peter Newstead, celebrating his 21st birthday, may have come and claimed.

Sidley hit the front for the one and only time when Peter Baker converted a penalty awarded for handball 11 minutes into the second period.

Wick restored parity once more when Mike Duffell exploited hesitation between Newstead, Ball and Graham Morris to drive home Kieran Howard's ball over the top.

The West Sussex side had the chance to win the match in normal time, but skewed a penalty well wide of the target.

Extra-time was also inconclusive, but Wick progressed when Duffell dispatched their final kick in the shoot-out. Jordan Wood and Morris were successful with their efforts for United, while Newstead saved from Hassan Yassan.

To make matters worse, Sidley left the field to find their dressing room had been broken into and a number of articles had been stolen.

Manager Liam Barham, who limped through extra-time with a suspected cracked rib, was worst hit as his car keys were taken, while a number of players lost relatively small sums of money and non-expensive watches.

Sidley: Newstead, Lister (Wooller), Harrison (Clarke), Ball, G. Morris, Steward, Barham, S. Morris (J. Wood), Baker, Miles, Ward.