Category: Old News 2004 / 2005

Lavant continued their run of impressive performances taking all three points from Newtown Villain Division 2 of the West Sussex League.

Lavant started cautiously and sat back, allowing Newtown to exert pressure, and with only three minutes gone Newtown were almost ahead, but Martin Pullen managed to get a hand to a goal-bound 35 yard drive.

Lavant started to come back into the game and on ten minutes Ben Thomas came close to opening the scoring with an effort that was just wide.

With six minutes to half time, Lavant were unable to clear the ball to safety and Barry Roberts drove the ball home from the edge of the penalty area.

Four minutes after the break Lavant were level when Newtown failed to clear a corner and Andy Strange pounced on the edge of the box.

Strange then won the ball in midfield and played a delightful through ball to Robby Clackett who made no mistake for his 22^nd goal of the season.

With five minutes remaining Andy Strange found himself one on one with the Newtown keeper but his lob fell wide.

Martin Pullen pulled off a great save late in the game to ensure Lavant of three valuable points.

Team:  Martin Pullen, Jon Strange, Martin Ayers, Simon Blackman, Giles Weller, Ben Thomas, Andy Strange, Tom Parker, Matt Hine, Tom Mason, Robby Clackett. Subs: Chris Bowles, Justin Smith, Dan Woods.  Manager: Dave Kent.

LEADERS Barnham started the game in complete control, and pinned Lavant down.

Slowly Lavant came into the game and took a surprise lead with only11 minutes gone. Alan Sheppard’s shot was blocked and the loose ball fell to Robby Clackett who slotted the ball home.

On 26 minutes Clackett’s strike forced a finger-tip save.

In the second half Ben Thomas chased down a loose ball in midfield and played an inch-perfect pass through the Barnham defence to Clackett who made no mistake.

Barnham responded with a well taken goal, and with 35 minutes gone of the second half they broke down the left and scored again to draw level.

Lavant drew with Eastergate Reserves in a crucial league game with both teams at the foot of division 2 in the West Sussex League.

With eight minutes gone and against the run of play, they opened the scoring with a well-taken goal, Mark Richardson heading home from a Tom parker corner.

Eastergate were slow to recover, and with only 16 minutes gone their defence was harried by Alan Sheppard, an error allowed him break free on the right and score from an acute angle.

Eastergate came at Lavant with renewed effort in an attempt to get back into the game, but it proved hard to break down the back four of Strange, Blackman, Ayers and Weller.  It took an unstoppable 35-yard drive in the 24^th minute to bring Eastergate back into the game.

With only six minutes of the first half left, Lavant should have made it 3-1 after Sheppard managed to break free of the defence with only the keeper to beat, but his shot was saved.

In the 61^st minute Lavant conceded a sloppy second goal. A free-kick was awarded in midfield.  The ball was played into the crowded box and somehow it found its way into the back of the Lavant net.

Each team had opportunities to win the game in the remaining 30 minutes but neither managed to take their chances.

A goal in the last minute by Giles Weller snatched the points for Lavant on Saturday.

On 37 minutes Lavant conceded a throw on the edge of the box and were made to pay when Dabbiri broke from his marker and ran on to beat Martin Pullen from close range.

The half time introduction of Alan Sheppard paid for Lavant and his deflected shot put Lavant level.

The game was evenly balanced until the 60^th minute when Petworth were awarded a penalty.  Pullen in the Lavant goal anticipated Levett’s shot and pulled off a fantastic fingertip save.

With two minutes remaining, Matt Hine almost gave Lavant the lead, but resolute defending by Petworth forced the ball out for yet another corner.  Kent’s resulting cross was looped high into the box and met sweetly by the foot of the incoming Weller.

Petworth: Hodd, Wakeley, Tilson, Whiffin, Solly, Holden, Dabiri, Konieczny, Levett, Torode, Wilson.  Sub Kerridge.

Lavant:  Martin Pullen, Mark Richardson, Martin Ayers, Simon Blackman, Giles Weller, Justin Smith, Andy Strange, Dave Kent, Matt Hine, Tom Parker, Robbie Clackett.  Subs: Alan Sheppard, Jon Strange, Dan Johnson.  Manager: Dave Parker.

Lavant emerged as convincing winners of this Division 2 relegation battle at Rogate on Saturday.

With only ten minutes gone, Andy Strange gave Lavant an early lead after a well-worked move, but this was short-lived as Rogate drew level two minutes later.

With Strange and Dave Kent working hard in mid-field, Lavant started to dominate and were rewarded when Robby Clackett broke free to slot home from an acute angle.

Rogate started the second half in determined fashion and for the first 15 minutes pressed Lavant in an attempt to draw level, but Martin Ayers and Simon Blackman stood firm in defence.

Full-backs Mark Richardson and Giles Weller started to exploit Rogate on the flanks by working some well-executed overlapping moves with wingers Justin Smith and Matt Hine providing numerous crosses into the Rogate box, which were eventually capitalised on when Roget’s keeper made a wild clearance which sailed into the back of his own net.

Following further Lavant pressure Clackett claimed his second goal of the game, and Weller made it 5-1 after heading home from a Kent corner.

With minutes remaining, another well worked Lavant move resulted in Tom Mason scoring from close range.

Team:  Martin Pullen, Justin Smith, Martin Ayers, Simon Blackman, Matt Hine, Giles Weller, Andy Strange, Dave Kent, Mark Richardson, Alan Sheppard, Robby Clackett. Subs: Tom Mason, Dave Maclean, Chris Bowles.  Manager: Dave Parker.

Lavant needed to win in order to bolster their slim chances of staying in Division II of the West Sussex League.

Lavant started well when both Tom mason and Robby Clackett went agonizingly close.

On 25 minutes they took the lead after Robby Clackett chased down a long Lavant Kick which the Hunston keeper attempted to clear, only for the ball to rebound off Clackett’s posterior into the net.

Hunston upped their game, forcing a great finger tip save from Martin Pullen.

Lavant then missed a direct free-kick which Matt Hine drove over the bar.

A cross into the Lavant box was not properly cleared and somehow ended up in the back of the net right on half time.

Honston looped a high ball into the Lavant box which was easily put away from close range.

With five minutes remaining Hunston took advantage of one of their infrequent attacks breaking the Lavant defence to make it 3-1.

Team:  Martin Pullen, Tom Parker, Martin Ayers, Jon Strange, Matt Hine, Giles Weller, Andy Strange, Dave Maclean, Mark Richardson, Tom Mason, Robby Clackett.  Subs: Simon Blackman, Alan Sheppard.   Manager: Dave Kent.

Lavant started the game in ascendancy and without three first class saves from their keeper in the early stages of the game, Shipley’s cup run would have been over.

However Shipley weathered the early barrage with 19 minutes of the first half remaining they took a shock lead against the run of play and minutes later Lavant suffered a further blow when they lost their top scorer Robby Clackett to injury.

Lavant equalised ten minutes into the second half when they rounded off a scintillating six man move through Mark Richardson.

The remainder of the game was open, with both teams trying to kill off the tie. With six minutes remaining, Shipley broke the deadlock and scored what turned out to be the winner.

Team:  Martin Pullen, Justin Smith, Martin Ayers, Jon Strange, Matt Hine, Giles Weller, Andy Strange, Dave Maclean, Mark Richardson, Alan Sheppard, Robby Clackett.  Subs: Tom Mason, Dan Woods.   Manager: Dave Parker.

Just 20 minutes into the game , Clackett broke free only to be brought down in the Clymping box.  Tom parker duly despatched the penalty making it 1-0 to Lavant.

Clymping then strived to get back into the game and with ten minutes remaining of the first half they were level from a low shot on the edge of the box just beating Martin Pullen in the Lavant goal.

Clymping started the second half in control and scored after ten minutes from a quickly-taken free kick on the edge of the box.

Lavant responded two minutes later when Giles Weller breaking free and crossing the ball neatly along the six yard box for Clackett to drive home.

Lavant were now back on top playing some good football and were rewarded in the 73^rd minute when Clackett hammered home a 25-yard volley, to make it 3-2.

Two minutes later Clymping were once again level, after beating the Lavant defence on the right flank and getting a cross into the box, which was headed in.

With eight minutes remaining Clymping regained the lead, with a long-distance shot bouncing wickedly in front of the Lavant keeper and ending up in the back of the net.

Team:  Martin Pullen, Justin Smith, Martin Ayers, Jon Strange, Matt Hine, Giles Weller, Andy Strange, Tom Parker, Tom Mason, Alan Sheppard, Robby Clackett.  Subs: Mark Richardson, Dave Kent, Simon Blackman.   Manager: Dave Parker.

Just 15 minutes into the game and against the run of play Worthing took the lead from a corner.

Lavant started the second half strongly and got their reward in the 60^th minute when Ayers intercepted the ball in the Lavant box, played a neat one-two with Sheppard and then ran the length of the pitch to beat the Worthing keeper.

With 25 minutes remaining Worthing scored the winner when a free-kick was lofted high into the Lavant box.

Lavant from left to right: Dave Parker (Manager), Justin Smith, Dan Johnson, Tom Mason, Robby Clackett, Mark Richardson, Martin Pullen, Simon Blackman, Martin Ayers, Andy Strange, Alan Sheppard, Tom Parker, Jon Strange, Giles Weller, Chris Bowles, Dave Kent

After the absence of nearly two seasons Lavant of West Sussex Division 2, returned to playing their home games on a new pitch.

On the village green and in front of a crowd of more than 50 they hosted Shipley Reserves in the Division II Cup.

Tom Mason and Giles Weller attacking TD Shipley’s goal

The first half was a closely-fought battle with Andy Strange and Tom Parker working hard in midfield for Lavant. Both teams had chances to score with Robby Clackett and Alan Sheppard coming close to breaking the deadlock for the home team on a number of occasions.  However, the first half ended 0-0.

Lavant increased the pressure at the start of the second half, with Mark Richardson and Dan Johnson pressing down the wings.  After 25 minutes, the breakthrough  came with Jon Strange scoring from a well-taken corner by Giles Weller.

View of Lavant’s newly laid out pitch on the village green, whatched by a big local crowd celebrating Lavant’s return

Shortly afterwards Lavant went 2-0 up following a goalmouth scramble which resulted in the ball deflecting off a Shipley defender and looping into the back of the net.

Shipley replied by scoring from a long-range drive, which could only be parried into the top corner of the goal by Lavant keeper martin Pullen.

For the remainder of the half the Lavant defence, led by Martin Ayers and Justin Smith, were put under immense pressure.  And with five minutes remaining Lavant conceded a silly free-kick on the edge of the box.  The ball was not cleared and Shipley scored from close range, levelling the game at 2-2.

Balls out of play. Lavant from left to right Chris Bowles, Andy Strange, Martin Ayers, Tom Mason, Tom Parker, Jon Strange and Giles Weller all wait for the game to resume.

Lavant dominated in extra-time but were unable to finsh of the cup tie and so the game ended 2-2.

Team:  Martin Pullen, Justin Smith, Martin Ayers, Jon Strange, Giles Weller, Mark Richardson, Andy Strange, Tom Parker, Dan Johnson, Alan Sheppard, Robby Clackett.  Subs: Chris Bowles, Simon Blackman, Tom Mason.   Manager: Dave Parker.