West Sussex Football League 2014-15

Chichester & West Sussex Sunday League

Everyone’s a winner at the Lavant Football Club’s Charity Cricket Match

The weather was good and lots of people turned out to enjoy the a cricket match between two select eleven sides made up of players from the village football club.

Lavant Charity Cricket Match – 6th June 2014

But more importantly the evening raised £350 for St Wilfreds hospice.

The success of the event was mainly due to the hard work put in by first team goalkeeper Neil and his wife Niki Sanson who organised the event, which not only included the cricket match but also a bar and barbeque, plus a raffle at the end of the evening with loads of prizes gratefully recieved from many local firms, shops and organisations.

Both teams the yellow and red line up for battle.
Even a friendly is taken seriously

Evening of 6th June 2014 at Lavant Village green
Lavant FC Charity Cricket Match

Neil Sanson in bat for the reds
Matt Lyttle fielding for the yellows

With Lavant’s football season literally only just over, the players are now turning their skills to cricket.

A charity cricket match in which 50% of all proceeds will be donated to St Wilfreds Hospice, Chichester, and the rest will help sustain our village clubs.

It is our aim is to hold this event annually, but in future year’s jointly with Lavant’s Cricket Club in a special Football vs Cricket, 20/20 match and raise some money for a nominated charity.

So if you are free please come along and enjoy the game.

The football club held their End of Season Presentation Night at the Earl of March on the 30th May.

It was a great evening with nearly 50 people attending.

The Winners of this season’s awards were as follows:

The table below as of the 25th April shows that Lavant 1st team have now secured their Premier League status with 25 points, thanks to an away win, three-two to Lancing Utd on Thursday night.

Lavant have been putting in some good performances recently but just not getting the final result.  Easter Bank Holiday weekend saw a team of eleven players battle it out away to Henfield and only to narrowly losing the game 2-1, with Henfield goals coming in the first half from Lavant’s mistakes.  Then in the second half we pulled one goal back and were only denied by the bar on a number of occasions the equaliser.

The players were down about the result, but not down on the performance.

Another great performance came two days later on Bank Holiday Monday.  Stuart Eastwood was able to select a strong side to face Upper Beeding in a game Lavant just had to win.  Not only did they win they played some great football, dominating the game from start to finish and eventually winning six-one.

With results going Lavant’s way with Hunston narrowly losing to Wittering, it meant that if we could get one win from our remaining
two games, away to Lancing and home to Cowfold (This Saturday) we would stay up.

And last night Stuart Easwood’s players managed just that, an away against a Lancing team that we never seemed to get much out of. Winning the game three-two.

Now as the five teams below us slug it out to stay-up, we are in the lovely position of going into our final game of the season at home at Raughmere Park, knowing the pressure is off.  However we dont think that means the players have any intention of taking their foot of the pedal now as they want to see the season out with a win and carry on this good  run of good results.

With both the 1st Team and the Reserves securing their places in their respective leagues for another season, plus Lavant entering a Sunday side once more next season also, focus after the end of April will turn to planning a good pre-season.

Newtown Villa 5 Lavant 1

Team: Neil Sanson, Richard Gabb, Matt Lyttle, Jon Wright, Jordon Lillywhite, Jason Houghton, Dave Maclean, Arron Hancock, Mike Neville, Alex Holmes, James Sandford. Subs: Matt Grace, Louis Weller.

Bosham 2 Lancing Utd 1

8th April

Henfield 3 Cowfold 1
West Chiltington 1 Holbrook 2

Bosham Reserves 3 Lavant Reserves 1

Team: Neil Sanson, Martin Smith, Matt Lyttle, Neil Latham, Leon Mears, Nathan Richards, Dave Maclean, Stuart Smith, Arron Hancock, Pete Caveney, Greg Ayling. Subs: Matt Grace, James Sandford.

5th April Saturday’s Results

Premier Division
Holbrook 2 Faygate 2
Hunston CC 3 Henfield 1
Lancing 3 Wittering 0

Malcolm Simmonds Cup
Newtown Villa 4 Ockley 0
Uppering Beeding 1 Cowfold 2

Division IV South
Bosham Reserves 3 Lavant Reserves 1
Bracklesham 2 Whyke 3
Harting Reserves 1 The Crown 2
Milland vs Tangmere – Home Win

Bareham Trophy
Ambassadors 2 Coal Exchange 4

Saturday 5th April
Bosham Reserves vs Lavant Reserves (3.00pm KO)

Wednesday 9th April
Newtown Villa vs Lavant (6.00pm KO)

Saturday 12th April
Lavant Reserves vs Harting Reserves (3.00pm KO at Raughmere Park)

Monday 14th April
Lavant vs Wittering (6.15pm KO at Raughmere Park)

Easter Saturday 19th April
Henfield vs Lavant (3.00pm KO)

Bank Holiday Monday 21st April
Lavant vs Upper Beeding (2.00pm KO at Raughmere Park)
Lavant Reserves vs The Crown (4.30pm KO at Raughmere Park)

Wednesday 23rd April
Lancing vs Lavant (6.30pm KO)

Saturday 26th April
Lavant vs Cowfold (3.00pm KO at Raughmere Park)

Lavant 2 Holbrook 3

This was truly a game of two halves with Holbrook snatching a dramatic winner at the very death.

Lavant started the game in a positive manner, again looking to get the ball down and pass. They got their reward on eight minutes in with a training ground set play, Mike Neville with a low driven corner kick and James Brooks running in at the near post to steer home.

Lavant continued to dictate the play with the trio of Sandford, Neville and Arron Hancock combine well in every foray forward. On the half hour Lavant extended their lead, Neville working the left hand channel and delivering a cross for Hancock to poke home. Making it was 2-0 and nothing more than the home side deserved.

Then came the turning point of the match, a silly free kick conceded in the final third, well delivered from the Holbrook skipper resulting in Lavant’s Chris Richards getting the wrong side of his man and pulling him to the ground, a penalty kick which was duly dispatched. A lifeline for Holbrook at the stroke of halftime.

The second half started evenly but with the away side buoyed by their goal grew stronger as the half went on.  There was an element of dejavu for the Holbrook equaliser, again following a silly foul in the final third and quality of delivery from their skipper saw a free header hit the post and then tapped away with the Lavant defence like statues.

Lavant still had chances, noticeably from the impressive Hancock but the away keeper managed to be equal them all. It seemed almost certain that the spoils would be shared but it was Holbrook that managed to take all the points after Matt Lyttle was caught in possession in the dying moments, the forward then racing clear to beat the stranded Neil Sanson.

Team: Neil Sanson, Richard Gabb, Matt Lyttle, Chris Richards, Jon Wright, Jason Houghton, James Brooks, Arron Hancock, Mike Neville, Tom Haslam, James Sandford. Subs: Alex Holmes, Matt Grace, Louis Weller.

29th March Saturday’s Results

Premier Division
Lavant 2 Holbrook 3
Newtown Villa 6 Cowfold 1
Henfield 2 Bosham 0
Hunston CC 1 Lancing Utd 6
Upper Beeding 1 West Chiltington 2
Wittering 2 Faygate 2

Division IV Cup
Bosham Reserves 3 Coal Exchange 8

Its a YELLOW Weekend

This weekend both teams recorded wins.  The first team won two-nil away at Wittering and the Reserves won two-one away to Harting Reserves.

West Wittering 0 Lavant 2

Lavant travelled to local rivals Wittering and secured a 2-0 win in a derby clash against a number of ex Lavant players. Despite a number of their players moving onto County side Siddlesham; they were an opponent still not to be taken lightly.

Lavant started well, having all the possession and good territorial advantage. Good chances fell to Mortimer, Houghton and Sandford but good keeping by Sean Smith in the Wittering goal kept them at bay.

Wittering did however keep the Lavant defence on their toes with the pace of wide man Alex Barnes a continued threat and good link up play with the tenacious Sam Cole.

The moment of the half came on the half hour mark, a goal mouth scramble resulted in the ball falling to Alex Holmes on the edge of the area to hammer home off the underside of the bar only for it to be adjudged to not of crossed the line, a big let off for Wittering.

Normal service resumed in the second half and it only took a matter of minutes for Lavant to put themselves in front. Strong hold up play from Dan Mortimer, turning his man Jon Haskell and creating an opening to fire home the stranded Smith.

This was nothing more than Lavant deserved. Lavant plugged away to put the game out of sight and the moment came 20 minutes from time.

Sandford beating the offside trap rounding Smith and sliding the ball home from an acute angle thus securing all 3 points for the visiting side.

Team: Neil Sanson, Richard Gabb, Matt Lyttle, Ben Purgavie, Jon Wright, Jason Houghton, James Brooks, Alex Holmes, Mike Neville, Dan Mortimer, James Sandford. Subs: Matt Grace, Jordon Lillywhite.

22nd March Saturday’s Results

Premier Division
West Wittering 0 Lavant 2
Cowfold 2 Hunston CC 1
Newtown Villa 3 West Chiltington 3
Upper Beeding 0 Bosham 3
Faygate 0 Holbrook 2

Division IV South
Harting Reserves 1 Lavant Reserves 2
Tangmere 2 Milland 6
Bosham Reserves 6 Bracklesham 2

Division IV Cup
Amberley 1 Coal Exchange 7