Category: News 2006 / 2007

This Division II battle between relegation threatened Lavant and promotion candidates Petworth was an enthralling encounter.

After a fairly balanced start where Lock shot wide for the visitors from 30yards, Lavant gradually settled into a hard earned control of the game.  Their first corner was headed off the line by the visitors.

Daryl Hall was injured for Lavant and replaced by Justin Smith but a second corner caused keeper Wadey to punch out and Jon Strange for Lavant fired the ball into the back of the net on 10 minutes from the edge of the box to give Lavant the lead.

Petworth had a chance 7 minutes later to equalise when their two strikers broke through, but the shot was sliced and went aimlessly wide.

Petworth edged their way forward but a lovely combination of passes left Matt Hine to put Lavant’s Stuart Loversidge through.  The striker outpaced the defence and fired Lavant 2-0 up on the half-hour.

The home side were now in the ascendant and the turning point came when against the run of play Petworth were awarded a penalty for Tom Parker shirt pulling.

Martin Pullen, the keeper, got to the shot but Robbie Levett’s power was too great and the ball hit the net from the spot on 33 minutes.

In the second half to Petworth’s credit they showed why they are promotion prospects by battling hard and unceasingly for 45 minutes.  Lavant fell foul of their old disease of defending too deep and a free kick on 68 minutes and a long throw on 84 minutes ended in goals by Lock and Levett to give Petworth the lead.  This is the hallmark of a promotion side but Lavant still produced some flowing football with Hine going close on 78 minutes.

This was a great game to watch.  Petworth ground out a win, which is the hallmark of great promotion contenders.  Lavant’s spirit and play was laudable.  The coaching staff are working with the players to identify the too deep defending syndrome when it occurs and the collective response to it. It was a privilege to watch this engagement and to await the outcome for both sides at the end of the season.

Team: M.Pullen, J.Strange, T.Parker, S.Blackman, M.Richardson, B.Thomas, M.Ayers, M.Hine, D.Hall, S.Loversidge, R.Pinder.  Subs: J.Smith, N.Farrer, W.Gavin.

With these Division 2 sides rooted to the bottom of the table this relegation battle was crucial to both.

Lavant looked comfortable in a windswept and rain-drenched battle until sweeper Tom Parker as last man lost the ball to striker James Rennick who took it on with only goalkeeper Pullen to beat to give the home-side the lead on 11 minutes.  Parker nearly deflected an own goal minutes later but Pullen made an excellent save.

It was to the visitors’ credit and Parker himself that they recovered to press through driving rain and level the score on 31 minutes.  Matt Hine, a joy to watch on the ball, tiptoed through three defenders, worked a one-two off Loversidge to set up Thomas whose shot rebounded to Pinder who pounced.

Loversidge speed was always a trouble to Lodsworth and he came close to scoring on 38 minutes.  But he outpaced the home-side’s two central defenders to bury the ball two minutes later and give Lavant the lead at half-time.

Dave Parker was dissatisfied with his team’s performance at half-time and the visitors came out with more fight but still had a difficult early 10 minutes.  Rennick again forced two great stops from Pullen.  Gradually the visitors began to win the midfield battle and central midfielder Ayers worked an excellent series of return balls off Hine and wing-back Hall to set up Pinder’s second goal on 53 minutes.

Again, Lodsworth kept battling and pushed three up front.  Ayers joined Parker, Blackman and Smith to counter this and Lavant played some excellent possession football taking advantage of their extra player in midfield.  This took the sting out of the game and was in fact the turning point of the game.

Martin replaced the injured Thomas for the visitors on 63 minutes and Keane replaced the intelligent Hall as left wingback.  The home-side worked hard to try and win possession but the clinging mud was taking its toll despite Rennick, Roberts and Craig’s efforts for Lodsworth.

An interplay between Richardson and Pinder set Loversidge free 45 yards out.  The striker outpaced the two central defenders but with 35 yards still to go before goal, he still had a lot to do but took the ball on to sink Lodsworth’s hopes on 83 minutes.  Four minutes later Pinder completed his hat-trick to give Lavant a possible escape route from relegation.

Team: M.Pullen, J.Smith, T.Parker, S.Blackman, M.Richardson, B.Thomas, M.Ayers, M.Hine, D.Hall, SLoversidge, R.Pinder.  Subs: M.Keane, M.Martin.

This week’s game saw Lavant Reserves play host to Ambassadors Reserves at Raughmere Park on a very wet and windy day, which made ground conditions very heavy.

After the success of the last two matches Lavant appeared to underestimate their opponents for this weeks game and assumed that all three points were only a matter of course. An attitude, which would cost them dearly in the end.

For long periods of the first half Lavant were encamped in the visitors end, but were overall ineffective in front of goal and lacked the urgency to take the initiative.

Carl Drinkwater’s overhead kick on the edge of the area needed the Ambassadors goalkeeper to pull of a good save, just managing to get a hand on the shot, pushing the ball onto the bar and away to safety and Lavant’s Dave Brown on his debut for the Saturday team also came close when his header scrapped the cross bar.  However apart from these efforts Lavant’s clear-cut chances were few and far between.

Ambassadors were quick on the counterattack and had gone close with two previous efforts but Lavant keeper Dave Kent twice reduced the angle and forced the shot over the bar.  With half an hour gone the visitors once again broke out on the counterattack down the left wing, crossing the ball across the 6 yard box past the stranded Dave Kent who could only turn and dive the other way in an attempt to get a hand onto the shot of the unmarked player at the far right post, who made no mistake at close range giving Ambassadors a one nil lead going into half time.

Lavant coach Mike Kent gave the home side a tough half time talk in an attempt to get the team motivated and right back into the game.  The match, however, did not go to plan as shortly after kick off Lavant left back Giles Weller slipped up with the ball on the edge of the Lavant box, allowing the Ambassadors striker to run through clear one on one with the keeper, and score from close range into the top left corner of the Lavant goal, 0-2.

Shocked to be two nil down, finally Lavant raised their game and for the remainder of the match had the visitors firmly entrenched in their own half. Lavant brought on fresh legs with Adam Yaxley and Roy Gibbs with over half an hour remaining.  Gibbs made an immediate impact when his long clearance down the left flank was picked up by Chris Withall, who crossed into the box to the incoming Dave Brown who scored, bringing Lavant right back into the game with just over 10 minutes remaining.

The play was now all Lavant and the busy Dave Brown put Adam Yaxley through into the box one on one with the keeper, but his shot deflected up and smashed against the cross bar somehow failing to cross the goal line, denying Lavant the chance to draw level.

In the dying minutes of the game Ambassadors were adjudged to have handled the ball, which was clearly inside the penalty area, however the referee deemed the free kick was just outside the box.  The subsequent free kick was in a great position, right in front of the goal, but unfortunately Dave Brown’s strike was hit straight into the path of the keeper, there ending Lavant’s final chances of salvaging something from the game.

Lavant Reserves next game is away to Fernhurst Reserves on the 20^th January 07.

Team: D.Kent, M.Howles, M.Carver, G.Weller, O.Haggar, A.Strange, D.Maclean, D.Brown, J.Hird, C.Withall, C.Drinkwater: Subs: A.Yaxley, R.Gibbs.

With Lavant sitting on the bottom of Division 2 and Lancing holding the second from the top spot, this match had all the hallmarks of a home defeat.

But Lavant ran this game for 90 minutes.  They battled with a spirit not seen since last season and pressed the top table team into their own half.  Only breakaways by the two Lancing strikes on counter attacks posed any real threat with Courton going close on 11 minutes.

Eventually Lavant deservedly went ahead when the hardworking striker Pinder won the ball and fed the ball to Matt Hine whose pin point pass found advanced midfielder Thomas who drilled the ball under the body of Lancing keeper Danny Bombrick into the net on 19 minutes.

A single mistake unhinged an otherwise solid Lavant defence when Ayers uncharacteristically lost the ball in midfield and sweeper parker was drawn into cover leaving the two on two situation for the Lancing strikers on the home-side defenders, resulting in Courton levelling the score on the half hour.

This was certainly against the run of play as the home-side had forced a series of corners which on 16, 36 and 37 minutes saw the ball scrambled miraculously off the line and a further corner on 38 minutes saw Pinder’s header bounce off the post into Bombrick’s hands.

In the second half, Parker was adjudged to have brought down the speedy Grant but Lancing hit the penalty kick against the bar.  Lavant keeper Pullen, pulled off two further good saves but apart from this it was one way traffic.

Hine shot wide from a Smith, Thomas, Hall combination.  Pinder missed the chance of the match from 4 yards out on 83 minutes and substitute matt Price was just over from a 25 yard rocket  3 minutes later.

The wider pitch at Lancing might give Lancing a greater advantage when these sides meet again.  But today one could be forgiven for thinking it was Lavant in the number 2 spot and Lancing at the bottom.  The visitors must have thought Father Christmas really exists to come away with a point from this game.

Team: M.Pullen, J.Strange, T.Parker, S.Blackman, J.Smith, B.Thomas, M.Hine, D.Hall, S.Loversidge, R.Pinder.   Subs: M.Martin, M.Keane, M.Price.

This week’s game saw Lavant Reserves put in their best performance so far this season convincingly beating Tangmere 6-1 away from home.

Tangmere started the match the stronger of the two sides forcing the visitors to defend their own half for the first quarter of the game and they almost took the lead when a shot on the edge of the box had keeper Chris Bowles beaten, but the ball bounced off the cross bar and up and over to safety.

Lavant responded almost immediately when Dave Maclean won the ball from a Tangmere throw-in and then skilfully slotted the ball through to D J Wright on the right flank.  Wright accelerated past the left back and drove the ball home from 20 yards giving the keeper no chance, 0-1.

Ten minutes later Lavant doubled their tally when Chris Withall broke free drawing two Tangmere defenders over to the right flank before unselfishly squaring the ball across the face of the box to the incoming Adam Yaxley who slotted the ball home from 16 yards, 0-2.

Tangmere still shocked at being two nil down were struggling to settle and with Lavant playing some good one touch football they further extended their lead when Wright broke down the right, crossing into the box to Yaxley, who’s shot was well saved by the keeper, but Withall was on hand to finish giving Lavant a deserved 0-3 lead.

With ten minutes of the first half still remaining there was still time for two more goals.  Firstly, Chris Withall scored his second goal of the match from a well-worked move involving Jimmy Hird, Dave Maclean and Andy Strange, 0-4.  Then on the stroke of half time Withall was adjudged to foul a Tangmere player on the edge of the Lavant box, giving away a penalty.  Chris Bowles having lots of practice over the past weeks with penalties, judged the spot kick the right way getting an outstretched hand on the ball but the power of the shot unfortunately saw the ball strike the back of the Lavant net, giving Tangmere hope of staging a recovery in the second half, 1-4.

With Roy Gibbs injured Lavant were forced into making a change at half time bringing on Mike Howes.

Lavant were prepared for the Tangmere onslaught at the start of the second half and with defenders Mat Carver, Dan Johnson and Dave Kent in no mood to concede the lead they made it very hard for Tangmere to make any headway during the opening fifteen minutes.

Lavant’s Mike Howes also made an immediate impact on the game causing problems down the right flank and as the Tangmere full back failed to clear his cross the ball fell to Adam Yaxley on the edge of the box who drilled the ball home, giving him his second goal of the game and further extending Lavant’s lead, 1-5.

With over thirty minutes remaining Carl Drinkwater replaced Yaxley in the Lavant attack adding renewed impedous and when Tangmere failed to defend Bowles long-range kick.

Chris Withall was once again quick to take advantage, as he raced through one on one with the keeper and skilfully slotted the ball home, scoring a well-deserved hat trick and putting the game beyond Tangmere, 1-6.

With 25 minutes remaining Oli Haggar replaced Kent and with Hird dropping back into defence for Lavant, Haggar’s introduction gave the visitors a fresh pair of legs in midfield as they continued to pressure the Tangmere goal right to the final whistle still attempting to further extend the lead.

Next week Lavant Reserves are home to Ambassadors Reserves.

Team: C.Bowles, M.Carver, D.Johnson, D.Kent, R.Gibbs, A.Strange, D.Maclean, D.J.Wright, J.Hird, C.Withall, A.Yaxley: Subs: M.Howes, C.Drinkwater, O.Haggar.

In Motson’s phrase, this truly was a game of two halves.  Lavant started brightly again.  Strong tackling may have given away several free kicks in the early minutes but when in possession their passing game was excellent.  Ayers breaking from midfield and strikers Yaxley and Loversidge were adjudged offside by narrow margins when the homeside’s defence was opened up and the offenders would have been one on one with the keeper.

Chichester were also playing the ball around forcing a corner on 17 minutes from which central defender Richard Larty bullet headed the home-side into the lead.  After a lovely interplay from Lavant’s Loversidge and Ayers, which forced a corner, Chichester settled down to a great 5 minute spell of pressure.  Cox brushed past Thomas and forced an excellent stop from Lavant keeper Martin Pullen.

Then Lavant began to win most of the midfield balls and playing short passes began to ease back into the game.  Ayers broke through again from midfield on 31 minutes only to be brought down on the edge of the penalty area.  Matt Hine’s excellent free kick rebounded off Hospitals keeper Smith and Robbie Pinder was first to pounce and draw the visitors level.

The rest of the half was evenly balanced but uncharacteristically for their recent games the visitors conceded a soft goal 6 minutes from the half-time whistle when Jamie Watts stabled a loose ball home from 8 yards.

The second half was unrecognisable.  Lavant failed to press in midfield and also defended deep again which is proving an habitual fault.

The inevitable consequences soon flowed.  Polish star Figas dribbled past two Lavant defenders and forced a great stop from Pullen on 53 minutes and from the ensuing corner, a comedy of errors in missed clearances by Lavant gave Duncan Terry another soft tap in.

Apart from an excellent passing combination of Hine, Pinder and Loversidge ending with Yaxley slicing his shot, Hospitals took advantage of Lavant’s deep defending and lack of pressing to camp in the visitors half.  Goals by Cox on 69 minutes and Figas on 88 minutes inevitably came sinking Lavant deep in relegation trouble.

Lavant have a tough fixture home to second in the table Lancing on Sat 23^rdDecember where a defeat may sentence them to relegation.

Team: M.Pullen, S.Blackman, B.Thomas, J.Strange, N.Farrer, M.Ayers, M.Hine, R.Pinder, M.Richardson, A.Yaxley, S.Loversidge.  Subs: D.Hall, M.Keane, D.Bowden.

This week’s match at Raughmere Park, saw Lavant Reserves get the result they have been threatening to do for weeks, beating Graffham Reserves convincingly 3-0.

Lavant straight from kick off attempted to play the game in Graffham’s half and for much of the first quarter they relied on getting the ball deep into the visitor’s last third in an attempt to threaten the goal and with 15 minutes gone the pressure paid off when the visitors failed to clear an effort from DJ Wright out the Graffham box and Giles Weller pounced driving the ball home from close range, 1-0.

Five minutes later Lavant were unlucky not to go further into the lead when Dave Kent’s well taken corner floated over the Graffham Keeper goal bound, but the ball unfortunately hit the back post bouncing outwards and was cleared to safety by the Graffham defence.

Lavant did not have it all their own way and Graffham with the extra man in midfield started to exploit the home side down the flanks, on the break and they should have equalised after Lavant keeper Chris Bowles was rounded in the box but somehow Justin Smith managed to race into the goal mouth and clear the Graffham shot off the line.

With half an hour gone Lavant eased the pressure by doubled their lead when Carl Drinkwater won the ball in the Graffham half and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 25yards out, low past the Graffham keeper giving him no chance, 2-0.

For the remaining minutes of the half Lavant midfielders Weller, Andy Strange and Mike Martin worked hard in midfield keeping Graffham at bay ensuring the homeside went into a convincing 2-0 lead at half time.

Lavant started the second half unchanged playing the with the same formation, however with 15 minutes gone Jimmy Hird replaced Dave Kent and the home side reverted to playing five in midfield matching Graffham player for player.  This had an immediate effect as Lavant really started to dominate the game playing some of their best football of the match.

With 30 minutes remaining Roy Gibbs replaced the injured Mike Howes and shortly afterwards Strange’s through ball allowed D J Wright to break free of the defender and bury the ball into the back of the Graffham net, giving him the goal he so much deserved for all his hard work up he had put in for Lavant up front, 3-0.

Graffham came close to gaining a late consolation goal but Bowles pulled off a great save to deny the visitors.  Matt Carver, Dan Johnson and Giles Weller in the Lavant defence remained steadfast and so ensured they saw out the remainder of the game with Lavant maintaining a clean sheet.

Next week Lavant Reserves are away to Tangmere.

Team: C.Bowles, M.Carver, D.Johnson, J.Smith, M.Martin, D.Kent, A.Strange, G.Weller, C.Drinkwater, D.J.Wright, M.Howes:  Subs: R.Gibbs, J.Hird.

With both sides hovering in the Div 2 relegation zone, this was a crucial match.

Lavant started well and edged the early play with Parker forcing a save from Clymping keeper Campbell on 47 seconds.  Another link up on 10 minutes between Ayers, Farrer and Gavin saw the latter’s shot go just wide.  One minute later Parker put Gavin through but he was ruled offside.  A further excellent build up involving Richardson, Parker, Ayers and Farrer saw the wingback’s cross go over the bar.

In reply, the visitors had managed only one shot on 12 minutes which Pullen saved and two great cross field runs by Tony Gallacher on 8 and 14 minutes.  On these two occasions Lavant midfield holding player Ayers matched his runs and neutralised him.  However, Ayers was committed forward when Gallacher made a third such run. Wing back Farrer tried to get back to cut him out but the Clymping striker bore in well on the left of the penalty area and executed an excellent finish from a narrow angle to put the visitors ahead on 21 minutes.

Lavant then started to defend too deeply.  Apart from Lavant’s Pinder coming close on 23 minutes, Clymping had most of the possession.  Gallacher again forced a save from Pullen on 26 minutes and a later hopeful lob slid down the Lavant post. Gallacher was close again on 38 minutes.  Lavant were too deep and too strung out.

At half-time, Dave Parker the coach, asked for a more compact formation and to play higher up the field.  He also demanded more effort which back-fired on 52 minutes when Parker was booked for a third exuberant tackle.

Substitutions of Hine, Maclean and Hall added fresh legs to a more compact Lavant and the home-side gradually began to dominate the game.  Apart from Gallacher coming close on 56 minutes, the visitors were penned in their own half.  Richardson headed against the bar and Leach and Ayers were denied as their shots were hooked off the line.

Hine was dropping balls into the corners where Parker and Hall had peeled off to collect and more crosses were pouring into Clymping’s penalty area.

Nevertheless, Clymping hung on to take the most valuable three points.

Lavant’s defence is much improved.  Thomas, Strange and Blackman were solid. Today they only compressed play for a third of the game.  When they did the chances were clear to see.  The Law of Averages means if they learn to apply this for 90 minutes their fortunes will improve.

Team: M.Pullen, S.Blackman, B.Thomas, J.Strange, N.Farrer, W.Gavin, M.Ayers, T.Parker, M.Richardson, D.Leach, R.Pinder.  Subs: D.Hall, D.McLean, M.Hine.

This week Lavant Reserves travelled the short distance to play away at Harting in Div V South league clash.

Fresh from last week’s victory Lavant Reserves started the game well and somewhat shocked a Harting side who are currently in the top three in the league and whom may have thought playing lowly Lavant was going to be an easy game.

In fact for the first 30 minutes Lavant frustrated Harting playing much of the game in their half.  However Harting held firm and still looked dangerous on the break.  It was on once such break that the home side attacked on the right flank and as Dan Johnson raced across to defend on the edge of the box he was adjudged to take the player not the ball and Harting were awarded a penalty.

Chris Bowles fresh from a penalty save last week was unlucky with the spot kick, he dived the right way but the ball hit a divot in the ground and bounced up over the keeper and into the back of the net giving Harting a 1-0 lead.

Still shocked from the goal Lavant allowed Harting to control the game and 10 minutes later they doubled their lead as a cross from the left flank way poorly defended giving the Harting striker a free header in the six yard box which he gratefully accepted, allowing Harting to go into half time with a 2-0 lead.

At half time Lavant manager Dave Kent rallied the team who were despondent to have so much of the game and still be 2-0 down.  Lavant responded positively and started the second half well attacking the Harting goal.  For long periods of the half Lavant pressurized Harting but were unable to make the final shot count.   Harting also were dangerous on the counter attack and Matt Gliaubertus cleared off the Lavant goal line to prevent Harting further increasing the lead.

With ten minutes remaining the Lavant pressure finally paid dividends as Danny Kenyon worked the ball out to the left flank to Mike Howes who’s eventual cross was met by the head of DJ Wright who gave the Harting keeper on chance scoring into the top corner of the goal.

The remaining minutes were all Lavant as they tried hard to level the score with chances falling to Carl Drinkwater and Wright.  However Harting held on into injury time to win the game and collect all three points.  Lavant unfortunately had run out of time and Harting in the end were glad the final whistle was blown.  Lavant were disappointed by the result but the performance was positive and hopefully their fortunes will change next week when they entertain Graffham Reserves at home.

Team: C.Bowles, M.Carver, D.Johnson, J.Smith, O.Haggar, D.Kenyon, M.Martin, C.Drinkwater, A.Yaxley, DJ.Wright, M.Howes.  Subs: A.Strange, G.Weller, M. Gliaubertus.

With no first team game, Eastergate were able to strengthen their reserve side with several first team players and came close early on when a Simon Blackman’s

misclearance was intercepted by the homeside and only the great goalkeeping exploits of Martin Pullen prevented Eastergate taking the lead.

After that the visitors produced a really mean defence that seldom looked like conceding.  A great Lavant move involving the whole left wing chain was only thwarted when Wayne Gavin was adjudged offside.  But Lavant’s Jon Strange kept a muzzle on county striker Johnson throughout the game and was only turned by him once on 16 minutes and never again.  With Blackman playing a similar role on Andi Weir and Tom Parker sweeping everything that spilled through, the Lavant errors of the last two matches were finally put to bed.

Weir tested Pullen again on 20 minutes but Lavant went close in superb 5 men moves on 21, 24 and 32 minutes as Stuart Loversidge and Damien Leach led the attack.

Johnson, always two and half feet higher than anyone else, headed a good knock down from an Eastergate free kick but it bounced tamely away.  Other than this the home side never threatened a cast iron defence where wingbacks Nick Farrer and Mark Richardson tracked back and shone.

Gavin won an aerial duel on 36 minutes and Leach headed the spinning ball just wide of an open goal, to Eastergate’s relief.

At half time the game was goalless, but coach Dave Parker gave instructions and more compactness and orders to attack the wings rather than central positions which the visitors duly employed in the second half.

Loversidge was first to capitalise on the left wing channel and forced a corner on 48 minutes.  He was ruled offside 3 minutes later.

Eastergate managed a spell of pressure on 66 minutes forcing two corners but the visitors went ahead when Loversidge had the first clear cut chance on the left of the penalty area and put Lavant ahead on 71 minutes.

Substitutes Mike Keane, Dave McLean and Mike Martin were necessary to keep up the visitors energy but Lavant were hanging on through lack of fitness in the last 10 minutes.  They nearly took all three points but Eastergate dug deep and in the 91^st minute scored through Scholes after a goalmouth scramble.

Nevertheless despite the disappointment of the late goal, Lavant can take the positive view from the game that if the continue in such a mean defensive manner they will dig themselves out of the relegation zone.

Team: M.Pullen, S.Blackman, T.Parker, J.Strange, N.Farrer, W.Gavin, M.Ayers, R.Pinder, M.Richardson, S.Loversidge, D.Leach.  Subs: M.Keane, D.McLean, M.Martin.