Lavant 3 Southwater 0

Lavant ground out this win against mid-table Southwater.

The visitors almost went behind when Lavant striker Ryan Seacombe broke clear just before the quarter hour but ‘keeper, Matt Laker, denied him.

James Brooks on the ball 

Toby Levett and Scott Cox both shot over the bar as Southwater produced a terrific work-rate and unrelenting pressure on the ball. Lavant did eventually settle down to their passing game on the half-hour and immediately Seacombe netted but was ruled offside, then hit the post and Mike Bartley went inches wide.

The second half continued in the same vein until fullback, Matt Lyttle broke the deadlock by heading home Mike Neville’s corner on 59 minutes.

Matt Lyttle heading home Lavant’s opener from a Mike Neville corner

Eight minutes earlier, Ben Wlthius had blocked Seacombe’s header on the goal-line. At the other end, Lavant ‘keeper, Neil Sanson, pulled off two fine saves from Lovett and Paul Osborne as the Horsham side threw everything forward as they tried for the equaliser. But this opened them up to counterattacks and from one of these, Sam Cole doubled Lavant’s lead on 76 minutes.

Lavant then secured the game scoring a third when Dave Knight put Seacombe through 5 minutes from normal time. Laker again denied him but James Brooks was quickest to react drilling home the rebound.

Lavant now just need one further win to secure the League Title.

Assistant Manager Dave Kent commented:” This game was closer than the scoreline suggests. Every opponent is lifting their game to be the first team to beat us. It’s tough.”

Lavant: N.Sanson, C.Coe, J.Wright, B.Purgavie, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, J.Brooks,  D.Knight, R.Seacombe, M.Bartley, S.Walder.  Subs: N.Latham, S.Cole, M.Grace

This Saturday’s away draw to Holbrook ensured Lavant’s first team can now not finish less than second in Division I and so have effectively earned promotion to the West Sussex Premier League next season, for the first time since 1975.  37 Season’s ago.

At the same time the Reserves valiant battle to try and avoid relegation from Division II South was effectiviely ended when they lost four-three at home to fellow strugglers Stedham.

Holbrook 0 Lavant 0

This goalless draw between third in the table Holbrook and league leaders Lavant ensured the visitors promotion to the Premiership next season. The one point for the Chichester side was enough to guarantee this but they could have taken all three points but for the exploits of Holbrook ‘keeper, Adam Kollar.

Lavant’s Ryan Seacombe latched onto a Mike Bartley pass in the 14^th minute but his shot hit the bar. Five minutes later, he was inches wide of the homeside’s goal and in the 34^th minute forced Kollar into the first of his saves.

Whilst at the other end, Lavant ‘keeper, Neil Sanson saved the only assault on the Lavant goal when winger Nat Rowland cut inside, it was the Horsham side’s defence who blocked a series of goalmouth efforts from the visitors just before half-time.

When Lavant were forced into changes through an early second half injury to left fullback, Matt Lyttle and later to midfielder, James Brooks, Holbrook came more into the game.  Lavant’s compactness evaporated and Holbrook took full advantage of the space.

Despite Sanson having to pluck the ball off Ben Millman’s toe from a Steve Buck cross, it was Lavant who created the chances from counterattacks, with Kollar making a class save from Brooks on 57 minutes and again smothering man of the match, Dave Knight’s 20 yd strike 7 minutes from time with another goalmouth scramble in between.

Nevertheless, the football from both teams was a pleasure to watch. The question now is whether Faygate or Holbrook will accompany Lavant to the Premiership and with four home games left if Lavant will lift the Division One Title.

Lavant: N.Sanson, C.Coe, J.Wright, B.Purgavie, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, J.Brooks, M.Stevens, D.Knight, R.Seacombe, M.Bartley.  Subs: N.Latham, S.Walder.

Lavant Reserves 3 Stedham Utd 4

Match report to follow.

Hunston Reserves 0 Lavant 2

A brace of goals from two Matt Lyttle free-kicks gave Lavant the 3 points in this scrappy game.

Hunston worked hard, keeping constant pressure on the ball. A bumpy surface needed several touches to control the ball and the combination of these two factors worked in the hosts’ favour.

But apart from Andy Claxton heading an Ami Rosario cross over the visitors’ bar under pressure from Ben Pugavie, the homeside posed no scoring threat. Rosario claimed a penalty under a Chris Coe tackle in the box but referee, Martin Smith, waived play on.

In the 31^st minute, when Mike Neville was fouled on the right wing, Lavant’s left-back’s in-swinging free-kick dipped under the bar to put the visitors 1-0 in front.

The second half saw Ryan Seacombe hit the Hunston net on 53 minute, but his goal was disallowed for a foul on Jon Brewster. Hunston began to control the central midfield and on the hour manager, David Parker, changed the visitors’ formation to play three in the middle to regain the advantage.

James Brooks cross beat Hunston ‘keeper, Dan Heard, but, sliding in, Mike Bartley just couldn’t get the finishing touch. Matt Lyttle skimmed the homeside crossbar on 70 minutes after a Coe, Dave Knight, Neville build up.

But when Rosario was booked on 83 minutes for a foul on Matt Stevens, Lyttle fired the 28 yd free-kick past the Hunston wall and Heard to give Lavant their 2-0 win. Lavant Captain, Stevens, said “This wasn’t our best display and we were relieved to grind out the win”.

Lavant: N.Sanson, C.Coe, J.Wright, B.Purgavie, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, J.Brooks, M.Stevens, D.Knight, R.Seacombe, M.Bartley.  Subs: S.Cole, S.Walder.

Lavant Reserves 0 Fernhurst 4

Match report to follow.

Petworth 1 Lavant 3

With a full month having past without a game and a number of key players marooned abroad, an air of anxiety pervaded the visitors in this hastily rearranged fixture.

But, despite playing into a horrendous wind at Petworth Park, the Chichester side looked comfortable and played some confident football. Lavant’s Ryan Seacombe was through on goal until Darren Hotson chopped him down with 4 minutes on the clock.

Petworth, assisted by the wind, maintained pressure on a resolute Lavant defence. When they were breached, 17 year old ‘keeper, Rob Baylis, on his debut was more than up to the task, pulling off a fine save from Martin Dillion’s strike on 26 minutes. At the other end Alex Wadey matched his opposite number with a fine stop from James Brooks’s drive a minute later and at the feet of Mike Bartley in the 40^th minute.

In between, Baylis parried Hotson’s shot but Dillion was first to the rebound and set John Pafford up to put Petworth ahead in 35 minutes.

The turning point of the game came 2 minutes from half-time, when Rob Levett fired his penalty shot wide after being fouled in the box by Matt Lyttle.

Lavant’s management were confident of winning the game in the second half abetted by that wind, provided they kept their build up passes short.

This paid off when Dave Knight hit a screamer into the net from 28 yards on 56 minutes; a feat repeated by Brooks 13 minutes later to put Lavant 2-1 up.

The game was sealed in the 73^rd minute when Mike Neville, who managed to get back from Italy only hours before the match, scored off the post after lofting the  ball in from far out on the right wing.  He celebrated in a true Mario Balotelli style lifting his Lavant shirt to reveal a tee shirt with ‘Why Always Me’.

What a fitting end to a great wind swept performance.

Lavant: R.Baylis, C.Coe, J.Wright, M.Hine, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, J.Brooks, M.Stevens, D.Knight, R.Seacombe, M.Bartley.  Subs: N.Latham

Lavant Reserves 2 Boxgrove 1

Match report to follow.

A call for help has been answered by Lavant FC, with kind support from the Parish Council and Cricket Club.

Lavant player Duncan Terry manages a youth team which plays Sunday mornings in the local league and they have unfortunately lost the use of thier usual home pitch at Eastgate for the remainder of the season.

So with four home games remaining, we have marked out an under 8 pitch on the green over the far side between the cricket square and the river for them to play their home match’s.

If your about Sunday mornings why not come down and cheer on Duncan’s team.

Future fixtures will be posted on the website shortly.

Again this weekend the cold weather has affected both Lavant Saturday team fixtures.  This is now happened two weeks on the trot.

In fact it has affected the the majority of the West Sussex League fixtures, which has only seen a handful of games played over the past two weeks.

As a result of this the 1st Team now have had their away fixture with Petworth brought forward a week to the 18th February and it is likely that the last week in February we will now not have a game, as all the remaining six teams that they have to play, all have fixtures.

The Reserves fixtures remain unchanged as they have a home game against Boxgrove on the 18th February and the following week another home game against Fernhurst on the 25th February.

This is of course all dependant on the weather.

Lavant 1 Holbrook 0

Lavant, top of the Division, entertained Holbrook, second in the Table, at “The Jungle” in what for both teams was a massively important tie. So the disappointment for the homeside was also shattering when Manager, David Parker, discovered that star striker, Stuart Loversidge, had failed a fitness test on the run up to the game. This meant Parker had to reshuffle his deck of players and impose different tactics.

But the match was a classic hard fought battle with good entertaining football. Both teams had well organised defences and there were only two chances in the entire game.

The first fell to Lavant’s Ryan Seacombe, when Mike Bartley fed Dave Knight whose slide rule pass released the division’s leading scorer to outpace defender, Nick O’Carroll and beat ‘keeper, Adam Kollar, with his low drive in the 56^thminute turned out to be the winner.

At the other end, Chris Spears found the ball at his feet in the box, but central defender, Jon Wright, threw his body in front of the ball to block the shot.

As Holbrook pressed for an equaliser, Lavant dug in and their back four, Coe, Purgavie (man of the match), Wright and Lyttle were awesome and saw the game out to take the three points and pull clear of their rivals.

David Parker commented:” I was so proud of the team and how they responded to the changes we made. But there’s a long way to go yet.”

Lavant: N.Sanson, C.Coe, J.Wright, B.Purgavie, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, J.Brooks, M.Stevens, D.Knight, R.Seacombe, M.Bartley.  Subs: S.Cole, M.Price, N.Latham

Predators 6 Lavant Reserves 1

Lavnat: R.Baylis, G.Pinder, M.Grace, G.Ockwell, N.Richards, D.Maclean, R.Gabb, M.Ayers, S.Walder, R.Pinder, D.Mortimer. Subs: H.Wade, H.Reeves