Lavant 1 Newtown Villa 2

Matt Doyle’s 56 min header clinched this game for the visitors at Raughmere Park as he met a Matt Robb corner.

Lavant started well but Newtown gradually worked their way into the game. The game had few chances and was evenly balanced until Bryn Hauxwell drove a 25 yard shot through a ruck of players. Lavant’s ‘keeper, Neil Sanson, who was unsighted did well to block the shot but Matt Russell was first to the rebound to put Villa ahead on 27 minutes.

The homeside were too anxious to level the score and their build up passing game suffered as a result. Hopeful balls on the edge of the attacking third were easily picked up by the visitors’ defence.

After half-time Lavant were more patient but hopes of levelling the score were dashed when Doyle hit what turned out to be the winner.

Manager, David Parker, made a double substitution and changed the formation to give emphasis to a more attacking game. This was rewarded when the homeside were awarded a penalty when James Sandford was upended in the box following Lavant’s increased pressure.

James Brooks pulled Lavant back into the game from his 61^st minute spot kick. A Sandford cross gave Mike Bartley a chance to grab the equaliser but he failed to connect with his header.

Fullback, Matt Lyttle commented: “It’s going to be like this for us in the Premier. Only one goal in it. And with few chances, we have to make each one count.”

Lavant: N.Sanson, C.Coe, B.Purgavie, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, J.Brooks, M.Stevens, L.Weller, M.Bartley, J.Sandford. Subs: A.Holmes, S.Smith, J.Lillywhite, R.Baylis, J.Philips

Weekends League Results

Premier Division
Lavant 1 Newtwon Villa 2
Barnham 0 Holbrook 2
Bosham 1 Faygate 0
Lancing 3 West Chiltington 2

Centenary Cup
Stedham 0 Upper Beeding 2

Malcolm Simmonds Cup
Hunston 2 Pulborough 3

Division III South
Lavant vs Harting – Postponed
Rustington park Seniors 5 Bosham Reserves 5
Whyke Uts 2 Yapton Reserves 2

Bareham Trophy
Wittering Reserves 4 The Vardar VIP 2

Sussex Junior Cup
Nytimber Pirates 8 Southwater Reserves 2

Division I Sunday League
Wheatsheaf 0 Lamb Steyne 1

Thanks to Matt Lyttle for all his working in setting up a new Club Shop which includes a new range of training gear using Nike branded kit, which will match the new away kit to be ordered shortly and next season’s new 1st and Reserves team kit.

Premier Division
Faygate 1 Lavant 0
Watersfield 1 Hunston CC 3

Sussex Intermediate Cup
Bosham 4 Lancing FC Reserves 6
Hassocks Reserves 4 Newtown Villa 0
Hooe Sports 1 Cowfold 9

Centenary Cup
Partridge Green 5 Lancing Utd 4

Malcolm Simmonds Cup
West Chiltington 3 Barnham Reserves 0

Division III South
Lavant 0 Whyke 5
Harting 3 Wittering Reserves 5
The Vardar VIP 6 Rustington Park Seniors 2

Bareham Trophy
Hammer Utd 3 Nyetimber Pirates 1

Division I Sunday League
Lamb Steyne 0 AFC Chichester 8
Wittering Utd 3 AFC Old Barn 2

Lavant 6 Butlins 2

Goals:
Ollie Haggar x2
Tom Kelly
Jason Houghton
Chris Withall
Jamie Reeves

Man of the Match:
Tom Kelly

Faygate 1 Lavant 0

The league leaders Faygate picked up a further 3 points in this evenly balanced game with a goal one minute before halftime.

One individual defensive error let striker Ben Friar send the home side in ahead at half time.

The second half saw Lavant edging it for the majority of the game. Captain Matt Stevens headed over from a Mike Neville cross early on.  Though Tom Routley came close from a fine Faygate build up on 52 minutes.

Lavant’s Mike Bartley glancing header brought a fine stop from keeper Lee Ames 7 minutes later.

A Lavant substitution and a change to 3 up front in 82 minute increased the visitor’s pressure but not enough to grab the deserved equaliser.

Lavant Manager David Parker declared at the end “this was our best performance of this season. One mind, one compact unit. It bodes well. I’m delighted”.

Lavant: N.Sanson, R.Gabb, C.Coe, M.Lyttle, J.Lillywhite, M.Neville, J.Brooks, M.Stevens, L.Weller, M.Bartley, J.Sandford. Subs: D.Maclean

Cowfold 1 Lavant 1

Cowfold might feel disappointed that they didn’t take all three points in this encounter, especially as they hit the Lavant woodwork three times. But the match settled round the homeside having most of the possession and applying pressure against a well organised Lavant defence, content to strike with counterattacks.

Cowfold’s Nigel Smith, always a threat, nearly broke through early on but a resolute tackle by Jon Wright forced him to slice his shot wide.

The visitors went close with a Mike Neville – James Sandford combination. If Sandford had not cut his toe-nails that morning he might have connected with Mike Bartley’s cross to give the Chichester side the lead. Ironically, it was the immediate counter to this that gave Cowfold the lead when Mike Nash’s shot hit the net on the half-hour. Three minutes later, Cowfold ‘keeper Matt Beck tipped Louis Weller’s shot over the bar.

In the second half, Cowfold increased the pressure but Lavant stood firm and soon had the homeside pinned in their own half. It was fitting then that when Dave McClean fed Bartley, the Lavant striker in a repeat of the first half move, teed up Sandford (whose toe-nails must have grown during the game) to level the score ten minutes from time.

Lavant: N.Sanson, C.Coe, J.Wright, B.Purgavie, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, D.Maclean, M.Stevens, L.Weller, M.Bartley, J.Sandford. Subs: R.Gabb, A.Holmes

Weekends League Results

Premier Division
Cowfold 1 Lavant 1
Bosham 2 Barnham Reserves 0
Watersfield 2 Holbrook 2

Sussex Intermediate Cup
Peacehaven 7 West Chiltington 0

Division III South
Harting 2 The Vardar VIP 4
Whyke 4 Bosham Reserves 3

Sussex Junior Cup
Lavant Reserves 0 Yapton Reserves 5
Stedham 3 Village of Ditchling 2
Wittering Reserves vs Victoria Baptists HW

Division I Sunday League
All games posponed due to weather

Upper Beeding 2 Lavant 3

Lavant made the long trip to Upper Beeding this Saturday hoping to get something out of the game and bounce back from last week’s disappointing defeat against Bosham.

Both sides started the game lively, with the homeside just having the better of the opening fifteen minutes.

But Lavant worked hard to break down the passing game of Upper Beeding and soon the visitors started to force mistakes from the homeside as they forced their way back into the game.  Their hard work then paid dividends with twenty minutes gone as Ryan Seacombe chased down keeper Ciaran Towse’s attempted clearance, as the ball defected off Seacombe and into the empty goal, 0-1.

The game was now wide open as both teams pushed forward and counterattacked at every opportunity. But it was Lavant who once more took the advantage with Mike Neville breaking free down the right wing and crossing in a delightful ball into the box, for the incoming James Sandford to head home Lavant’s second of the game, 0-2.

The remainder of the first half saw Upper Beeding push forward in an attempt to get back into the game, as Lavant somewhat sat back and decided to defend their lead going into the break.  At times Lavant rode their luck but the homeside were unable penetrate the defence and get close in on goal, so the odd shot from distance was comfortably saved by Lavant keeper Neil Sanson.

In the second half with the wind behind them and a renewed determination the homeside started positively moving the ball quickly and breaking down the flanks, pushing Lavant back to defend their goal.

Lavant soaked up the pressure and looked dangerous once more on the counterattack.  On 65 minutes Sandford was brought down in the box as the referee awarded Lavant a penalty. Mike Bartley stepped up and took the spot kick, but Towse pulled off a great save diving low to his right-hand side and somehow managing to palm the ball wide of the post and out for a corner.

This was a turning point, as it would have been game over for the homeside but it again gave them another chance to stay in the game, which they grasped as five minutes later they scored, as the ball bounced in off the bar reducing the deficit, 1-2.

The game was once more wide open as Upper Beeding pushed forward for the equaliser. But Lavant defended well and when possible counterattacked.

Sandford then took advantage of a mistake by the Upper Beeding full backs to run though and round the keeper and slot home Lavant’s third restoring their two nil buffer, 1-3.

The homeside once more fought back and took advantage of a rare Lavant defensive mix-up, to stab home the ball past the coming Sanson, 2-3.

The remaining 15 minutes of this hard fought game was eventful, with both teams having opportunities to score, but it was the visitor’s hard work and staunch defending which eventually paid off, as they ran down the clock, to bag three precious league points.

Lavant: N.Sanson, C.Coe, J.Wright, T.Parker, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, M.Bartley, M.Stevens, L.Weller, R.Seacombe, J.Sandford. Subs: R.Gabb, A.Holmes.

Upper Beeding: C.Towse, R.Hare, L.Mitchell, S.Hind, J.Petchley, L.Trower, T.Lovett, S.Pickup, S.Alexander, J.Knowles, M.Rowland. Subs: N.Morris, J.Rowland, B.Hatchett, C.Towse.

Premier Division
Upper Beeding 2 Lavant 3
Bosham 2 Watersfield 2
Cowfold 6 Holbrook 1
Faygate 2 Hunston 0
Newtown Villa 0 Barnham Reserves 2

Sussex Intermediate Cup
Lancing Utd 1 Portslade Athletic 5

Centenary Cup
West Chiltington 9 Lodsworth 1

Division III South
Harting 7 Yapton Reserves 3

Bareham Trophy
Lavant Reserves 6 Milland 1

Division III Cup
Nyetimber Pirates 5 TD Shipley Reserves 2
Slinfold 3 Wittering Reserves 4

Division I Sunday League
AFC Old Barn 3 Lamb Steyne 1
Wheatsheaf 3 AFC Chichester 1
Butlins 0 Wittering utd 1

Southdown Rosebowl
The Old Barn 4 Lavant 2

Goals:
Jason Houghton
Rhys Watling

Man of the Match:
Mark Richardson

Lavant 2 Bosham 3

Bosham on this showing must have every chance to challenge for the Premier Title. Good defending, accurate passing and movement and patient build ups in front of the opponents’ goal were a pleasure to watch.

Nevertheless for the first quarter hour  Lavant had most of the play and looked likelier to score. Eventually, the visitors came into the game and might have taken the first half but for Lavant ‘s compact and organised defending. Half time saw an evenly balanced and goalless game.

Then, came the turning point of the match. Lacking concentration Lavant conceded within a minute of the restart as Joe Hancock gave Bosham the lead with a fine finish.

This required the homeside to abandon their tactics and go all out for the equaliser. They won a corner but when Bosham cleared the resulting swift counter-attack put the visitors 2-0 in front with another fine Hancock finish on 65mins.

Mike Bartley and James Sandford had come close earlier for Lavant. Manager, David Parker, made two substitutions and changed the formation. As this was happening Lavant had conceded a corner and uncharacteristically left Nick Edgington to have a free run into the box to put the visitors in what seemed an unassailable position with his 82^nd min header.

But the tactical change Lavant had effected came into play and the homeside pulled two back through Bartley in the 83^rd and 86^th minute.

Substitute Alex Holmes almost scored the equaliser for the homeside two minutes from time.

Lavant Boss Parker commented; “Bosham are the team we want to emulate. But all that hard work in the first half was wasted by lack of concentration on their 1^st & 3^rd goals. You can’t do that at this level. But we will learn and improve.”

Lavant: N.Sanson, C.Coe, B.Purgavie, T.Parker, M.Lyttle, M.Neville, M.Bartley, M.Stevens, L.Weller, R.Seacombe, J.Sandford. Subs: R.Gabb, A.Holmes.

Bosham: Fewell, Davies, Brett, Blanshare, Docherty, Probee, Wilson, Downden, Hancock, Bracher, Redman N Subs: Edgington, Redman J, Greenhaf, Ash.

Premier Division
Lavant 2 Bosham 3
Newtown Villa 3 Cowfold 1
Upper Beeding 3 Barnham Reserves 5
Watersfield 2 West Chiltington 2

Mid Sussex Senior Charity Cup
Burgess Hill Albion 8 Faygate Utd 5 AET

Malcolm Simmonds Cup
Yapton 1 Lancing Utd 0

Division III South
Stedham 2 Lavant Reserves 0
Nyetimber Pirates 7 Rustington Park Seniors 5
The Vardar VIP 4 Yapton Reserves 0
Whyke Utd 1 Wittering Reserves 3

Sussex Junior Cup
Wittering reserves  vs Frant FC – home win

Division I Sunday League
Lavant 4 Lamb Steyne 3

Goals:
Alan Sheppard x2
Max Thoms x2

Man of the Match:
Max Thoms