Lavant vs Worthing Borough

Today’s first team home fixture was cancelled late in the morning as opponents Worthing Borough were unable to raise a team.

Lavant therefore should get a buy into the next round of the Malcolm Simmonds Cup and they will be away in the quarter-finals to the winner of either Newtown Villa vs Partridge Green being played later in the month.

Horsham Olympic 0 Lavant Reserves 4

Lavant Reserves record a resounding win in the Sussex Junior Cup away at the early kick-off 1.30pm in Horsham.

The goals were scored by Gary Rowlands, Barry McCoy, Joe Newton and Pete Caveney. Man of the Match James Hockin.

The Reserves will now be at home against Watersfield in the 3rd round of the cup, to be played on the 3rd December.

Team: Ash Rochester, Ben Price, James Hockin, Jon Wright, John Price (c), Dave Maclean, Greg Ayling, Adam Yaxley, Barry McCoy, Gary Rowlands, Joe Newton. Subs: Alex Holmes, Alan Sheppard, Micky Earle, Pete Caveney.

Lavant 6 Wisborough Green 0

After a week off Lavant were back in WSFL action against newly promoted Wisborough who had seemed to of adapted to life in the West Sussex top tier very nicely. For the home side a valuable lesson was learnt with the season opener defeat against promoted Rogate and these newbie’s weren’t to be taken lightly.

Lavant started very much on the front foot and were very quick to exploit their opponents weakness with both fullbacks being very poor and Aaron Hancock have a very fine game down the Lavant right. Sadly Lavant failed to capitalise on their early dominance and frustration soon set in with a more direct approach being adopted. This bad defending comfortable for Wisborough as the physicality of their centre halves was too much for lone front man James Sandford.

With 10 minutes to play in the half Lavant finally broke the deadlock, a well flighted corner from Hancock found Sandford at the back post to nod home, a deserved lead but boy Lavant made hard work of it.

A halftime positive for Lavant is their lead but there’s always a concern it only being the one goal and even more so when they should be out of sight.

The 2^nd half saw Lavant start with the intent to kill they game off and the next 20 minutes saw them deliver four goals. First up Peter Caveney was felled in the area, he picked himself up to dispatch the resulting spot kick, 2-0.

Next up James Brooks, another Hancock corner partially cleared but only on to the head of Brooks which looped beyond the outstretched keeper, 3-0. Hancock then found himself on the score sheet, a cross come shot was helped on its way by the Wisborough after trying to palm over the bar but dunked it in the net, 4-0.

Lavant made a few changes but still the scoring didn’t stop there, Ash Hawkes showed good feet in the opposing area, took a tumble and then slotted away Lavants second spot kick of the game. Hawkes wasn’t done there who bagged his brace with a ferocious left footed volley on the turn to round off the scoring.

Team: Ash Court, Richard Gabb, Simon Augustus, Matt Lyttle, Jon Wright, Matt Stevens, James Brooks, Ash Hawkes, Aaron Hancock, Peter Caveney, James Sandford. Subs: Will Cieszynski, Ollie Haggar, Matt Grace.

This Saturday both Lavant First and Reserves teams are without a fixture.

Lavant 6 Henfield 1

Lavant put in their performance of the season so far against a much changed Henfield side from seasons gone by. Lavant came out of the blocks like Usain Bolt and were well into their stride pressing high and using the football very well indeed. This was something that has been absent in previous weeks and it was to the delight of the coaching staff to see it finally return.

It wasn’t long until the inform Dan Baker opened the scoring with a very astute finish from just inside the area and nestling into the bottom left corner and nothing more than the home team deserved. Lavant then added a 2^nd through James Sandford after good link play with the impressive Baker. Baker then grabbed his 2^nd and Lavants 3^rd after the ball kindly dropped to him in the area which he confidently struck home. Lavant were flying at his point and it looked a case of not if 3 points were going to be taken but how many goals they could take them by.

Then came a potential turning point, penalty kick to Henfield and a soft one at that which they converted. 3-1 and were Henfield going to use this as inspiration for a comeback?

Having seen out the half Lavant started the 2^nd as they did the 1^st and within minutes extended their lead with Sandford scoring his second after great wing play by Peter Caveney found Sandford with his centre and netted a very neat side foot volley.

Aaron Hancock then got in on the act after being played in a slotted under the on rushing Henfield stopper. Lavant still weren’t done; Baker completed his hattrick and arguably the goal of the game. A real team goal with sustained possession and passing eventually finding Baker 20 yards out who curled a sumptuous effort giving the keeper no chance.

Team: Ash Court, Richard Gabb, Paul Jones, Matt Lyttle, Jon Wright, Matt Stevens, Simon Augustus, Aaron Hancock, Peter Caveney, James Sandford, Dan Baker. Subs: Will Cieszynski, Ash Hawkes

Lavant’s Dan Baker (right) scores a hat-trick against Henfield

Premier Division

Lavant 6 Henfield 1
Holbrook 3 Rogate 1
Hunston 2 Predators 5
West Chiltington 4 T D Shipley 3
Wisborough Green 1 Petworth 2

Sussex Intermediate Cup

Newhaven 2 Newtown Villa 2 (penalties 2-4)
Nyetimber Pirates 11 Billinghurst Reserves 1

Division II South

Angmering 0 Lavant Reserves 0
Hammer Utd 2 The Crown 1
Yapton 1 The Unicorn 2

Centenary Cup

Clymping Reserves 3 Angmering Seniors 9

Newtown Villa 2 Lavant 2

Lavant traveled the short journey to face Bognor side Newtown Villa, who’ve historically been a bit of a bogey side for the visitors, still no change there. Lavant could’ve been a goal down in the opening minute, deciding to sit back and not press the kick off.

Lavant never got going in the opening half hour, struggling to string two passes together much down to the industry of the Newtown midfield trio, breaking down any Lavant attempt to move the ball forward. It wasn’t a case of Newtown having a copious number of chances but the one they got they took. Another long ball into the left hand channel behind fullback and their busy No.9 having the beating of Matt Lyttle to slot home into the side netting.

This was the wake up call Lavant needed and finally started to get going, test the Newtown defence and looked the more likely to score but were unable to get on level terms before the break.

The second half Lavant started as they finished but just lacked that cutting edge and final ball in the attacking 3^rd. The best chance fell to Dan Baker whose volley was saved at point blank range; no one was quite sure how the Newtown stopper managed to keep it out.

Lavant finally found themselves on level terms, an Ollie Haggar corner found Lyttle at the back post to unleash a left footed drive through the crown and into the back of the net, 1-1.

Lavant could sniff the win and were very much in the ascendancy until the ball was callously given away by Will Cieszynski on the edge of the Newtown area lead to a decisive break. It looked as if the Lavant defence were going to deal with the situation but Jon Wright headed the resulting centre back across goal and allowed the late arriving forward to smash home.

Lavant threw the kitchen sink at Newtown for the last 5 minutes pushing centre half Paul Jones up top and this paid dividends. A Haggar long throw found Jones at the near post, whose flick lopped over the keeper and into the far corner with what was virtually the last act of the game.

Team: Ash Court, Ollie Haggar, Paul Jones, Matt Lyttle, Jon Wright, Aaron Hancock, Charlie Mclaren, Alan Sheppard, Peter Caveney, James Sandford, Dan Baker. Subs: Will Cieszynski, Simon Augustus, Dave Mclean

Holbrook 0 Lavant 4

James Sandford netted all four as Lavant put themselves top of the WSFL Premier Division with an emphatic victory over Horsham side Holbrook.

The visitors didn’t make plain sailing of the game as much as the score line suggested given their profligacy in front of goal. In the opening 15 minutes Lavant could off and should off been two or three goals to the good but poor finishing and some good stops kept the game nil, nil.

For all that dominance it was Lavant that were almost behind with Matt Lyttle being caught in possession, the Holbrook forward racing and squaring to his strike partner forcing Ash Court into an outrageous save. Brook then carved Lavant open a further time again calling the inform Court into action.

With 10 to play Lavant finally broke the deadlock, good play down the left flank and a goal mouth scramble saw Sandford scuff home.

The second half could not have started better for Lavant, a miss hit clearance from the Brook keeper found Sandford who managed to hold off the defender to run through and slot home clinically. This prompted and change in shape from the home side and this very much suited the visitors. Sandford soon after this completed his hat-trick and very much the goal of the game, great wing play from the returning Peter Caveney, his cross finding Sandford who rolled his defender and finish in style in the top right.

Lavant weren’t done yet, again coming from their left but this time it was Jon Wright with the marauding run and his cross finding Sandford to smartly finish with his fourth and a MOM performance.

Team: Ash Court, Matt Grace, Paul Jones, Matt Lyttle, Jon Wright, James Brooks (c), Charlie Mclaren, Ollie Haggar, Peter Caveney, Aaron Hancock, James Sandford. Subs: Will Cieszynski, Richard Gabb

Premier Division

Lavant 5 Hunston CC 1
Henfield 2 Rogate 2
Newtown Villa 2 Nyetimber Pirates 3
Predators 2 Wisborough Green 3
T D Shipley 6 Petworth 1
West Chiltington 2 Holbrook 4

Division II South

Coal Exchange 4 Lavant Reserves 3
Angmering 0 The Unicorn 2
Clymping Reserves 2 Yapton 5
The Crown 3 Hammer Utd 1