Lavant FC – Keep It Yellow!
Premier League
Holbrook 2 Faygate 1
Newtown Villa 3 Hunston CC 1
Upper beeding 3 Henfield 3
Division IV South
Predators Reserves 13 The Nelson 1
Lavant go to second in the league
The Calremont 1 Lavant 4
Avisford Sports 1 LG Utd 1
Lavant slumped to their first defeat in nine games, to second in the league Upper Beeding.
The final score somewhat flattered the visitors, but they did put in a very professional display to hold on to their early two goal lead and add another after fending off a constant second half barrage from Lavant.
It could have been so different, but for in the first half with the Beeding keeper making a fantastic close range goal stopping save to deny Lavant pulling one back and a goal that was not given minutes later, both were big moments in the first half, where Lavant could have drawn level before half time, but on the day they just could not get the rub of the green.
Did it cross the line? Looks like it
We will never know. Lavant could do with goalline technology
Then after constant early second half pressure Lavant missed a golden opportunity to get back into the game once more, missing a spot kick.
Lavant pressed for much of the second half but Upper Beeding held firm and scored a third on the break, bagging the three points.
Team: Neil Sanson, Richard Gabb, James Batten, Paul Jones, Matt Lyttle, Aaron Hancock, James Brooks, Dave Knight, Ollie Haggar, Mike Neville, James Sandford (c). Subs: Ben Purgavie, Jon Wright, Alex Holmes.
East Dean 0 Oackley 3
Faygate 1 Predators 2
Premier Division
Lavant 0 Upper Beeding 3
Hunston 1 Cowfold 3
Wittering 4 Newtown Villa 1
Division IV South
Ajax Trees vs Lavant Reserves – Postponed
Inviation Cup – Group B
Lavant vs Six Villages (result to follow)
Pagham Football Club
Lavant put in a great performance against a Pagham Reserve side currently 3rd in the Sussex County Reserves Section Premier League, to win three-two and secured their place into the Quarter Finals of the Sussex Intermeidate Cup. Lavant will have a home fixture on the 10th January, Kick-off 1.30pm and it will be against the winners of the game btween West Chiltington and Rottingdean Village being played on the 13th December.
UP THE LAVANT
Manager Stuart Eastwood leads the pre-game warm-up
Lavant travelled to Reserve County Premier side Pagham full of confidence off the back of 8 consecutive victories. The opposition was not to be taken lightly as they too are flying high in their league and their quality showed from the outset. Pagham started with great tempo putting the visitors on the back foot and using the pace of their wide men to great effect and letting the Lavant full backs know that they were in for a difficult afternoon of football. The first telling opportunity fell to Pagham with Gashi on the left hand side getting the beating of Gabb and flashing the ball across the 6 yard box only for Turney to be put off by the outstretched Lyttle.
After the early pressure Lavant started to settle with Brooks and Knight getting their foot on the ball and starting to dictate the tempo. 15 minutes in Lavant managed to put them ahead, Hancock with a well delivered corner kick, converted at the back post by Jones and scoring his first goal for Lavant against his former club.
Lavant were buoyed from this a continued to move the ball around and enjoying the majority of possession. Pagham were still an obvious threat and Lavant had to be aware of their pace of the counter. With 10 minutes left of the half Pagham levelled, Turney getting the better this time of Lyttle, driving into the box and unleashing a vicious cross shoot into the roof of the net.
Lavant had to pick themselves and before the half was up they had the ball in the back of the net again only for Baker to be judged offside, a decision that bewildered the visiting side.
Lavant full of belief that the tie was there for the taking started the second as they finished the first and it wasn’t long until they got themselves in front once more, a penetrating run by Hancock down the right hand side, crossing hard and low into Haggar who laid off to Sandford to fire home.
Lavant again persevered having the better of possession and on the hour mark made it 3, another Hancock corner hit towards goal by Lyttle taking a deflection off Haggar on the way and finally swept home by Sandford for his second.
Was this 2 goal cushion going to be enough to see the West Sussex Premier side through, well the game was set for the grand finale when Pagham were awarded a penalty kick 15 minutes from time. Turney again the danger man driving into the box and felled by Purgavie with the kick being comfortably stroked home and making it 3-2.
Pagham piled on the pressure but Lavant defended with heart and soul putting everything on the line seeing the game out and progressing into the Quarter Finals of the Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup.
Team: Neil Sanson, Richard Gabb, Ben Purgavie, Paul Jones, Matt Lyttle, Aaron Hancock, James Brooks, Dave Knight, Ollie Haggar, Dan Baker, James Sandford (c). Subs: Mike Neville, Jon Wright, Dave Maclean.
Pagham Reserves 2 Lavant 3
Lavant Reserves 0 Crawley Portuguese Sports Club 2
Predators Reserves 4 Old Hastonians 2
Premier Division
Faygate 2 Cowfold 4
Henfield 7 Wittering 1
Upper Beeding 1 Ockley 3
West Chiltington 1 Predators 2
Division IV South
Wittering Reserves 0 Tangmere 7
Inviation Cup – Group B
Whyke 0 Lavant 2
Unicorn 0 Hunston CC 1
The Kick-Off times for this Saturday’s cup games are:
Pagham Reserves vs Lavant – Sussex Intermediate Cup – 3.00pm KO
Lavant Reserves vs Crawley Portuguese SC – Sussex Junior Cup – 1.30pm KO
| Date | Team | Opponents | Venue | Pitch | Kick- Off |
| 6th | Lavant | Pagham Reserves (Sussex Intermediate Cup) |
A | – | 3.00pm |
| 6th | Lavant Reserves | Crawley Portuguese SC (Sussex Junior Cup) |
H | Raughmere Park | 1.30pm |
| 7th | Lavant Sundays | Whyke Utd (Invitation Cup Group B) |
A | – | 10.30am |
| 13th | Lavant | Upper Beeding | H | Village Green | 2.00pm |
| 13th | Lavant Reserves | Ajax Trees | A | – | 2.00pm |
| 14th | Lavant Sundays | Six Villages Utd (Invitation Cup group B) |
H | Raughmere Park | 10.30am |
| 20th | Lavant | Ockley | A | – | 2.00pm |
| 20th | Lavant Reserves | Predator Reserves | H | Raughmere Park | 2.00pm |
| 21st | Lavant Sundays | Westbourne | H | Raughmere Park | 10.30am |
| 27th | Lavant | No Game | – | – | – |
| 27th | Lavant Reserves | No Game | – | – | – |
| 28th | Lavant Sundays | The Claremont | A | – | 10.30am |
Lavant secured three league points in a drab league fixture on a heavy long grassed pitch, which made playing football hard to do at times. Goals from Ollie Haggar and superb second goal from Dave Knight.
But at the final whistle Lavant extended their unbeaten run to eight games, adding three points to their league tally lifting them to 5th in the league.
Full match report to follow:
Team: Neil Sanson, Richard Gabb, Jon Wright, Ben Purgavie, Matt Lyttle, Aaron Hancock, James Brooks, Dave Knight, Paul Taylor, Ollie Haggar, James Sandford (c). Subs: Mike Neville, Adam Yaxley .
Premier Division
Hunston CC 0 Lavant 2
Cowfold1 Upper Beeding 0
Wittering 2 Holbrook 4
Division IV South
The Nelson vs Lavant – Away Win
Ajax Trees vs Wittering – Home Win
West Chiltington Reserves 4 Predators Reserves 2
Inviation Cup – Group B
Lavant vs Whyke (Result to follow)
Lavant secured their place into the next round of the Centenary Cup and now face a third round away fixture at Petworth on the 7th February 2015.
Saturday Lavant welcomed Division 2 North side Barns Green in this round of the Centenary Cup. Lavant were forced into a change in system with a number of notable absentees but this allowed the home side to give a debut start to recent acquisition Paul Jones in the centre of defence.
Lavant started exceptionally well, dominating possession and territory with the visitors happy to sit back and soak up the pressure, leaving their lone striker isolated and unable to retain the ball.
Early chances fell to the home side, notably James Brooks with an outstanding diving header from Hancock’s cross only to go narrowly wide. With all the good football Lavant were playing, switching the ball from flank to flank, it was a long clearance from keeper Sanson which finally led to the deadlock being broken. The ball managed to clear the Barns Green defence leaving Hancock to run through and round the keeper to make it 1-0 Lavant.
The goal had a negative effect on the home side, as the tempo dropped off and resorted to similar long ball tactics of their opponents. Lavant started to rally again towards the end of the half but were unable to extend their lead before the half time whistle.
Lavant started the 2nd half as they did the 1st but with the visitors prepared to defend deep and narrow, any Lavant skirmish forward broke down in the final 3rd. This forced Lavant into a change and with the introduction of a second front man in Dan Baker the effect was notable. Lavant were virtually camped in the oppositions half in hunt of the goal to put the tie to bed. A great opportunity fell to substitute Loversidge forcing a superb save from the Barns Green stopper. It wasn’t long until the pressure told and skipper Sandford finished of the valiant visitors with a smart turn and finish from 10 yards.
Team: Neil Sanson, Richard Gabb, Jon Wright, Paul Jones, Matt Lyttle, Aaron Hancock, James Batten, James Brooks, Dave Knight, Mike Nevile, James Sandford (c). Subs: Dan Baker, Stuart Loversidge, Paul Taylor.
