23rd November.
The Chichester & West Sussex Sunday League game Hunston vs Lavant has been postponed due to the weather.

Sussex Intermediate Cup

Arundel Reserves 3 Newtown Villa 0
West Chiltington 4 Portslade Athletic 0

West Sussex League

Centenary Cup
Lavant 2 Barns Green 0

Premier Division
Faygate 3 Henfiled 2
Holbrook 0 Ockley 2
Upper Beeding 4 Hunston 1
Wittering 1 Cowfold 4

Division IV South
Predators Reserves 4 Lavant 0
Chapel 6 The Nelson 0
The Unicorn 5 West Chiltington Reserves 1

The Groups for the Chichester & West Sussex Sunday Football League Invitation Cup are as follows:

The group games start in December and Lavant’s first game is away to Whyke on the 7th December.

FIVE STAR PERFORMANCE

Six Villages 0 Lavant 5

The Lions made the long journey to Westergate at the weekend to face unbeaten table toppers, Six Villages.

Despite the pouring rain both teams were noticeably fired up for this game. Strong line ups were fielded and the game began.

Six Villages kept hold of the ball well for the first 10minutes but a well organised Lavant side didn’t let the home team break through.

After 20minutes a quick pass from the Lavant defence got played down the right wing which set Anthony Wills off on a run. The low cross was met by Rhys Watling only to be saved by the keeper. The ball didn’t clear and the ball was played across the goal to where the oncoming Loversidge made sure the ball found the back of the net. 0-1.

Lavant carried on with their pressing play and good possession. From this, Watling received the ball on the edge of the area. A neat touch and a well driven low strike put Lavant 0-2 up.

Holding midfielder, Anthony Wills, had to be substituted on the half hour mark with a pulled hamstring. On came debutant Barry McCoy.
Clever passing from Eccles and Poole released Watling again. A one on one with the keeper saw the Lions striker get his second. 0-3.

This was to be Poole’s last input as he hobbled off after suffering a fractured ankle. Graham Fargher took to the field and the visitors saw out the half.

More rain fell making conditions on the pitch worse. However, both teams still managed to play some good football. It was Lavant who had the first chance though. Eccles effort only denied by the post.
Lavant piled the pressure on the Six Villages defence. It paid off when tidy play saw ‘Rex’ Loversidge receive the ball on the edge of the 18 yard box. A laid off ball allowed McCoy to open his goal scoring account with his new club after he neatly side footed the ball into the far side of the goal from 25yards. 0-4.

Lavant looked comfortable and the defence controlled everything. Keeper, Rob Baylis, was called into action when a long range strike from the Six Villages forward was heading for the top corner. Baylis was well positioned and tipped the ball over the bar with a FIFA ’94 style dive.

Lavant wrapped things up when short passes down the left between ‘Rex’ (it will catch on Stu) and McCoy exposed the Villages defence. Watling ran along the line and McCoys ball through again saw the forward with a one on one. The outcome the same when he slotted the ball into the net for his hat trick.
0-5.

A fantastic team performance with excellent hard work and concentration for the 90 minutes.

M.o.M Rhys Watling

All at Lavant FC wish Curtis Poole a speedy recovery.

Next Sundays game is away to Hunston. KO 10.30.
Support is appreciated so get yourselves down there to cheer on the Lions.
Keep It Yellow (KIY)

Team: Rob Baylis, Tom Sheppard, Mark Richardson, Gary Jefkins, Jason Houghton (c), Anthony Wills, Darren Pannell, Curtis Poole, Nick Eccles, Stuart Loversidge, Rhys Watling. Graham Fargagr, Barry McCoy, Daryl Hayward-Hall.

Pagham Reserves beat Montpelier Villa AFC two-nil at home on Saturday in the Sussex Intermediate Cup, with goals from Luke Rose and Lloyd Rowlatt.

They now have a 4th round tie at home to Lavant on the 13th December.

Lavant Reserves 3 Wittering Reserves 2

Lavant nearly paid the price for missing numerous opportunities and not to take a commanding lead going into half time.  As after the break the game was a much more even affair and in the last five minutes of the match Lavant were hanging on to their slim three-two lead.  But at the final whistle they bagged three valuable league points to consolidate their postion in third place in the league and keep the pressure on the top two, The Unicorn and Ajax Trees

Team: Rob Baylis, Craig Spann, Neil Latham, Matt Grace, Ben Thomas, Tom Parker (c), Adam Yaxley, Greg Ayling, Don Pollack, Dan Mortimer, Louis Weller. Subs: Pete Caveney, Lee Smith, Henry Polack.

Nyetimber Pirates 1 Lavant 2

Sussex Intermediate Cup

Saturday saw Lavant travel to Division I side Nyetimber Pirates in the Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup. Conditions weren’t the best following the overnight rainfall and strong winds meant that keeping the ball on the floor was of paramount importance.

Lavant certainly started the brighter, staying nice and compact and nullifying the space of the Pirates extra man in midfield. Early chances fell to Baker who forced a smart stop from the Pirates keeper as well as Sandford and Hancock but neither was able to convert.

As the half wore on the Lavant back four dropped deeper and deeper and with neither of the front two dropping in, the Pirates extra man in the middle started to tell as they gained a foothold in the tie. Lavant managed to see the half out but a change in attitude was required.

Lavant started the second half as they did the first, the back four holding a much better position and the gaps between the lines reduced as a result. The home team had clearly decided to try a use the wind to their advantage and distributing the long ball over the top which generally ran through to keeper Sanson.

15 minutes into the half saw the Pirates take the lead, arguably against the run of play, a free kick defended well but failure to pick up the second ball saw the unsighted Sanson beaten at his near post as it was fired back in.

The Lavant response was a positive one, playing into the wind forced the visitors the play on the floor and good link up play found substitute Neville on the inside left who drove into the box only to be felled, penalty kick. With the absence of Brooks, skipper Sandford stepped up only for the keeper to save low to his right.

Undeterred Lavant continued to hunt for an equaliser and it came from the move of the game, Hancock driving down the right hand side easily beating his man and then laying in Haggar to cheekily flick home to make it one-all.

Lavant now clearly in the ascendancy pushed on for the next which came 15 minutes from time, a great through ball from Knight into Haggar who smartly rounded the keeper and slotted away to put the visitors in front.

As the tie drew out the pirates threw what they could at Lavant but they stood resolute with the home team then turning on each other until the full time whistle was blown.

Lavant now go into the 4th round, with only sixteen teams remaining and will play away to either Pagham Reserves or Montpelier Villa AFC on the 13th December.

Team: Neil Sanson, Richard Gabb, Jon Wright, Ben Purgavie, Matt Lyttle, Aaron Hancock, James Batten, Dave Knight, Ollie Haggar, Dan Baker, James Sandford (c). Subs: Mike Neville, Dave Maclean.

Sussex Intermediate Cup

Nyetimeber Pirates 1 Lavant 2
Cowfold 3 Bosham 5 AET
Predators 1 Roffey 4

West Sussex League

Premier Division
Newtown Town Villa 0 Upper Beeding 2
Henfield 4 Hunston CC 1

Division IV South
Lavant Reserves 2 Ajax Trees 5
The Unicorn 6 Tangmere 0
Wittering Reserves 3 Predators Reserves 4
Chapel 2 West Chiltington Reserves 2

Chichester & West Sussex Sunday Football League

Division II
Whyke vs Lavant-  Away Win
Avisford Sports 2 Six Villages 6
Hunston CC 4 LG Utd 1
The Claremont 7 Chichester Dynamos 2

Lavant 3 Hunston CC 1 (AET)

Malcom Simmonds Cup

Goal-keeper Neil Sanson and defender Ben Purgavie break down the Hunston attack

Match Report to follow:

Team: Neil Sanson, Paul Taylor, James Batten, Ben Purgavie, Matt Lyttle, Aaron Hancock, Richard Gabb, Dave Knight, Ollie Haggar, Alex Holmes, James Sandford (c). Subs: Stuart Lowersidge, Dave Maclean.