Norgate stars as Stags put five past Steyning

Gerry Murphy was left frustrated after Steyning shipped five in a heavy home defeat on Saturday. Picture by Liz Pearce LP1600672

As well as Norgate’s quadruple, Liam Dreckmann also struck to ensure Midhurst & Easebourne romped to an emphatic 5-0 victory, inflicting a heaviest home league defeat of the season on Town on Saturday.

Fifth-placed Steyning now trail place-above Little Common by three points having played three games more after they beat league leaders East Preston. Town are a further point off Mile Oak, in third, having played a game extra with four matches left to play.

Steyning manager Gerry Murphy was left a little frustrated after the heavy home defeat and said: “I’d say any chance we had of finishing in the top three and gaining promotion has now gone.

“The boys have been brilliant for me this season but I think this showed we are still a little bit short of going up a division at this moment.

“We started well, then gave the ball away too easily and conceded two sloppy goals before half-time. We seemed to give in at three goals down but I’m sure we can bounce back on Saturday.”

Despite a decent start, Steyning found themselves a goal down after 20 minutes. Norgate was the man to break the deadlock, before Dreckmann added a second ten minutes before the interval.

Things could have been different had Chad Milner not seen an effort a minute after the restart cleared off-the-line. As it was, Midhurst ran away with it in the end. Norgate notched his second of the afternoon ten minutes after the restart, then completed his hat-trick 12 minutes later.

A miserable afternoon for Steyning was then capped off as Norgate bagged his fourth and Midhurst’s fifth six minutes from time.

Town will be looking to bounce back as they welcome second-bottom St Francis Rangers to The Shooting Field in the league on Saturday.

STEYNING TOWN: Rose; Clark, Finch, Pickford, Levoi, Finney, Greer, Faber, Hartley, Knowles, Milner. Subs: Townsend (Hartley), Puttock, (Faber) Cusdin (Finney).

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