Littlehampton out of RUR Cup amid penalty controversy

Littlehampton were knocked out of the RUR Cup after losing 2-0 in the quarter-finals away to Broadbridge Heath last night.
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Football

It took until the 80th minute for the deadlock to be broken but there was much controversy over the goal.

A ball was played into George Cousins in the Littlehampton penalty area where Tim Martin was standing in an offside position.

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The assistant referee raised his flag for a split second until he realised that Martin was not involved in the play and immediately put it down again.

At the same time a defender upended Cousins in the box, the referee had spotted the raised flag and blew his whistle initially giving a free-kick to the visitors for offside but with the Heath players, management and supporters all demanding that the referee consults with his linesman, which he eventually did and changed his original decision and pointed to the penalty spot.

Now it was the away side's turn to demonstrate with the officials which they did for several minutes. Jake Holmes, who was patiently waiting to take the spot kick stepped up to score his first of the season.

Holmes then fired past Littlehampton keeper Mitchell Bromage.

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Littlehampton coach James Askew was pleased with the side's performance. He said: “It was excellent. Although the result is a loss, it was an extremely good performance.

“The Broadbridge penalty should have never got that far. The linesman flagged for offside.”

Askew also said Littlehampton ould have been happy to reach the quarter finals of the Cup. He said: “We would have been happy to reach it but after the display last night we deserved to go further.”

Littlehampton now take on Arundel on Saturday and Askew says it a must win game. He said: “It is a game we have to avoid defeat. Especially with us both being down near the bottom of the league and it being a local derby.”

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Broadbridge Heath: M.Chester, Clark (D.Riecker 80), Robinson, Findlay, Flack, Griffin, Weller, S.Chester (Baker 75), Holmes, Martin, Cousins (Shergold 85).

Littlehampton: M.Bromage, T.Bromage, Bell, Chaplin, McKay, Ball, Bankole, Noble, Cole, Pattenden, Heath. Substitutes Bates came on for Heath in the 85th minute.