Sidlesham, Bosham, Pirates and Lavant through in cup

Sidlesham 3 Old Varndenians 1

Sussex Intermediate Cup R2

Sidlesham kicked off their Intermediate Cup campaign with a convincing win against a side from the Mid Sussex premier.

Dean Read and Tom Bayley came into the side and there were also recalls for Danny Millens and Steve Williams.

Sids wasted numerous opportunities to take the lead. Veteran defender Paul Grantham headed just past the post after a short corner, then Read should have converted after being put in on goal by the impressive John Phillips.

Phillips’ long-range effort fizzed just over before the visitors opened the scoring completely against the run of play when a corner whipped in to the front post was missed by Tom Jefkins and ended up in the net.

Within five minutes the tie was all-square. Excellent closing down from the home side saw them win a corner and an exquisite dead ball by Phillips was volleyed home by Reed.

A reckless challenge from the OVs centre-half upended Bayley in the box. Bayley, making his first start after injury, fired the spot-kick hard and low into the net.

On 62 minutes the Sids management freshened the forward line with Barry McCoy and Tom Kelly replacing Joe Jefkins and Reed.

Tom Sandalls was the victim of an atrocious tackle from the centre-half, who rightly saw red. Sandalls was replaced by Danny Millens on the left.

Tom Kelly extended the lead, winning the ball back off the centre-half and volleying powerfully past the keeper.

In the next round Sids will meet Three Bridges’ development Side.

MoM was Phillips.

SIDS: Rochester, Grantham, Leggat, Cowell, Carrigher, J Jefkins (McCoy), T Jefkins, Phillips, Sandalls (Millens), Read (Kelly), Bayley.

Bosham 2 Partridge Green 0

Sussex Intermediate Cup R2

A moment of cheeky brilliance from Marco Giambelardini saw Bosham finally put an end to the stern challenge of Partridge Green and march on to the third round of the Intermediate Cup and maintain the Reds’ unblemished record for the season.

The Greens had put up stubborn resistance throughout the tie but in the end league experience told, allowing the Robins to progress.

Both sides started well but Bosham had the better of things. Kieran Hartley was electric as usual with his pace on the flank and Jake Lafferty was busy through the middle.

The Partridge Green defence looked nervy and chances soon came, although they were badly wasted on several occasions when a simple pass might have been the better option.

Twice Kieran Carter blew good opportunities when in on goal and then Lafferty saw an excellent effort go over the bar by just inches. Keeper Dave Anzell was a relieved man and the Greens lived to fight another day.

Bosham got their noses in front before the break when Hartley stepped up to slot in from the spot after Lafferty was felled when forcing through on goal.

The Robins deserved the lead but could have had more if their shooting boots had been properly on from the start.

The Greens looked more assured after the interval and big striker Ben Whales certainly did his best to try to get the visitors back into the tie.

Winning a lot of ball for the greens, Whales was able to inspire good attacks but there was no end product, leaving management on the sidelines frustrated.

Bosham needed that cushion of a second goal and it arrived through the clinical skill of Giambelardini. Bosham easily broke down the offside trap and a searching pass from Adam Brett found Giambelardini, who beat Anzell to the ball and then used a moment of sublime skill to nutmeg the keeper and slot in with ease.

Bosham shut up shop after that and had no problem seeing out time to move into round three.

BOSHAM: Hasted, Probee, Dowden, Bryant, Edgington, Wilson, Hartley, Lafferty, Carter, Storey, Giambelardini. Subs: Redman, Foster, Brett, Docherty, Brockway.

ALAN PRICE

Pirates 2 Shoreham Res 0

Sussex Intermediate Cup

Nyetimber Pirates blasted their way into the third round of the cCup with an impressive 2-0 win over county league Shoreham Reserves at Pirate Park.

Goals from Sean Williamson and Lewie Wilkins were enough for the looters to continue their impressive unbeaten run making it seven wins from nine in all competitions.

The win came in the Pirates first ever Intermediate Cup game after they won the Junior Cup last season.

Sam Pasterfield was made captain but Nyetimber had key players still missing through injury.

The Pirates started strongly and should have been two up within minutes, but Wilkins and Paul Frangou couldn’t convert.

Matt Carter was close to breaking the deadlock but his header was tipped on to the bar from Andy Cox’s corner.

Nyetimber made it 1-0 on 35 minutes when Williamson cut inside unleashing a 25-yard pile-driver, giving the Shoreham goalkeeper no chance.

Shoreham pressed for an equaliser but failed to create any real chances with the Pirates backline making it six clean sheets from nine games.

Wilkins terrorised the full-backs throughout, putting in a MoM performance, and he finishedit off on 81 minutes after a great team move.

The Pirates haven’t lost in any cup competition since February 2013 and look to continue that run this week when they travel to Cowfold in the Malcolm Simmonds Cup.

PIRATES: Pye, Urquhart, Williamson, Bann, Carter, Palmer, Pasterfield, Dant, Wilkins, Cox, Frangou, Shepherd, Peach, Hamm.

Stedham 2 Lavant 5

Sussex Intermediate Cup

Lavant progressed to the next round at the home of division-one side Stedham.

It was clear from the outset the hosts were more than happy to play the long ball and use the pace of their front-men. However, the Lavant defence held firm.

The away team settled and Lavant broke the deadlock with Aaron Hancock beating his man and rifling a shot at the Stedham stopper who parried it into the path of James Sandford to tap home.

Stedham scored next as a long ball up field in behind the Lavant defence saw keeper Neil Sanson miss the ball, allowing the Stedham striker to pass into the empty net.

Lavant got back in front, Sandford scoring his second with ease as the keeper was poorly positioned. Next came the goal of the game, a free-kick on the halfway line taken by Richard Gabb who followed his pass and hammered home a shot.

Then Lavant further extended their lead when Sandford completed his hat-trick – scoring his eighth goal in two games with a smart finish with the outside of his right boot.

The start of the second half saw Stedham cut the deficit with an unstoppable drive into the top corner.

Poor football from both sides and a stream of minor infringements stopped the game from having any flow. Lavant lost Dave Knight after a clash of heads.

Stedham were reduced to ten men after a substitute committed two bookable offences despite being on for only ten minutes.

The visitors put the game to bed late on with substitute Dan Baker volleying home a Hancock cross.

LAVANT: Sanson, Gabb, Longland, Purgavie, Wright, Hancock, Neville, Brooks, Knight, Haggar, Sandford. Subs: Lyttle, Baker.

Ajax Trees 5 Chapel 4

Division four south

League leaders Ajax Trees ran riot in the first half and looked like getting into double figures.

They were 5-0 up in 40 minutes and cruising but a Tony Scutt goal just before half-time gave Chapel hope.

The introduction of last year’s top scorer Arron Carver after injury transformed the game. Chapel pushed forward with Carver threatening every time he got the ball and his two goals in a minute around the hour mark brought the game to life.

Carver added his third on 70 minutes and made it look like the great escape was on but the leaders defended stoutly in the last 20 minutes to take the points despite having a man sent off.