Youth football

Six-shooter Ash leads the way

Cuckfield Cosmos Utd 8 Worthing Dyn1

Cuckfield Cosmos Utd 14 Worthing Dyn 0

United remain unbeaten this season after two great wins. Every player in the squad scored at least one goal, with Ash Ticktum leading the way with six.

Awayday double for Cosmos

Marle Place Wands 0 Cuckfield Cosmos 1

A rehearsed long throw from Cuckfield’s Rian Brunton into the penalty area was converted by Finlay Stewart to separate these two teams in a hard fought battle. Both defences were dominant in a game that saw both goalkeepers make some excellent saves.

Marle Place Wands 0

Cuckfield Cosmos 3

Cuckfield had the better of game 2, with Finn Dolan opening the scoring and then two fine strikes by Reece Willie and Jake Foskett completing the scoring. Once again it was fairly close with both teams battling hard and competitively.

Honours even for Southdown

Southdown Rovers 1 Crawley Utd 1

Report by Alex Langley

The first game began with Southdown pressure that went unrewarded. Crawley then cashed in on their good fortune to take the lead when Callum Chesworth hit a screamer into the top corner. Crawley maintained the lead until half time but Southdown were clearly up for the battle after the break and equalised when Dan Novis sweetly buried the ball in the back of the net.

Southdown Rovers 0 Crawley Utd 0

The second game began with Rio Troak in the Southdown goal making some amazing saves. He went on to earn their MoM award as he did superbly to keep a clean sheet.

under 11

Alisha stars in cup win

AFC Wimbledon 0 Southdown Girls 2

Southdown travelled to Wimbledon and progressed to the third round of the Surrey FA County Cup. They went ahead after nine minutes when a Rae Rothwell corner was met by a far post header from Alisha Mainwaring for her second headed goal in as many weeks. The early introduction of Sophie Hooper in attack allowed Southdown to continue to pressure the Wimbledon defence as she linked well with Kelly Fuller. Both went close, while Gemma Hebditch continued to show her attacking credentials with strong running and crossing from the right, and Holly Buckfield probed on the left. Wimbledon held on in the second half with the woodwork coming to their rescue twice as Southdown lay siege to their goal. Charlotte Symmonds took the opportunity to play further forward and did not allow Wimbledon to rest. It was Mia Pordage who eventually unlocked the defence again 11 minutes into the second half with a mesmerising run and sharp left-footed finish. Maddy Wallden nearly stole a third goal as the platform for attack was built on the selfless defending of Libby Ackland-Hancock, skipper Olivia Hudson and player-of-the-day Alisha Mainwaring. This made it a very quiet day between the sticks for Zahra Cheeseman.

Cosmos cruise into semi final

Cuckfield Cosmos 13 Lindfield Rovers 1

Cosmos cruised through to the semi-final of the cup with a powerful display against a valiant Rovers side. Josh Wells opened the scoring after five minutes when he headed home a William Rogers corner and then the impressive strike pairing of Alfie Berry and Luca Cavalli took over, with MoM Berry scoring a hat-trick and Cavalli adding one to put the home side 5-0 up at the break. George Creavy and Christopher Dunley came on up front for the second half and scored a brace each, while further goals from Cavalli, Wells, Rogers and George Jeavons completed the tally. Rovers got a deserved consolation when they broke away from the home defence and beat Dom Seed.

Place in 10-goal ding-dong draw

Marle Place Wands 5 Patcham Utd 5

Hat-trick man Tom Pughe-Morgan stepped up to convert a late penalty to earn Place a point in this see-saw match where both defences were given a torrid time. Place went ahead when a Pughe-Morgan pass found Oliver Appaya, who after cutting in from the right hit the net with an exquisite finish. The home side then doubled their lead when good work in the middle of the park by Tom O’Donaghue found Appaya and his cross was converted by Kieron Mason. Alex Rhys-Williams pulled off a great stop but could not stop Patcham pulling level with a close range header. Pughe-Morgan tried his luck from long range to put Place back in front. After the break only a post denied Patcham an equaliser but they levelled moments later with a great strike. Pughe-Morgan again put Place back in front but the visitors then levelled once more before taking the lead for the first time. But just when it looked as if the visitors had gained revenge for a defeat two weeks earlier, Yomi Makayi was brought down in the box and Pughe-Morgan did the rest from the penalty spot. Kieron Mason grabbed the MoM award for Place, in an encounter refereed by Josh Crow.

under 16

Six of the best from Place

Marle Place Wands 6 Seaford Town 2

Both teams did well to produce some decent football on a poor surface. Although Place applied the early pressure, Seaford could have taken the lead after nine minutes when the ball was scrambled clear of the home goal. Two minutes later Place went ahead as Jack Wilkins picked up David Sadler’s through ball and coolly slotted home. Josh Arnold’s superb cross led to Place’s second, Solly Ross rising to head home on 20 minutes and a minute later Wilkins grabbed his second to make it 3-0. Place became somewhat complacent as half time approached and allowed Seaford back into the game with an unchallenged header from a free kick. The second half became niggly and after a great save by Wills Brimacombe as Seaford threatened, Ross found himself in the book as the ref became increasingly fussy. It was 4-1 on 58 minutes when the otherwise excellent Seaford keeper failed to hold a Wilkins free kick and Jack Harford was on hand to slot in the loose ball. After another magnificent save by the Seaford keeper to deny Wilkins, Seaford pulled a goal back from a breakaway. But Ross (66) and Wilkins (69) completed the scoring to cement Place’s position at the top of the table and maintain their 100 per cent league record.