Gavin on target as Blues march on

Gareth Green was at his tormenting best down the left flank as he gave the Southwick defenders a torrid time while Danny Bird marauded down the opposite side and Gavin Jones looked dangerous every time he got the ball.

A goal feast seemed in prospect as crosses rained into the Wickers penalty area and only resolute defending and wayward finishing thwarted Ringmer.

Chris Dicker had three chances in the first ten minutes but was just off target from outside the penalty area on each occasion. Dominic Shepherd had two efforts blocked by the visitors's goalkeeper while Clay Lamont's header was cleared off the goalline.

The opening goal came in the 27th minute when a quickly-taken throw-in from near the corner flag by Andrew Ducille saw Jones turn and fire a left-foot shot into the corner of the net.

Dicker, Ducille and Jones then all squandered chances to increase the Blues's lead before half-time.

At the opposite end Ringmer's defence had an anxious moment when Ross Standen was severely impeded by an attacker while attempting to collect the ball from a corner, but it was eventually scrambled away to safety.

Otherwise man-of-the-match Gary Stacey and Lamont kept the visiting attack at bay so that Standen and a not-fully-fit Julian Curnow had a relatively quiet afternoon.

Dicker increased the Blues's lead some ten minutes into the second half with a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. Then a shot from Ducille deflected off a defender and then off Jones to wrongfoot Ben Counsell, who reacted well to keep the ball out.

Mark Probert had a shot blocked by the goalkeeper and although Jones was first to the rebound his shot was also blocked by Counsell. Probert then put Jones clear only for his effort to go wide.

Shortly afterwards Counsell, who had been struggling all afternoon with injury, was forced to leave the field and in the dying moments a neat passing movement down the left side involving Green, Jones and Matt Beeston ended with Green beating the emergency goalkeeper for Ringmer's third goal.

Ringmer: Standen, Bird, Lamont (Hunt), Curnow, Probert, Stacey, Dicker (Beeston), Ducille, Shepherd (O'Callaghan), Green, Jones. Unused sub: Clark.

County League One

Hailsham 0 Horsham YMCA 1

HAILSHAM boss Kenny McCreadie has drafted in former Weymouth and Burgess Hill manager Steve Johnson to help him at the Beaconsfield. Johnson also worked with John Crumplin at Ringmer a couple of times last season.

McCreadie reckons the Anchor Field side are nailed on to win the County League title. YMCA took the points at Hailsham on Saturday with a last-minute goal but McCreadie said: 'They're organised but I wasn't impressed by them. They're nothing great and Ringmer will win the title.

'An individual error by Steve Hunt cost us the match. He never attacked the ball and let his man go. He was tired but had to stay on as I'd used all my substitutes.'

Kriss Trevor got the 90th-minute YMCA winner after Hunt's error.

Yet there had been nothing between the sides up to that point as Ashley Jarvis and Simon Stevens beavered away in midfield.

YMCA should have scored after 22 minutes when Matt Russell blazed an inswinging corner over from six yards, but Edward Koboah was causing them problems on the wing and fed emergency striker Mark French to test visiting goalkeeper Ian Chatfield.

Peter Cooper was dropped to the bench after the previous week's defeat at home to Whitehawk and came on as substitute but could not make an impression.

Hailsham: Tanner, Lewis, Jarvis, P Richardson, French, Stevens, Baitup (Cooper), Barden (Williams), Satchwell (Done), Hunt, Koboah.

Vernon Wentworth Cup semi-final

Peacehaven 3 South Bersted 1

PEACEHAVEN won through to the final against the winners of Rustington v Newhaven but manager Darren Guirey was unimpressed by the performance.

Guirey said: 'We were rubbish for the first 70 minutes, too complacent, but then we got going and Luke Martin scored twice and Ryan Walton once.

'South Bersted are a nice footballing side, obviously helped by playing on the good surface at the Bognor Regis ground.'

Peacehaven: Parsons, Murray, Jones, M Brown, King, Wright (Diara), Martin, Page (R Bowwn), Bailey, Stepney (Walton), Price.

Peacehaven won 2-1 at Haywards Heath in the County League Division Three. Ryan Walton and Simon Bailey scored the goals.

County League Two

Storrington 5 Saltdean 0

Saltdean 0 Wealden 3

TIGERS'S manager Mark Smeaton is looking for nine points from home games against Crawley Down, Seaford and Bexhill United to help in the Coombe Vale club's fight for survival following defeat by Storrington and Wealden.

Smeaton said: 'We desperately need someone to stick the ball in the net after the big blow of losing the Martin brothers.

'We haven't scored since the Selsey game but there was only one difference between the sides in the Wealden game '“ their striker Richard Piper who got two of their goals.

'We started well and could have been two up in the first ten minutes, but I'm still optimistic, we just need the rub of the green.

'We do try to play football but that has sometimes been our downfall because teams are so direct in this league.

'We're so young and nave and get caught by the older and more experienced players.

'We were 5-0 down by half-time at Storrington even though again we started well. Then we conceded and the floodgates opened. I made two substitutions at half-time and at least they didn't score in the second half.'

Smeaton is looking forward to having Carl Southwell back after a long injury '“ he could be on the bench at East Grinstead tomorrow '“ and Roy Pook is available after missing the Wealden game as he was working at Cheltenham Races.

On the debit side Justin Cole and Des Hamilton miss the East Grinstead game as they have work commitments.

Saltdean (v Storrington): C Smeaton, Cole, J Smeaton (Newman), Slade, Coker (Stevens), Clarke, Cheverest, Saxby, Pook, Coyne, Bunch (Ogoe).

Saltdean (v Wealden): C Smeaton, Cheverest, Newman, Fidler (Stevens), Clarke, Cole, Costello (Coyne), Ogoe, Slade, Saxby (Taylor), Bunch.

County League Two

Selsey 3 Seaford 2

TOWN shipped three goals to tough-tackling Selsey in a spell of four minutes play but then mounted a spirited fightback that almost earned a point.

Manager Duncan Kneller recalled Lewis Wingate after injury to central defence with Mark Doherty moving into midfield. Sam Hamblin, Tom Chapman and Liam Keith were on the bench.

There were few opportunities in the opening half in which referee Danny Austin gave the Seaford players little protection and Wingate took a nasty tackle on the ankle and was later replaced by Chapman.

The injury break unsettled Town and they allowed Selsey's Andy Brown to score in the 42nd minute, quickly followed by a second from Barry Rishman.

Brown was on the mark again for 3-0 a minute after the break as the Seaford players continued to be the victims of some harsh tackling.

It was credit to Town that they finally knuckled down and Tom Callaghan reduced the arrears in the 56th minute as he fired into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area to give goalkeeper Jon Bines no chance.

Then Scott Allison grabbed his first of the season with 16 minutes left as he cracked home Seaford's second from inside the penalty area.

Town attacked for the remaining minutes but could not equalise.

Seaford: Maher, Plastow, Mayo (Hamblin), A Kneller, Wingate (Chapman), Doherty, Scarfield, Dartnell (Keith), Allison, Callaghan, C Stanyard.

County League Three

Newhaven 4 Bosham 1

The first goal came on 25 minutes after Jason Goddard came on for the injured Paul Salvage. Goddard got the ball and passed wide to Jamie Batholomew whose shot was parried by the goalkeeper to Georgiou to slot in.

Tighe got the second on 40 minutes, his first of the season with his left foot. A corner was cleared to Bartholomew, who sent it back in, the goalkeeper fumbled and Tighe took the chance. It was 3-0 on 75 minutes as Georgiou collected a clearance 40 yards out, steadied himself and sent a swerving shot over the goalkeeper's head.

Three minutes later it was 4-0 as Gary Holmes slotted in Kevin Marchesi's cross.

Newhaven: Breach, Edwards, M Leiper, Jason Tighe, Bartholomew, Marchesi, Georgiou, Holmes, Salvage (Goddard, Justin Tighe), Halsey, Newman.

County League Two

Saltdean 0 Wealden 3

Wealden, with Paul Thomsett back as sweeper, didn't get into their stride until the quarter-hour mark when good work from the excellent Richard Piper found Craig Ottley, whose pass to Dan Garrod saw the winger have their first attempt at goal.

Saltdean were the more dominant team early on and their quick counter-attacking play was forcing the Wealden back four all over the pitch.

Midway through the half Wealden switched to a 3-5-2 formation and on 36 minutes the breakthrough came when a through ball was backheeled by Justin Harris into the path of Piper, whose first-time shot easily beat Saltdean goalkeeper Carl Smeaton.

Wealden began to knock the ball around and the second goal came from the penalty spot after the linesman spotted a foul on Piper when he was trying to shoot. Craig Ottley netted the spotkick.

The downside for Wealden was that they lost several players through injury.

Steve Davis and Justin Harris had to make way in the second half for Richard Anderson and Tobi Hutchinson, and in the 69th minute Thomsett suffered a broken collar bone, with Andy Johnson coming on.

Piper and Chris Ward were proving a handful for Saltdean, with both missing one-on-ones against the impressive Smeaton.

However, the third goal came in the 86th minute when great work from Piper saw him score from a tight angle.

Wealden manager Mark Simpson said: 'It was a scrappy game but all credit to Saltdean, they did try hard.

'We lost Andy Johnson in the warm-up with a damaged ankle but he had to come on when Paul Thomsett was hurt.

'Dan Merry is a long-term injury and Gareth Clarke has bruised ribs and I've had to use three different goalkeepers in recent weeks.

'I'd like to get a couple of players in but the transfer deadline comes in a couple of weeks so it is going to be tricky.'

Wealden: Skates, Head, Ottley, Thomsett (A Johnson), Brownell, Davis (Anderson), Harris (Hutchinson), Garrod, Ward, Piper, Schlieder.

County League Two

Midhurst & Easebourne 1 Wealden 2

With some of the recently sidelined players back on duty this looked a better-balanced Wealden squad.

The downside for Wealden was that they lost Richard Piper to a second yellow card in a game spoilt by poor officials whose decisions baffled all in the ground.

They started well and within the opening 10 minutes Piper forced the Midhurst goalkeeper into action three times as Chris Ward, Steve Davies and Dan Garrod all caused problems with their link-up play and good off-the-ball running.

The reward came on 16 minutes as Andy Johnson pounced on a clearance 30 yards out and fired a first-time shot high into the top corner of the net.

Midhurst responded well, putting the pressure on and gaining several free-kicks which came to nothing, and on 30 minutes a Wealden corner was cleared to Craig Ottley, who broke back down the left and crossed. Sean Brownell chested the ball down and flicked it back for Piper to perform an amazing overhead kick past the stranded Midhurst goalkeeper.

Midhurst used their sloping pitch to advantage and forced the Wealden defence back. In the closing minutes of the half Wealden looked to have weathered the onslaught but a mistake by Jamie Skates allowed a corner from which referee Phillip Wilkes awarded a surprise penalty. Skates atoned by saving the resulting spotkick.

Wealden could have increased their lead on 52 minutes when an Ottley free-kick was flicked on by Reece Head for Brownell at the far post, but the Midhurst goalkeeper somehow managed to fingertip his header away. Wealden continued to press with Garrod causing problems from his wide play, Ottley breaking down the other side and Piper constantly pulling the defence apart.

However, Midhurst kept pressing and got their reward on 74 minutes when a defender was allowed to bring the ball forward without pressure and a first-time cross was well met by L Hamilton for 2-1.

County League One

Three Bridges 0 Crowborough Athletic 1

THE Crows's recent good form continued at Jubilee Field with a magnificent display.

Playing some delightful football, Crows took the game to Bridges and in the opening 15 minutes after good moves both Dean Chamberlain and Dave Adams shot high over when well placed.

Crows's slick movement and neat passing was causing the home defence all sorts of problems and on 32 minutes Wes Tate's superb control and pass set up James Body, who gave goalkeeper Alan Mansfield no chance with a superb strike. Moments later Tate was cleverly set up by Adams but for once his touch let him down and the ball ran to Mansfield.

Bridges started the second period slightly the better but such was Crows determination to win the ball back most of their attacks petered out. Mansfield saved well from Tate before the Crows thought they had doubled their lead, but Adams was judged to have been offside.

Bridges went to a four-man attack, but Crows's back line of Alex Bishop, Drew Crush, Phil Rhodes and Steve Prodger were magnificent. Due to Bridges pushing forwards Crows almost gained a second, but Mansfield saved well from Body, then again from Tate.

In the dying minutes Paul Massaro curled a shot that looked destined for the top corner but Kush Movaffagh superbly pushed the ball over the crossbar.

Crowborough: K Movaffagh, A Bishop, S Prodger, P Rhodes, A Crush, D Baker, W Clarke (C Ransome), D Chamberlain, D Adams, J Body (L Bull), W Tate. Unused sub: S Colbran.

County League One

Crowborough Ath 5 Eastbourne Utd 2

The Crows put on a highly-professional performance against resolute United, and their play was a joy to watch as they ripped their opponents apart.

The hosts opened the scoring on six minutes when Dave Adams put in strike partner Wes Tate, who made no mistake with his left-foot shot, giving United goalkeeper Mark Oldroyd no chance.

Crows kept up the pressure and on 21 minutes doubled their lead. Steve Prodger released Dean Chamberlain down the left and he cleverly rode the tackle from Read, crossed low and hard and Dave Adams's first-time shot flew into the net.

The visitors then started to get back into the match. Prodger did well to clear with the dangerous McDonald lurking in the danger area before they pulled one back on 38 minutes. Twice Crows failed to clear and when the ball fell to Sam Edwards he fired into the far corner for 2-1.

Tate was then denied by Oldroyd as Crows pushed again for a two-goal advantage.

Into the second period any hopes of a revival for United were quashed as Crows took the upper hand and the visitors's frustration was clear as the Crows's players took one or two heavy challenges.

The Crows kept their cool and rhythm and Danny Baker made it 3-1 after rounding Oldroyd in the 58th minute.

Oldroyd then saved well from Chamberlain and then Clarke but could do nothing about Crows's magnificent fourth goal. Tate flicked the ball up before completely outfoxing Parsons with some clever footwork and then cheekily chipping the ball over Oldroyd.

Eastbourne rallied again and from a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area Scott McDonald curled the ball into the top corner.

Again the Crows stood strong and came back with some delightful football. Oldroyd saved well from Tate but moments later Ross Treleaven chased the ball down and won it from Parsons then unselfishly passed to Tate to score his hat-trick.

In the final 10 minutes Treleaven's effort hit a post and James Body's the crossbar.

Crowborough: K Movaffagh, A Crush, S Prodger, P Rhodes, N Godden, D Baker (S Munday), N Clarke (C Ransome), P Chamberlain, D Adams (R Treleaven), J Body, W Tate.

County League Three

Wadhurst Utd 0

Uckfield Town 3

Town shuffled their line-up as Matt Watts fell victim to the flu and Scot McLeary replaced him on the left wing. Nick Walsh returned at right back and Iain Hunter made an appearance in an unaccustomed holding midfield role.

The hosts created the game's first chance but Graham Leach saved at the feet of Wadhurst's lively right winger after he had negotiated three challenges before outrunning the ball.

The enigmatic forward Chris Watson tormented Wadhurst from the 20th minute onwards when he nearly opened his County account for the season. Collecting the ball at right back, he accelerated 50 yards before laying it to Dan Barnard, who flicked to Matt Michaels. His slide rule pass was received by the continued run of Watson but he fired wide when well placed.

Into the second half Dan Barnard was thwarted by the Wadhurst goalkeeper's feet and Watson struck a post following breaks down the right flank.

The breakthrough came after 65 minutes when Michaels was felled in the penalty area and Leach fired the spotkick home.

A second goal came shortly afterwards as Watson demonstrated great skill and vision to reach the byline and fizz the ball to the back post, where Joe Tubon slid it home.

Tubon's second and Town's third was the product of a fine build-up. Left back Ian Morris found substitute Rob Searle, whose backheel nutmegged a Wadhurst player. Morris had continued his run and received Searle's pass and in turn played the ball to Tubon, who rocketed it home.

In an eventful finale Wadhurst saw the ball hit a post in a goalmouth scramble before it was cleared off the line by McLeary, and Leach also made a fantastic save.

Uckfield: Leach, N Walsh, A Barnard (Tubon), G Sawyer, I Morris, Weaver, Hunter, Michaels, McLeary, D Barnard (Searle), Watson.