Little Common pegged back – Lions can’t down Magpies – Selsey fell Forest – Wick hit five – Mavericks nick it

Saltdean 2 Little Common 2

SCFL premier

Little Common were twice pegged back as they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Saltdean United on Saturday. Common manager Russell Eldridge made two changes to the starting line-up with Jamie Bunn and Lewis Hole coming in to replace the unavailable Lewis Parsons and Paul Feakins.

Common made a dream start, taking the lead in the 5th minute when a Sam Cruttwell free kick was flicked in at the far post by Jamie Crone. Common’s lead didn’t last long and the home team were soon on level terms when a well struck Ross Smith effort from the edge of the area found the corner of the net in the 8th minute.

Play switched from end to end but it was Common who regained the lead in the 19th minute when a Sam Ellis cross was headed back across goal by Lewis Hole and Crone was on hand to head home from close range. Once again the Commoners were sloppy after gaining a lead and let their opponents back into the game three minutes later when a ball over the top caught out the Common defence and Reece Edwards drove forward before slotting home.

The hosts had an opportunity to take the lead when a misjudged back pass saw the United forward break through on goal but Hamish Tallud saved well at his feet. It was Common who dominated proceedings at the beginning of the second half and Hole saw an effort clear the crossbar following a delivery from Freddie Warren.

Crone had a near post effort deflect wide of the post and the same player hit the post after rounding the keeper despite being clipped as he passed him. A surging Josh Turner run ended with shot being saved by the United keeper whilst at the other end a late Saltdean header flashed wide of the post.

Common had one last chance to clinch all three points but Common substitute Jack McLean saw his effort well saved by the home keeper in the dying minutes.

DAN ELDRIDGE

Loxwood 2 Pagham 2

SCFL premier

The Lions grabbed a draw in an all-action, entertaining if slightly bizarre game at Loxwood on a hot Saturday afternoon.

It was a game Pagham probably should have won and likely would have bar some peculiar decisions by the officials. On the other hand, the Lions could also have lost it, but for some excellent defending and goalkeeping – and poor shooting from the Magpies.

Pagham had a good early claim for a penalty turned down. Then at the other end, after a defensive error, the ball ended in the Lions net at the second attempt after the first bounced back off the post.

Pagham equalised in the 20th minute after a deflected cross from the left found its way to Jamie Ford, whose guided shot evaded the keeper.

There were two notable incidents before half-time, the first when a fierce shot from Loxwood bounced off the post. The second saw the referee give Lions skipper Daryl Wollers a very harsh straight red card.

On 61 minutes the Magpies keeper made a terrific one-handed save but he got nowhere near a Dan Simmonds free-kick from just outside the area that put Pagham 2-1 ahead two minutes later.

Soon it was 2-2, and there was still time for yet another Lions penalty claim and for Corey Heath to head a Magpies shot off the line.

Ten minutes from time a Loxwood player was sin-binned for an offence almost identical Wollers’ sending off.

- PAUL DAVIDSON

A hat-trick for James Waters led the way as Peacehaven & Telsocmbe won 5-0 at home to AFC Varndeanians in the SCFL. Billy Oliver and Ross Barclay were the other scorers.

Meanwhile Haywards Heath – who scored eight versus Midhurst earlier in the season – managed seven v Shoreham, 7-1 the final score. See pictures by Ray Turner in the slideshow in the video player above.

Selsey 4 Forest Row 3

SCFL Division 1

The Blues won by the odd goal in seven in a thriller at the High Street Ground.

Selsey boss Daren Pearce said: “It was a game that had pretty much everything – a great advert for football.”

Forest Row took the lead when Selsey failed to deal with a ball into the box and a striker turned and fired home.

Row got a second from the penalty spot – that after the Blues should have been level at 1-1 with James Henton firing over from 18 yards out.

Just before half-time Selsey’s Ryan Morey replaced the impressive Aaron O'Brien after he took a knock.

Morey took the game to the visitors, first setting up Ollie Hambleton with a great one-two with Hambleton finishing. Then two minutes later Morey crossed and with the ball striking a defender’s hand the Blues had a penalty of their own. Up stepped Shane Brazil to make it 2-2.

In the second half Selsey continued to push their visitors back and it wasn't long before they got our third through Evan Harris after a good build-up involving Brazil.

Brazil got the fourth from a corner but near the end, Forest Row put away another penalty for 4-3 after Jack North was adjudged to have fouled his man.

Pearce said: “It was a great game for the supporters – seven goals, three penalties, great football and a win. As Saturdays go, it wasn't a bad day to come along.” Selsey go to Bansted on Saturday.

East Dean beat Flansham Park Rangers Res 4-1 in the Sussex Junior Cup. Haidon Davies, Harry Raymond, Jason Houghton and Zach Dray were the scorers.

In midweek, Selsey beat Worthing United 4-1 at home in the SCFL Division 1 Cup. See pictures from that game and the win over Forest Row, by Chris Haton, in the slideshow in the video player at the top of this page.

Wick 5 Copthorne 1

SCFL Division 1

Dave Crouch scored a hat-trick as Wick’s purple patch continued with a comprehensive victory over Copthorne in the Crabtree Park sunshine.

The striker, known as the Iceman for his clinical finishing, sent shivers down the visiting defence with his pace and broke the deadlock midway through the first half, running into a superb pass from Josh Irish to bury a low shot into the bottom far corner.

Copthorne stayed in the contest until 14 minutes from time when Crouch added his second with another crisp effort when he was again set up by his fellow striker.

Busy Crouch was then close to bagging a third when clipping a cheeky effort over the keeper from 30 yards only to miss by a fraction before Copthorne pulled one back.

But impressive substitute Liam Conolly calmly made sure maximum points were in the bag by rolling in his first goal for the Dragons before Crouch completed his hat-trick by using clever footwork to bamboozle two defenders before finding the bottom far corner from the edge of the area.

George Bingham headed in his second of the season with an injury-time header to send Wick to fifth in the table, five points behind leaders Roffey with a game in hand.

“It was a great result but we still haven’t played our best football this season and needed to change formation four times to get the job done,” said manager Lee Baldwin. “But we’re picking up some good results and enjoying ourselves ahead of Saturday’s difficult trip to Dorking.”

Oakwood 0 Worthing Utd 1

SCFL Division 1

A well deserved three points on the road came for the Mavericks in a game more comfortable than the scoreline would suggest.

It was level at half-time despite a number of decent chances, a long-range Dean Sherwood effort that came down off the underside of the bar and then out and a goalkeeper in great form.

The second half brought more of the same from both sides.

But the exception was that Liam Appleton managed to find the net with a sidefoot volley after great work down the right from Danny Kingston to maintain the unbeaten start to the league season.