Plenty of kids' football matches beat the wet weather, and there were goals aplenty.
UNDER-16
Sporting Felpham 3 Bosham Youth 3
Bosham were kicking with the gale in the first half, but Felpham pressurised from the kick-off.
The Bosham defence held firm and Jordan Evans had some bad luck on the break.
As half-time approach
ed, conditions worsened with driving rain and hail but this didn't deter Ryan Grace, who converted Alex Pearce's cross to take the visitors in at half-time in the lead.
Felpham attacked from after the break and were rewarded with a goal within five minutes.
Playing against the wind and rain, Bosham were finding it hard and within another ten minutes found themselves 3-1 behind.
A fantastic team performance saw them pull the two-goal deficit back.
First, from a James Cox cross, Billy Brown was in the area completely unmarked to head the ball home, and then a superb solo effort saw Matt Moore swing the ball across from wide on the right straight into the top corner.
Every Bosham player deserved a medal but man of the match was Mike Webb for his tireless work in midfield.
BOSHAM: Ames, Patrick, Moore, Randall, Jones, Webb, Pearce, Grace, Hardman, Johnson, Evans. Subs: Scott, Cox, Brown.
UNDER-14
Worthing Town Youth B 2 Avisford Youth 3
This was a true game of two halves.
Conditions were not favorable for a good game with the wind blowing across the pitch.
Worthing elected to play with the wind in the first half, pinning Avisford back.
After five minutes, Avisford were one down but they battled against the wind and put the Worthing keeper under pressure.
Avisford ended the half only two goals down but the second half saw them take the advantage of the wind and capitalise early with a goal from Peter Eydmann.
There was a break in play because of a hailstorm and after that, Avisford scored when Harry Fisk put away a corner.
With five minutes to go, another corner led to Fisk netting the winner.
AVISFORD: Embleton, P. Eydmann, N. Eydmann, Fisk, Harris, Jupp, Lee, Middleton, Mulenga, B. Reeves, Sargeant, Tate, Whiter, Whittle.
UNDER-13
Bognor Regis Town 5 Summerley Park Rangers 1
Summerley started slowly and after five minutes went a goal down to a Bognor shot from the edge of the area.
Summerley came back strongly and a superb passing move between Kilhams and Rafferty ended with Cleall's shot being headed behind for a corner.
This spurred on Bognor and on 30 minutes, a corner was put away for 2-0.
Back came Summerley and Knight passed to Cleall, who calmly finished past the keeper.
Straight from kick-off, though, Bognor raced through and scored.
As the weather worsened, there were chances for both teams but Bognor scored two more after 65 and 70 minutes to make the final score 5-1.
Summerley's man of the match was Ricky Hambidge.
SUMMERLEY: Hambidge, Yates, Farndell, B Smith, V Smith, Rafferty, Cleall, Woodward, Knight,Griffin-Tilley, Groom, Nicholson, Sargent, Kilhams.
UNDER-12
Lancing Rangers Select 4 Chichester City Colts B 3
The Colts produced their best performance of the season, but unluckily lost to the leaders.
In cold and wet conditions, the hosts took advantage of their chances in an even start and took a 2-0 lead.
An excellent long-range effort from Joseph Gallop made it 2-1 at half-time.
The Colts, playing uphill in the second half, carried on where they left off and Gallop equalised, calmly rounding the keeper and tapping in.
The recovery was completed shortly afterwards when Gallop completed a great hat-trick.
James Bakehouse had a chance to make it 4-2 but Lancing's keeper made a good save.
Lancing equalised when Youssef Wilson slipped and the ball agonisingly trickled into the net.
Lancing won it late on when their captain scored from the edge of the box.
COLTS: Wilson Y, McGreal, Swift, Warner, Goodall, Bramley-Ayre, Gallop, Ruddick, Wilson B, Bakehouse, Ingram, Pulleyblank.
Middleton Diamonds 0 Chichester City Youth 2
Second-placed Chichester travelled to face leaders Middleton in appalling weather conditions.
City piled on early pressure and were rewarded when Alfie Shaw's fierce shot curled in the top corner.
Their second came when James Amos dribbled through the Middleton defence to slot past the keeper.
Solid defending by Will Hutchings and man-of-the-match Charlie East kept Chichester in front.
CCY: H Yeo, C East, W Hutchings, R Jessop, J Frampton, A Shaw, J Scutt, J Amos, S Culver, C Carter, J Fanning, R Thorne, P Turner.
UNDER-TEN
Felpham Colts Youth 2 Bognor Regis Town Youth 1
This was Felpham's best performance since they were formed last season.
Facing a strong wind in the first half, they defended intelligently with the outstanding Jimmy Mundy leading the way.
The team were trying to play their passing game but found the conditions difficult, though they were unlucky to end the first half one down after a well-taken goal five minutes before the break.
In the second half, with the wind at their backs, the Colts started to play excellent attacking football which created chances for Lewis Cox and Mundy.
The Colts nearly equalised when Jake Miller's shot was superbly cleared off the line by Bognor's Jamie Vivash.
With ten minutes to go, the Colts levelled through a great goal by Cameroon Norris Guy, who controlled a long goal kick, cut in from the left and smashed the ball into the top of the net.
The Colts were in control and took the lead with four minutes left.
The impressive Tom Riseborough sent a great through-pass to Jake Arnold, who coolly smashed the ball in.
Parents' man of the match was Mundy, while the managers nominated the whole team.
FELPHAM: Roman, Mundy, Cummings, Logan, Mears, Simmons, Aldred, Cox, Norris Guy, Miller, Riseborough, Arnold.
Whyke 5 Predators 0
Whyke took an early two-goal lead in this cup tie before Predators managed to regroup and mount a few attacks.
The second half started with another Whyke goal from the kick-off, and despite good defending and hard work from the midfield, Whyke scored twice more.
Predators' man of the match was Adam Doig.
PREDATORS: Mitchell, Edwards, Howe I, Howe J, Blackman Jude, Keaties, Remnant, Doig, Blackman Jack.
UNDER-NINE
Midhurst & Easebourne 4 Worthing Town B 2
Midhurst & Easebourne returned to winning ways with a solid team performance on a wet and sticky pitch.
An excellent long-range shot from Jake Lambert put Midhurst ahead in the first half and Connor Jefferies added another to make it 2-0 at half-time.
Despite going uphill in the second half, Midhurst continued to be in charge and Jefferies scored his second to make it 3-0.
Jake Lambert had an excellent game and finished it in style by rifling in his second long range shot to make it 4-0. Worthing rallied late on with a couple of goals but Midhurst had done enough.
MIDHURST: Goodwin, Hyde, Largan, Moir, Lambert, Griffiths, Jefferies, Trewin, Coulson, Wadey.
n Avisford Youth are looking for School Year 3 players to coach ready for under-nine competition next season. Those interested should contact Rob Haines on 07786 010121.
