Bosham Cop a defeat - East Dean and Petworth give up defending for the day

Bosham 1 Copthorne 3

SCFGL division two

High-flying Copthorne brought Bosham back down to earth with a bump with a stirring performance that meant they left Walton Lane with the points.

The title challengers went through the gears to leave the hosts without reward.

Bosham started well and after only ten minutes were in front thanks to captain Ian Reddington, who calmly slammed home a spot-kick after the returning Nick Edgington was needlessly fouled in the box leaving referee Luke Irelan-Hill with a simple decision.

The dangerous Jimmy Ruston was next to go close for the Robins. The striker fired a stinging shot at goal which keeper Jamie Craven could only parry away from goal. Edgington pounced on the loose ball and thumped a low drive across the box and out of play.

With a sizeable crowd cheering them Bosham maintained their high standards with Edgington a constant handful, winning headers and being hard to dispossess when on the ball. The pace of Ruston also made life difficult for the visiting defence.

Goalscoring opportunities were all that lacked from the rest of the first half.

Things took a turn for worse once the match resumed with Copthorne coming out with a new vigour and within minutes Stuart Cameron had found the back of the net to draw them level.

His flicked finish from a free-kick into the danger area gave keeper Harley Redman no chance and was a real blow for a Bosham side that had showed so much promise and quality.

Bosham struggled to find a return to their first-half rhythm and chances were very scarce and the Whites showed great resilience and temperament to dominate.

The well-drilled visitors went on to score the goals to seal the deal in the final quarter.

First Oscar Weddell latched on to a perfect through ball, slicing the home defence open, and finished with a sumptuous effort across Redman into the bottom corner.

Then Laurence Morley rounded off a perfect second half with a late third. Morley picked up the ball inside the Bosham half and went on a surging run towards the area. With space opening before him Morley let fly from long distance and found the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Redman.

Bosham entertain Jarvis Brook this week.

Bosham: Redman, Metherell, Briance, Clark, Reddington, Spicer, Terry, Jarrom, Edgington, Bishop, Ruston. Subs: Desi, Mullen, Redman.

ALAN PRICE

Chichester futsallers reach finalPandemonium at Chichester CityEast Dean 5 Petworth 4

West Sussex League Championship

East Dean edged a nine-goal thriller at The Gasson.

Early on Dean’s Pete Caveney got on the end of a flick to square to Andy Gould, who made it 1-0. The goal gave the home side a confidence boost and in the next attack Caveney latched on to a George Phillpott goal kick and volleyed through the legs of the keeper.

Moments later, Tom Ferre, playing his first 90 minutes of the season, whipped in a ball from deep which found the head of Lee Bessey who glanced the ball into the back of the net.

East Dean relaxed and let their foot of the pedal, allowing Petworth to find two goals before the break to go into half-time only 3-2 down.

Petworth began the second half as they ended the first and made it 3-3.

East Dean started to gain control again and a ball through to Caveney gave him the chance to get his ninth goal of the season.

An Aaron Freeman ball set Zach Dray away to score East Dean’s fifth.

Petworth made the last minutes of the game interesting with a fourth of their own, and despite a chance each for Alex Smith, Freeman and Dray east dean couldn’t find a sixth.

It was a great watch for any neutrals but a rollercoaster day for both sets of managers, players and fans. MoM was Caveney.

East Dean: Phillpott, Ferre, Strain, Freeman N, Reed, Bessey, Oram, Richards, O’Donnell, Gould, Cavaney. Subs: Dray, Freeman A, Millard, Smith.

This week the Dean travel to Nyetimber Pirates Reserves (3pm).