Lavant cup tie should have been close ... but wasn't

When these two teams have met in previous seasons, it has always been a close-run game with plenty of goals.

Lavant started with promise, putting the visitors on the back foot and exerting pressure on Selsey’s goal.

Good work in the middle of the park by Matt Hine and James Brooks ensured Lavant were camped in the visitors’ half.

But on 20 minutes the game turned. After a succession of corners and pressure Lavant should have taken the lead, but Selsey stood firm.

From that point on, the visitors grew in confidence.

Just as it looked like it would be 0-0 at the break, Selsey’s Paulo hit a speculative long-range shot which caught keeper Tom Turner off-guard as the ball sneaked into the top corner.

From the restart Lavant pushed forward with a renewed determination but again Selsey proved hard to breakdown: they were well-organised at the back and quickly got their players back behind the ball.

Lavant’s frustration at not finding a way through was worsened when they lost possession cheaply in midfield and got caught by a quick counter-attack, which saw Selsey striker Martin Cannon break free of the defence and drive the ball past Turner.

Manager Mel Milburn made wholesale changes to the side but although Lavant continued to have their fair share of the ball, they were unable to threaten the visitors’ goal.

Selsey soaked up the pressure and with 15 minutes left scored a third through Cannon.

LAVANT: T Turner, S Green,

D Ranjbar, P Cairns, M Ayers,

D Kennard, B Evans, M Hine,

J Brooks, R Lines, R Pinder.

Subs: L Weller, J Wright, J Walsh.