Pirates and Robins make Intermediate Cup progress

Nyetimber Pirates and Bosham both made progress in the Sussex Intermediate Cup.
Bosham are flying in the cup and league / Picture by Kate ShemiltBosham are flying in the cup and league / Picture by Kate Shemilt
Bosham are flying in the cup and league / Picture by Kate Shemilt

The Pirates had a hard-fought win away to Forest Row while Bosham needed two late goals to beat Westfield.

Here are the reports.

Forest Row 0 Nyetimber Pirates 1

Sussex Intermediate Cup

Mike Hamm scored a 113th-minute winner to fire Nyetimber Pirates into the last eight of the Intermediate Cup with a 1-0 win at Forest Row.

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The preparation wasn’t ideal for the Looters, who arrived at the Mid Sussex League’s club 30 minutes before kick-off after a two-hour journey to East Grinstead was delayed by heavy traffic.

Boss Ted Griffin made three changes to the side who beat Newtown 2-0 with Danny Towers, Karl Westbrook and Rob Linkhorn all coming back in.

The lack of decent preparation showed early on for the Pirates in a fast-paced first half and they should have found themselves behind at the break, but were kept in the game after an acrobatic double save from keeper Warren Pye.

Forest Row continued to push for the opening goal in the second half and looked most likely to break the deadlock but Pye in the Nyetimber goal kept them in the game once again on 73 minutes when he tipped a low effort round the post.

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It wasn’t until the latter stages of 90 minutes that the Pirates’ superior fitness started to show and they started to take control of the game.

As the game went into extra-time there was only going to be one winner with the Pirates bombarding Forest Row with attack after attack.

The winner finally came after an Andy Cox corner was helped on by Del Chester, allowing Hamm to smash in his first goal of the season from the edge of the six-yard box sending the players into raucous celebrations.

The win means it’s 19 on the spin for the Looters and a quarter-final tie against either Sidlesham or East Preston under-21s awaits in January.

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It’s back to league action this weekend when Holbrook visit Pirate Park.

Pirates: Pye, Williamson, Linkhorn, Hamm, Towers, Cox, Chester, Haga Hammond, Turner, Westbrook, Frangou. Subs: Towers, Angell, Horn.

Bosham 3 Westfield 1

Intermediate Cup

Two goals in added-on time saw Bosham progress in a dramatic end to their tie with league rivals Westfield.

After a goalless first half, midfielder Bradley Miles got the Robins’ noses in front just after the hour with his sixth goal from his past six appearances.

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Westfield went in search of the equaliser and got their reward through substitute Martin Dobinson with a minute of normal time to play.

Supporters were readying themselves for extra-time, but Andy Probee’s men showed great resilience to book their place in the quarter-finals with two strikes in added-time.

Graeme Dowden smashed home a penalty four minutes into time added on before talisman Marco Giambelardini notched Bosham’s third – and his 25th in all competitions this season – with virtually the last kick.

The prospect of a derby against Lavant in the last eight ended as the West Sussex premier-division side went down 3-2 at AFC Varndeanians Reserves.

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The quarter-final will take place at Walton Lane on January 14 (1.30pm).

It’s back to SCFL division two action for the Robins on Saturday, with Rustington the visitors to Walton Lane (2pm).

Bosham: Magee, Probee, Bulbeck, Docherty, Gilbert, Bell, Wilson, Miles, Lafferty, Giambelardini, Dowden. Subs: Warren, Sumnall, Barnes.

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