Sidlesham win but suffer injury blow - Selsey superior - Stags' Wick woe

The latest Southern Combination division-one action brought wins for Sidlesham and Selsey but a defeat for Midhurst. Read all the reports below.
Midhurst on the ball at Wick / Picture by Kate ShemiltMidhurst on the ball at Wick / Picture by Kate Shemilt
Midhurst on the ball at Wick / Picture by Kate Shemilt

Southwick 0 Sidlesham 1

SCFL division one

There was a return to winning ways for Sids but at a cost .

Midhurst on the ball at Wick / Picture by Kate ShemiltMidhurst on the ball at Wick / Picture by Kate Shemilt
Midhurst on the ball at Wick / Picture by Kate Shemilt

Keeper Warren Boyt’s season looks to be over after an innocuous challenge led to a suspected broken foot on 30 minutes.

The game was largely controlled by Sids, who were rewarded for trying to play football on a very sticky pitch in the 68th minute. Substitute Frazer Smith sprayed the ball wide to Morgan Forry and he crossed to the far post, where Jono Fryatt slammed the ball home for hid first goal for Sids on his first start.

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Before the goal the home keeper had made good saves from Forry, Ryan Chittock and a really good stop from Brad Miles.

At the other end Southwick’s only real chance came when a back pass from Jordan Lillywhite got stuck in the mud but sub keeper Matt Boulton came to the rescue smothering the striker’s shot.

This was a good three points on the road keeping a decent run of form going in which Sids have taken 13 from 18 points available since the turn of the year.

Sids: Boyt (Lillywhite), Low, Boulton, Madden, Corell, Agostinelli, Chittock, Butress (Smith), Miles, Forry, Fryatt.

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Sids welcome high-flying AFC Varndeanians to recreation ground on Saturday.

SCFL division one

Selsey boss Daren Pearce was pleased with his side’s 2-0 win at Seaford as they extended their unbeaten record.

Second-half goals in tricky conditions at The Crouch from Joe Bennett and Callum Dowdell helped the Blues complete back-to-back victories and keep them in fifth place in the table.

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Pearce said: “I was pleased. The weather conditions weren’t the best. It was blowing a gale, windy and wet, everything you don’t want at a football match. The pitch was boggy. It’s a hard place to go on a decent day, let alone on a day when it’s blowing a hoolie, so I was really pleased with the lads.

“We managed to get the ball down in the right areas at the right times and we got a good result and a clean sheet.”

The win stretched the Blues’ unbeaten record to seven games, with their last defeat on December 8. They have scored at least once in nine of their past ten league games and Pearce said the players deserved high praise from their recent good run of form.

Pearce said: “The lads deserve the credit. They are the ones that go out and step over the white line. We give them the instructions and try to help them along. They have been good and they keep producing so all the time they’re producing, it makes our jobs a lot easier and it’s good for their confidence.”

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Selsey travel to Hailsham Town on Saturday for their third away league game in a row. Hailsham Town are a place below the Blues in sixth place, but are eight points behind them.

Selsey: Kelly, Mockford-Allott, Atkinson, Hambleton, Higgins-Pearce, Phillips, Dowdell, Bennett, Miller, Hayes, Bassil. Subs: Jefkins, Warren, Humphries.

Wick 5 Midhurst 2

SCFL division one

Midhurst failed to put back-to-back wins together with a 5-2 defeat at Wick.

It was an even opening ten minutes with the visitors having a big penalty shout turned down, as the returning Josh Sheehan from Petersfield Town got in behind his full-back. Just as Sheehan was about to deliver, he was bundled to the ground only for the referee to wave away the protests.

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In the 13th minute, Wick broke well and the unmarked Hope slotted past Stags keeper Joshua Bird.The visitors looked nervy after conceding, but they settled back down with Liam Dreckmann and Gary Norgate failing to convert good chances.

Wick’s second was a poor one for the visitors, as they allowed Shane Brazil to turn in the box to slot past Bird. The next 20 minutes the visitors took the game to their hosts and missed some good chances. Dreckmann got free on the left to then cut inside and beat Keelan Belcher at his near post.

With the Stags on top and looking like going in at the break trailing by one goal, they would have fancied their chances in the second half, but a long ball over the top and a weak header from Callum Fewell allowed Brazil to nip in and slot past the advancing Bird.

Once again, the Stags came out and had a go but again missed chances were their downfall. Wick got their fourth goal as a half-cleared ball fell to Wick caretaker joint manager Dan Cox, who smashed it past Bird.

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The Stags kept going and Coker pulled a goal back with five minutes remaining, but there was still time for the hosts to score a fifth from a corner, Richard Carter went to clear only for his clearance to flash past Bird.

Midhurst, who sit third from bottom, travel to eighth-placed Seaford Town on Saturday.

Midhurst: Bird, Behan, Meeritt, Carter, Farr, Fewell, Sheehan, Brown, Norgate, Slater, Dreckmann. Subs: Casselton, Penfold, Wycherley, Wyatt, Coker.

* Midhurst FC are appealing for people to get in touch with pictures that could help the success of a ‘memory wall’ they are planning in the clubhouse at the Rotherfield.

Chairman Mark Broughton said: “I’m appealing for any former players, relatives or fans that may have some old pictures that they would be happy to share.”

Mark can be contacted at 07736 164416.