ROCKS REVIEW: Rocks 6 Seaford 0 (Sussex Senior Cup)

Luke Nightingale and Matt Wood got two apiece in the first half – with three of the goals coming in the final ten minutes of the half – before Dean Maynard and a spectacular strike from Dan Royce put the seal on it in the second half.

It was a bitterly cold night at the lane and the crowd was sparse, but tannoy man Richard Essen did his best to warm the spirits of those who had turned out by playing Summer Holiday and Sunny Afternoon before kick-off.

The Rocks, who left Jason Prior and James Fraser on the bench and were also without Ben Johnson, soon got into their stride and there was no early goal conceded as there has been in so many of the home league games.

Instead there was one at the right end after just seven minutes when Nightingale scored from close range after Maynard’s low cross from the right caused havoc in the Seaford six-yard box.

It should have been 2-0 when Nightingale set up Kane Wills for a shot which Seaford keeper Sheldon Levett did well to get out to block, before the rebound fell to Wood, whose drive was deflected away by a defender.

Seaford, who play in division two of the Sussex League, might have levelled on 18 minutes when Steve Dallaway broke clear, but he shot too early and it was a comfortable save for Craig Stoner.

Then Joe Haffenden provided further evidence Town were not just there to make up the numbers when his acrobatic effort came back off Stoner’s bar.

Seaford were forced into a change midway through the first half when captain Lewis Parsons suffered a dead leg. He made way for Mitchell Etchingham.

Seaford were certainly giving the Rocks something to think about and Dallaway got away again down the right only to shoot straight at Stoner at his near post.

Maynard was inches away from touching in the second goal as he stretched to meet Royce’s cross from the right.

Nine minutes from half-time, Wood headed home – and his second in four days – from Royce’s cross to the far post.

A few flakes of snow were falling as Rocks general manager Jack Pearce did a circuit of the ground giving away raffle tickets as a thank-you to the hardy souls who had braved the weather.

Three minutes after Wood’s goal, it was pretty much game over when Nightingale volleyed in another close-range effort following another Royce corner.

It was soon three goals in five minutes when Wood was again perfectly placed at the far post to touch in a Jon Marzetti cross that keeper Levett ought to have dealt with.

Seaford’s heads had dropped a little and Levett was heard to tell his defenders what he thought when another corner fizzed across the six-yard box with no-one quite able to touch it in.

Half-time 4-0

The Rocks introduced Toby Pointing and Charlie Marshall in place of Tim Bond and Nightingale at the start of the second half.

Beck was first to chance his arm in the second period with a 25-yard drive that was only just wide, but the frozen home fans didn’t have long to wait for the fifth goal when Maynard ran on to a through-ball by Marshall to sidefoot past Levett.

Fraser was the Rocks’ third sub, coming on for Matt Whitehead on 51 minutes.

Seaford followed with a change of their own, bringing on Kelvin Walsh for Liam Keith.

Marshall’s turn and shot from s tight angle on the corner of the penalty area might have brought number six on the hour.

Then Fraser curled one just over after running clear of his marker on the Rocks left.

The crowd was 155 – not a bad total on such a wintry night.

Marshall had another chance to beat Levett when a lovely through-ball put him in the clear but his delicate chip just drifted wide of the post with the keeper beaten.

In a rare Seaford attack, Ben Lee wasn’t far off getting on the end of a long-range free-kick. Stoner and a defender had to combine to get it behind for a corner.

Marzetti’s surge forward down the right ended in him crossing to the far post where Fraser controlled it but was denied by a defender.

Tyler Goatcher curled a free-kick just wide from 20 yards as Seaford looked for a consolation. Fraser replied with a rising shot that a brave fan behind the goal tried to head back into play.

Royce warmed the crowd with a goal from nothing in the 80th minute, volleying in spectacularly from 25 yards after Marzetti’s close was cleared high into the air by a defender.

Seaford decided it was time to give Levett a rest and replaced him with Richard Brown.

It looked like seven in the 90th minute when Crane was played through but he slid the shot wide of the far post as well as the goalie.

That was the Rocks’ last chance but they could reflect on a thoroughly-professional job which earned them a visit to Conference South side Lewes in the next round - date to be fixed.

ROCKS: Stoner, Marzetti, Whitehead, Wood, Crane, Bond, Royce, Wills, Maynard, Nightingale, Beck. Subs: Fraser, Prior, Marshall, Pointing.

Seaford: Levett, McGann, Knight, Haffenden, Brown, Parsons, Stevens, Dallaway, Keith, Goatcher, Lee. Subs: Ellingham, Brown, Walsh.

Ref: G Kane (Hassocks)

Report by Steve Bone

Picture by Tommy McMillan