Saints ruin Christmas for Robins - Dean downed by super Sids

Bosham 0 St Francis Rangers 3

SCFL division two

Bosham were short of festive feelings as St Francis Rangers completed a season double over the Robins.

The home side failed to find a pattern to their game and the black and whites were clinical in front of goal.

On a cold and windy afternoon the Robins should have found themselves in front early following a strong attack that saw Alex Barnes put through on goal.

Keeper Rudy Stilgoe denied the Bosham striker but the ball rebounded to Jack Hancock, who had an empty net in front of him, but somehow, he pushed his effort wide.

St Francis grew into the game and their youthfulness came to the fore with excellent pace down the flanks and the predatory instincts of Ben Wilson and Jordan Littlecott testing keeper Harley Redman.

Just after the half-hour the visitors took a deserved lead through the impressive Sam Wright. The winger received the ball down the right and, having cut back in towards the box, unleashed a scorching shot that curled in off the post.

Worse was to follow for the Robins when Wilson doubled the lead just before half-time. Littlecott forced Redman into another superlative save but it dropped to the feet of Wilson who smashed the ball into the empty net.

Bosham struggled to find any momentum following the resumption and manager Tony Hancock made a double switch to try to turn fortunes for the Reds.

Despite pushing their work was undone by a third for the visitors with ten minutes left. Ellis Commons forced a free-kick outside the Bosham area and struck a wonderful effort past Redman.

Bosham travel to Rottingdean on Saturday and hope to get back to winning ways before Christmas.

Bosham: H Redman, Cooper, Briance, Penney, Edgington, Bell, Barnes, Crabb, Hancock, Bishop, Spicer. Subs: Ruston, Kamate, Woolcombe, N Redman, Sullivan.

ALAN PRICE

East Dean welcomed Sidlesham Reserves to the Gasson for the final game before the festive break.

The game started with the away team seeing more of the ball and creating more chances, but Dean took the lead against the run of play, with Aaron Hand picking the ball up from midfield and firing in from long distance on 24 minutes.

East Dean weren’t ahead for long as a cross was not dealt with and the ball ended up in the back of the net.

Seven minutes later the away team led after a counter-attack.

In the second half East Dean missed chances, with one Alex Smith effort going wide.

James Ford had a superb shot saved by the keeper before Smith had a rebound cannon off the post then cleared off the line.

As East Dean pushed forward late on, a Sidlesham counter-attack ended with a penalty when George Philpott clipped the attacker and bought him down. They converted the penalty and won the game 3-1.

MoM was Tom Bann.

East Dean: Philpott, Reed, Freeman N, Bann, Smith, Nicholson, Freeman A, Richards, Hand, Ford, Caveney. Subs: Houghton, Strain, Wheeler, Knight, Dray.