Wicked! Midhurst secure an overdue win ... Sids beaten by Billingshurst

Midhurst enjoyed a long-overdue win at Wick and Barnham - but there was disappointment for Sidlesham in the latest round of Sussex League matches.

Wick & Barnham 1 Midhurst 2

Sussex League division two

At last! Midhurst have won a match to bring three points and some much-needed enthusiasm.

They can now take confidence into this week’s meeting at Rotherfield with league leaders Eastbourne United in the Division Two Cup (2pm).

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Hosts Wick & Barnham United had 17 points from their first 11 games while Midhurst’s team again had several new faces.

Wick netted after six minutes.

This could have caused heads to drop, but within another six minutes Midhurst were level through a penalty which Midhurst’s captain Gary Norgate put beyond Andy Chick.

A goal to Wick was averted by the quick-thinking of Lawrence Hyde, who cleared from the feet of Wick’s Joss Parsons.

Soon after the restart Sean Dummer took a knock which needed Matt Castleton to come on in his place. Following receiving two cautions, Midhurst’s Scott Towers was sent off.

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Having to play the rest of the game with ten men could have been too much of a handicap for Midhurst, but Gary Norgate made sure of a Midhurst win by his well-headed goal 15 minutes before the final whistle.

MIDHURST: Kearns, Glue, Renshaw, Newton, Norgate, Hyde, Pelling, Sheldrick, Dummer, Turner.

TED DUMMER

Billingshurst 2 Sidlesham 0

Sussex League division three

BOTH teams started on the attack and the game was 
end-to-end.

The Sids missed the best chance to take the lead. They were having most of the possession but could not make a breakthrough with the home defence holding them out.

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The second half began with Sids playing a passing game, but a goal eluded them.

And on 63 minutes a slip by a Sids defender allowed a Billingshurst forward to ease into the box and plant the ball past the keeper.

It got worse two minutes later when a home forward was allowed to get behind the defence and score a second.

This stung the Sids into all-out attack and they laid siege to the goal – but suffered a setback when Dean Platt was judged to have fouled a Billingshurst player and was given a second yellow.

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It was a decision so poor the Billingshurst manager apologised to the player.

The Sids were encamped in their opponents’ area, but some good and lucky defending denied them goals on at least four occasions.

SIDS: Rogers, Millins, Low, Brown, Whitehead, Hounsome, Newman, Platt, Bassil, Phillips, Derry, Mycock, Grant, Rogers.

This week, Sids visit Hollington in the Intermediate Cup.

TONY ROWLAND

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