FOOTBALL: County League round-up (September 16)

Mullets, with several players unavailable, were indebted to their goalkeeper Ben O'Connor in the first half, as he pulled off several good saves to keep Lingfield at bay.

The match remained scoreless until five minutes before half-time, when Matt Bajeny put Lingfield ahead.

Mullets were behind for only three minutes, as, on 43 minutes, Lewis Hamilton was fouled and Scott Tipper fired home the resultant penalty.

Mullets came out strongly and went in front 11 minutes into the second half when Gary Norgate rounded the keeper and slotted in.

Norgate then had an effort saved before Dave Hall sealed the win on 67 minutes, when the rebound fell kindly for him to knock home.

Butler said: "Our attitude and performance was lacklustre in the first half, but after we laid into them with strong words at half-time, we came out and played a lot better in the second half. Ben was superb and kept us in it. They should have been out of sight at half-time, instead we went it at 1-1."

ARUNDEL: O'Connor; L.Walker, McCoy, D.Walker, Hall; Axell; Hamilton, Grove, Gardner, Norgate; Tipper. Subs: Meeney (Hamilton 80), Wheatcroft, Sneller.

Despite a stirring comeback from 3-0 down at Midhurst in Division 2, Littlehampton boss John Suter viewed his side's 3-3 draw, which ended their five-match losing streak, as two points dropped.

Midhurst raced into a 3-0 lead inside the half-hour as goals from Kevin Clayton, Scott Dormer and Lewis Hyde appeared to have put the game beyond doubt. The game, however, turned from the moment Golds' Niall O'Hagan saw his penalty saved, following a foul on Dave Gaskin.

Dormer was then sent-off for handling Matt Russell's shot on the line, and O'Hagan made amends for his earlier miss when he slammed home the spot-kick on 35 minutes.

Shane Collender's clever lob reduced the arrears further on 62 minutes, and Golds completed the turnaround 10 minutes later through Matt Russell's hooked finish.

Dave Gaskin played in goal in the second half as debutant Golds keeper Steven Tunesi was substituted at the break

Suter said: "It feels like a defeat, even though we were 3-0 down and looked out of it. I made a mistake in playing a goalkeeper who's struggling for fitness and who we don't really know about.

"I feel it's two points dropped, although obviously the comeback's very pleasing and at least we've ended the losing sequence."

LITTLEHAMPTON: Tunesi; Charman, McKay, Russell, Hazell; Peacock, Wollers, O'Hagan; Jarvis, Boutwood, Gaskin. Subs: Collender (Tunesi 45), Tabor, White.

Clymping fell to a 3-1 defeat at home to Bexhill United and remain bottom of the Division 2 table, but manager Phil Churchill described his side's performance as "a massive improvement" from last week's 9-0 thrashing by Storrington.

Churchill said: "We played very well, and the effort and attitude was excellent.

"Anyone who was there would say we deserved something from the game. After last week's disaster it was a massive improvement, and if we keep playing like that, our first win won't be far away."

Clymping were left with that here-we-go-again feeling after Ben White's penalty put Bexhill in front inside five minutes, but they then went close through Kevin Budge and Joe Atkins, before Bexhill doubled the lead through Scott McDonald on 23 minutes.

Rob Matthews then made it 2-1, and he and Budge both struck the woodwork. A leveller was not forthcoming, though, and Warren Parsons netted Bexhill's third on the break two minutes from time.

CLYMPING: Challen; Hankin, Hotson, Palmer, Tigwell; Lee, Millar, James, Matthews; Budge, Atkins. Subs: Moore (Lee 65), Lawton (Palmer 75), Churchill (Budge 80).

Wick claimed their first win of the season in County League Division 1 on Saturday with a 1-0 home success over bottom side Eastbourne United.

Both sides suffered heavy defeats last week, with Wick crashing 8-0 at Chichester, and Eastbourne United going down 9-1 at Peacehaven, and Wick manager Gary Block, who said last week that his future rested on this result, was pleased with his team's response.

He said: "We've got the first win, which is excellent and a big relief. We dominated the first half and should have gone in three or four up.

"They came at us strongly in the second half, but we held out. I'd also like to apologise to our goalkeeper for my comments from last week, it was a misunderstanding on my part and I did him down.

"Anyway, we just need to pick up the odd point here and there and see how we go. We had a lot of chances, but a win is a win, so I'm pleased."

Brett Forden fired wide and Jack Beadle hit the bar before Wick went ahead on 40 minutes, when Jamie Wrigley headed in a Beadle corner.

Eastbourne United went down to 10 men soon afterwards when Adam Sargent was sent off for a deliberate handball offence.

Despite probing Wick with a number of attacks in the second half, United could not find an equaliser and Block's side held on for the win.

WICK: Forster; Urquhart, Wrigley, Bradshaw, A.Brown; French, D.Towers, Bagura, Haga-Hammond; Forden, Beadle. Subs: S.Towers (French 60), Baker (Bagura 65), Heller (Haga-Hammond 70).

Rustington manager Brett Torode was left bitterly disappointed by his side's performance as they lost 2-0 at home to an improving Mile Oak in Division 2.

Torode said: "It was very disappointing, we had a bad day but it happens sometimes. They're a decent side and fully deserved their win.

"I'll be looking for a response against Midhurst, which should be interesting given that they are managed by Trevor Waller (former East Preston boss)."

Blues created very few chances, and once Daniel Jones had volleyed wide early on, Oak won through goals from Peter Martin on 48 minutes, and Gary French on the hour. The result leaves Rustington seventh.

RUSTINGTON: McCarthy; Morten, Neal, Wimbleton, Green; Clayton, Bibb, Jones, Bennett; Boxall, Huckett. Subs: Darwin (Wimbleton 70), Heater (Boxall 75), Butcher (Jones 80), Matthews, Harwood.

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