WICK'S DELIGHT AS CURD SNATCHES WIN

For over 80 minutes defences were dominant. Shooting Field it was not, as the few shots there were flew high, wide and not so handsome. Undamaged barn doors sprang to mind.

Then, like the shooting star that lightens up a dark sky, came the goal that decided the game and the points. Wick's Danny Curd, always the man most likely to, seized upon a knock down and from the edge of the box exploded his shot into the top corner. Town's 'keeper Steve Allfrey could clutch only thin air as the ball flew past him, and Curd disappeared under a pyramid of blue-shirted colleagues.

It was too late for the home side to respond, although Clay Lamont was wide with a last-min-ute attempt. This apart, Steyning only once threatened the visitors' goal, when in the first half Dave Sharman headed out from under his own crossbar.

Steyning's young team scarcely deserved to lose. Lamont was faultless at the back, and Sean Hourigan always caught the eye in midfield. He seemed the one player who had time to put his foot on the ball and use it intelligently.

Town also crucially lost Gareth Dutton who limped off in the first half following a bone-crunching tackle.

For Wick, skipper Tony Miles set the example, his forehead glistening in the sunlight. Miles won most things in the air and was always encouraging and chastising his men who rarely looked like conceding. Simon Davey, sporting a short-sleeved jersey like Fabien Barthez, was largely untroubled between the sticks, while his opposite number Allfrey did have to make a fine double block in the first half.

As Steyning now embark on a succession of home games, player-manager Mark Dalgliesh's prime need is for a regular goalscorer.

Wick manager Andy Gander said: "It's three points, although it certainly wasn't a game for the football purist.

"Defensively we played well, with Ollie Howcroft and Tony Miles quite dominating.

"Hassan Yassan was very busy and stopped them playing."

Wick are away to Gander's old club Lancing on Saturday. On the trip, Gander said: "If we can beat them, it will most likely put their outside chance of promotion to bed.

"It might be just the kind of game we need at the moment, as Lancing are a team who will come at us and try to play their football.

"We are looking forward to it, as quite a lot of our boys used to play for Lancing as well."

WICK: Davey; Howcroft, Miles, Woolmer, Sharman; Hunt, Yassan, Christodoulou, Manton; Miller, Curd. Subs: Howard, J.Bennett, S.Bennett, Morrow (Pratt 70), Cooper.