Asare hat-trick sinks Steyning at Midhurst

Town surrendered a half-time lead to go down 4-3 away to the division’s bottom club Midhurst and now have the second worse defensive record in Division 2.

Whittington said: “Some of our defending was comical at times and we have to do better. If you score three goals away from home, you expect to win the game.

“The back four are not totally to blame, we don’t defend well as a whole team and that is something we need to sort out fast.

“We are still in a good position in the table but we have played more games than a lot of sides, so it will only need a couple more results to go against us and we will be right back down there.”

Midhurst’s new signing Michael Asare did most of the damage for the hosts, scoring a hat-trick. He took just four minutes to score his first goal when he tricked his way down the left and lifted the ball into the top corner.

Town responded well to the early setback and were level on 15 minutes through a neat finish from Phil Williamson, after a good work by full-back Elliot Dawes down the right wing.

Adam Burton then gave the visitors the lead at half-time when he capitalised on some hesitant defending on 20 minutes to round the keeper and slot home.

Town failed to keep up their momentum after the break and they allowed Midhurst to get a deserved equaliser just past the hour when Harry Maneh raced onto a long ball over the top to lob keeper Mike Abbott.

Asare gave the hosts the lead for the second time soon afterwards when he wriggled past a couple of challenges and fired low past Abbott.

The goal sparked Town into life for the last 10 minutes and it looked like they had taken a point when Burton netted his second with a neat lob.

However, Asare ensured Midhurst were not to be denied their second win in 13 games when he latched onto another punt upfield, rounded Abbott and scored from an almost impossible angle.