It's 11 up as Lavant graft against Graffham
Graffham 1 Lavant 11 Centenary Cup
A MIX-UP over pitch availability meant Lavant had to play this home cup fixture away – but it didn’t affect them.
Graffham, recently promoted to division two, took the lead on three minutes. A long ball was met by their striker, who lobbed the ball over stranded keeper Rob Baylis.
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Hide AdStunned Lavant were level within seven minutes after a lovely through-ball from Mike Bartley put James Sandford through to drill the ball past the keeper.
A delightful cross-field ball from Mike Neville was controlled by Ryan Seacombe, who flicked the ball on for Sandford to run through and score his second.
Nine minutes later Matt Lyttle fed Seacombe, who scored from close range.
Bartley won the ball in the visitors’ box and riffled home Lavant’s fourth. Then a sequence of shots from Seacombe and Sandford ended with Richard Tagg scoring.
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Hide AdIn the last ten minutes before half-time Sandford and Seacombe added to their tallies to make it 7-1.
Another Lyttle corner was touched in by Stevens. Lavant brought on Tom Parker and Dave Payne.
The change paid off as Bartley broke down the left before pulling the ball back to Seacombe, who completed his hat-trick.
Another dazzling Bartley run was rewarded with his second, putting the visitors into double figures. Lavant ended with a great team move involving Chris Coe, Bartley and Sandford, allowing Sandford to score his fourth.
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Hide AdLAVANT: Baylis, Coe, Wright, Purgavie, Lyttle, Neville, Bartley, Stevens, Tagg, Sandford, Seacombe. Subs: Parker, Payne.
Bosham 0 Lancing Utd 2
Centenary Cup
Josh High’s double sank the Reds in their first outing in this cup for many years.
Shaun Evans ran the show for Lancing to test keeper Simon Hasted, back between the sticks for a new stint with the Robins.
Bosham were dealt a blow on the half-hour when James Wilson limped off with a leg injury. Callum Fewell replaced him.
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Hide AdBosham were brighter after the break. James Bracher caused panic and Graeme Dowden and Dean Ayling had excellent chances which went wide or were saved.
Lancing edged ahead when the ever-dangerous Evans put High through and this time the diminutive striker applied the finish to put his team in front.
Fewell smashed the bar with a header from a Dowden corner but the Reds were undone by another swift attack from the Greens, again involving Evans. After a mazy run he produced a teasing cross and High rose to head home.
Bosham: Hasted, Davis, Dell, Blanshard, Probee, Wilson, Dowden, Redman, Bracher, Ayling, Docherty. Subs: Fewell, Moore, Randall.
Wittering Utd 3 Yapton 2
Division one
Wittering enjoyed a winning start at Rookwood Road.
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Hide AdThey have brought in Greg Robinson (Pagham), Dan Cowell and Gaz Rowland (both Melbourne Victory), Paul Cooper (East Dean) and Spencer Stent (Bosham).
The visitors took the lead when a free-kick found an unmarked Yapton man six yards out and his header, though saved, was scrambled in from close range.
The lead didn’t last long: a short corner found its way to Robinson, whose low cross was turned in by Alan Sheppard.
Another mistake at the back gifted a Yapton forward a half-chance that he took.
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Hide AdWittering levelled again when a pinpoint cross from Joe Newton found Tom Kelly, who scored at the second attempt.
Boss Gary Jefkins brought on Paul Cooper and Joe Jefkins and it paid off with 15 minutes left as a long cross from Kelly was met by Darran Cox, who headed in.
MOM was Wittering keeper Ash Rochester who produced an early contender for save of the season.
WITTERING: Rochester, Kennard (Stent), Cowell, McCoy, O’Brennan (Cooper), Sheppard (J Jefkins), Newton, T Jefkins, Robinson, Cox, Kelly.
Fittleworth Res 0 Chapel 1
Division 5 Cup
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Hide AdChapel, who lost every game last season, returned to action under the guidance of new coach Mark Allen.
They travelled to Fittleworth in the cup and won a hard-fought match 1-0 thanks to an Aaron Carver goal after 60 minutes.
The team spirit that pulled them through last season was there for all to see and the defence, marshalled by man of the match Adam Tardevel, was outstanding. The dark days of turning out with nine players seemed far away with 18 players present.