Lancers hold on to knock Mussels out

Lancers started well and took the lead after only four minutes through Lewis Finney, who fired home from close range for his seventh of the season.

Mussels’ Bradley O’Connor tested Callum Fidler with a snap-shot, while opposite number Seb Boss saved well to keep out Alex Fair’s angled early effort.

Fair fired just wide after a quick counter-attack and Lancers cleared well from Marc Pelling’s half chance in a first half short on clear-cut openings.

The second half was a different story, with the hosts in control but failure to convert their chances meant that Shoreham stayed in the contest. Bos smothered at the feet of Fair with the forward clean through, and Finney also put a one-on-one wide after Naz Rouane had slipped him in on goal.

Mike Williamson forced a smart stop from Bos but Mussels remained an intermittent threat and went close through the lively Okwute Izuchukwu, who flashed a shot across the face of goal.

Lancing finally got the second goal they had been threatening when Finney finished off a flowing move from close range to give the hosts a 2-0 cushion with 12 minutes to play.

To their credit, Shoreham refused to buckle and set up a frantic finale through Izuchukwu’s good finish from 18 yards on 85 minutes.

Michael Belli lashed over the bar and Craig Goodsir went close in a spell of belated pressure from the visitors but Lancers held on to win and will now travel to Pagham in the last eight.

Lancing interim manager Ash Bailey said: “We knew that they were going to make it hard for us but I thought we defended well and could have been out of sight by the hour mark.”

Shoreham boss Simon Funnell said: “We weren’t good enough in the first half as we weren’t quick enough, didn’t move the ball well enough and looked off the pace. But I thought their second goal was offside and, with us scoring late, that’s a bit annoying.”

LANCING: Fidler; Mills, Bygraves, J.Spinks, Fenton; Rouane, O’Callaghan; McHale, Finney, Williamson; Fair. Subs: Morey (McHale 63), Greenfield (Fair 77), Bowra (Rouane 83), Simpson, Sharman

SHOREHAM: Bos; Johnston, Curtis, Panayi, Harding; Bidgood, Belli, Pelling, O’Connor, Goodsir; Izuchukwu. Subs: Hilton (Bidgood 26), Allan (Pelling 70), Stevens (Harding 80), Roberts, Measor.

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