Nine-man Mullets lose at Sidley

It was Sidley’s last attempt to get the game on without having the fixture reversed, and Mullets assistant boss Simon Butler believed this was conducive in the game being played, but he also criticised the referee for not accounting for the conditions and freely brandishing cards as three players also saw red.

Butler, whose side finished with nine men, said: “It was a game I fancied us to win and we could have done, but they had three set pieces and scored three goals.

“The defending was pretty awful and I was very cross about it, really. Defensive lapses from set pieces and our discipline cost us the game. We had a man advantage from five minutes into the second half at 3-2 down going down the hill, even when Dave Walker picked up his second yellow, I still fancied us.”

Matt Axell opened the scoring on 10 minutes for Mullets when he finished from a tight angle, but Mark Chandler levelled on 34 minutes after Arundel failed to clear from a free-kick. Rhys Griffiths was on hand in the first half to keep Sidley out, saving Andy Hales’ spot-kick after Steve Sneller felled Terry Payne in the area.

Having been told at half-time not to give away set pieces, Arundel were behind a minute after the break when Dan Spice headed home from a free kick. Sidley’s Chris Rea saw a straight red card on 50 minutes for a two-footed lunge, but despite being a man down, Spice headed home another set piece soon afterwards.

Josh Biggs pulled a goal back with a back-heeled shot on 57 minutes, while Scott Tipper was then denied by both posts.

Walker and Alex Duncan were then red-carded, both for two bookings on 70 and 80 respectively, and Mullets’ threat petered out before Payne sealed Sidley’s win.

Butler added: “We have missed out on a big game with Brighton now in the next round which would have been a big crowd puller and brought some money in.”

ARUNDEL: Griffiths; A.Biggs, Walker, Sneller, Gardener; R.Biggs, Axell, Duncan, Burton; Tipper, J.Biggs. Subs: Heward (Gardener 75), N.Tipper (Burton 85), Hall.