FOOTBALL: County League round-up (August 23)

Matt Huckett, in his first game of the season, went down just five minutes after coming on as a substitute with suspected knee ligament damage. And Hall could be out for two-to-three weeks after injuring ankle ligaments.

If that was not enough on the injury front, Arundel keeper Lee Arnell injured his hand at work on Friday, and will be out for two weeks. And, defender Lloyd Walker pulled out of the game during the warm-up with a migraine.

Scott MacDonald gave Hailsham a second-minute lead, but on 10 minutes Mike Huckett flicked home Matt Axell's shot for the leveller.

Chris Hibberd curled home a free kick (14 mins), before Norgate tapped in to make it 3-1 (18mins) and then fired home his second (33mins) to make it 4-1 at half-time. Norgate completed his hat-trick (50mins), before Howard Neighbour crossed for Mike Huckett to head home (53mins).

Mike Huckett got his third from the penalty spot in injury-time, after a foul on Hibberd, and Neighbour then headed the eighth.

ARUNDEL: Kason; Duncan, Wimbleton, D.Walker, Hall; Biggs, Hibberd, Mike Huckett, Axell; Norgate, Neighbour. Subs: Grove (Hall 33), Matt Huckett (Norgate 62), Hack (Matt Huckett 70), L.Walker, Tipper.

East Preston were on the end of a hammering and lost 6-0 at Ringmer, also in Division 1.

Ringmer had stormed into a 4-0 lead after just 34 minutes with goals from Sam Sowter (6mins), Nathan DaCosta own goal (11mins), Ryan MacMillan (33mins) and Joe Dryer (34mins).

Kieran Patel got the fifth (46mins), before EP were awarded a penalty when John Meeney was pushed by Josh Lawrence. But Phil Churchill's spot-kick was saved by Jack Stern, and Dryer then made it 6-0 (74mins).

EAST PRESTON: Colbourne; Meeney, Beaney, Holman, DaCosta; Swain, Matthews, Keet, Oatway; Gasson, Churchill. Subs: Bowyer, Huet (Matthews, Gasson 62), Nicholson (Churchill 89).

Scott Murfin grabbed Wick an 85th-minute equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Lingfield.

Murfin, who struck 25 goals last season, netted his first of the campaign with a 25-yard lob.

Lingfield had taken a 26th-minute lead through Danny Gillard, but Wick substitute Miles Scerri shot a penalty wide, after a foul on fellow sub Josh Sutcliffe, before Murfin's leveller.

WICK: O'Connor; Torode, Curnow, Sharman, Bricknell; N.Murfin, Pearce, West, Barnard; S.Murfin, McCoy. Subs: Scerri (West 65), Sutcliffe (Bricknell 70), Hudson (Curnow 80), Saunders.

Littlehampton were also hit for six. In Division 2, they lost 6-3 at Mile Oak. However, the game could have gone either way until Oak made it 4-2 on 68 minutes with a controversial goal.

Golds defender Wayne Wren tried to play a quick free kick, but it hit Oak striker Graham Martin, who was standing just two yards away.

However, referee Martin Smith allowed play to continue and Tony Burnett lobbed the ball home from 25 yards to complete his hat-trick.

Oak managaer Anthony Whittington said: "I'd have been livid if a decision like that went against us. They tried to take the free kick quickly, and Graham didn't move away. I thought he was going to get booked but the referee let play continue."

Golds' scorers were Dave Schneider (10-mins, 1-1), Jason Power (penalty, 45 mins, 2-3) and George Gaskin (73mins, 3-4).

LITTLEHAMPTON: Everett; Simmonds, Pidgeon, Wren, Broadbent; Peacock, Rayner, Brown, Burgess; Schneider, Power. Subs: Chester, Gaskin (Broadbent, Schneider 66), Cossins, Ward, Robertshaw.

Simon Clayton's 63rd-minute free kick earned Rustington a 1-1 draw at Sidlesham in Division 2.

Both sides then went close to taking three points but Sidlesham missed an open goal, and Rustington's Steve Kirkham shot just wide.

Sidlesham had taken a 37th-minute lead in a first half where Ryan Morten and Lee Gibbs went closest for Blues.

Rustington manager Gareth Davies said: "We showed a bit of charater in the second half to have fought our way back into the game. Missing so many players, it was a credit to the lads. But it will only be a good point if we follow it up with three at Loxwood on Saturday."

RUSTINGTON: McCarthy; Barnes, Pick-ford, Bibb; Smart, Bennett, Clayton, Morten, Gibbs; Kirkham, Cox. Subs: Dowsett (Cox 65), Harris (Dowsett 80), Tribe (Clayton 90).

Clymping recorded their second successive win since promotion into Division 3 with a 2-0 success at Haywards Heath.

After a six-man move, Richy Moss slotted the opener from Joe Shelley's pass on 10 minutes.

Clymping then doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time. David Murray was pushed in the penalty area, and Tony Castro netted from the spot.

Debutant Daniel Keech cleared a Haywards Heath effort off the line in the second half, but, other than that, Clymping's defence were untroubled.

Clymping player-manager Dominic Di Paola said: "I am delighted because this was an important away game for us. It was great to come away with a win and a clean sheet '” which I always love."

CLYMPING: Oakley; Raynsford, Young, S.Di Paola, Keech; Moss, Brown, Castro, Meehan; Shelley, Murray. Subs: Cole (Moss 65), Bunting (Brown 70), Miller (Murray 75), D.Di Paola.

Click here for full County League scores.

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