3-0 and 4-1 down – but Lancing hit back to claim draw at Burgess Hill Town

Injuries stretched Lancing’s defensive options and Marcus Allen made a welcome return along with Reece Hallard.

For the first 15 minutes, Lancing more than matched their opponents with Kyle O’Brien faring well down their left and Marcel Powell posing a threat down the right.

The match in pictures by Chris Neal.

But on 18 minutes, Dan Perry broke into the Lancing box and hit the ball towards the goal. Alieu Secka allowed the ball to slip from his grasp and Kieran Rowe could not miss from a couple of yards. Lancing’s defence crumbled at this point and 11 minutes later they found themselves trailing by 3-0.

First Marcus Allen and Lewis Taylor combined to set up Lewis Finney to score from close range on 22 minutes. Then when a dubious free-kick was awarded to the Hillians, the ball was floated to the far post and George Brown rose well to head back across goal and in.

Lancing boss Dean Cox reacted to what seemed a mountain to climb by making three half-time substitutions. On came Will Berry, Darius Goldsmith and Kane Louis.

Lancing had the ball in the net eight minutes into the half, only for it to be disallowed for offside. But they scored a legitimate goal a couple of minutes later.

Finn Daniels-Yeoman floated a cross to the unmarked Modou Jammeh who hit a first-time volley into the net.

The Hillians soon restored their three-goal advantage. Secka made a good save from a Finney header, conceding a corner. Some hesitancy by Lancing’s defenders and keeper in reacting as the ball came into the six-yard box left Brown free to ram it in.

Lancing certainly looked more in control with Will Berry defending well.

A breakthrough came on 62 minutes and, again, it was a piece of clinical finishing from Jammeh. Hallard burst down the left, looked up and delivered an inch-perfect cross to Jammeh who volleyed low into the far corner.

Louis initiated the move which led to Lancing’s third goal on 80 minutes. He slipped the ball to Jammeh, who switched it to Marcel Powell. He cut in from the right and curled a left-foot drive just inside the far upright.

Lancing were now causing some panic in the home defence and Jammeh was denied a hat-trick when a goalbound effort was blocked on the line.

Hallard fizzed a shot past the upright before Mo Juwara powered towards the box and when his ball in was only half cleared straight into the path of Hallard, he launched an Exocet missile of a shot from his right boot, sending the ball into the bottom of net from 25 yards.

In the dying seconds of added time, Marcus Allen looked to have even won it for Lancing with a header from a corner but it was hacked away.

Lancing host Hythe Town this Saturday.

Worthing Town Res 2 Yapton Res 2

West Sussex Div 3

Having missed several gilt-edged chances, Yapton saved a point with almost the last kick when Dan Gill converted Richard Mallock's pass.

Tom Legge was the provider when Ben Hothersall gave Yapton the lead after eight minutes, but Legge wasted a golden opening when he blazed over the bar.

Town equalised on 17 minutes when they took advantage of a mix-up between Luke Yates and keeper Jake Dean.

And it was not until 10 minutes from time when they took the lead. It was short-lived thanks to Gill's strike.