Lancing run title hopefuls Cray Valley PM so close – Worthing reach Sussex Women’s Challenge Cup final

In front of a crowd of 443, it was a meeting between two sides who had played just 11 days earlier in a 1-1 draw at The Artic stadium.

The Millers’ away record boasted seven wins out of seven with only four goals conceded and they occupied second place on 41 points at the start of play. Lancing were just behind with 41 points but an inferior goal difference and had played four games more.

Lancing v Cray Valley PM in pictures by Stephen Goodger.

An intense schedule means that, once the forthcoming away games against East Grinstead and Littlehampton have been played, Lancing will have played 10 games in 32 days. This has taken its toll on the Lancing squad, and, as a result, both Charlie Pitcher and Knory Scott have picked up injuries which ruled them out of this game.

In addition, although Charlie Bennett thought he had recovered from the muscle strain which forced him to leave the field in the Hythe Town game, he only lasted 45 minutes. Fortunately, there is depth in the squad and this provided the opportunity for Noel Fisher to make his first appearance since the game at Sheppey United in.Octber. Brother Leon was on the bench that day and took his place among the substitutes for this game.

The Millers were on the front foot from the kick off and, in the first minute, a long ball gave Barney Williams the opportunity to get in behind and, from his cross, the visitors came close to opening the scoring, but the ball was chipped over the cross bar from a few yards.

Lancing enjoyed some good spells of possession, playing the ball confidently from the back. The Millers were testing the Lancing defence with some probing long balls but they were coping well. A cross field pass from Sam Bull was intercepted on the edge of the box, but Bull made a superb tackle to recover possession and snuff out what could have been a real threat on the Lancing goal.

Ben Pope was being tightly marked but was able to come off his marker and bring others into play as the ball was laid into him. A fine pass on the turn from Pope found George Taggart who headed goalwards but was closed down at the edge of the box

Their most promising move came from Fisher. He showed excellent close control, weaving in and out of several defenders but was closed down close to the goal before he could put in a shot. Bull was in the right place on the goal line to prevent a shot from the pacy Michael Ademuluyi giving the Millers the lead on 22 minutes. An inch perfect dropped volley of a pass from Louis Rogers reached Fisher on the halfway line but he was quickly closed down before he could make much progress.

Andrew Briggs and Taggart were working the ball well through the middle and Lancing were a threat from Alex Laing’s surging runs from the right back position. Lancing’s final pass was not clinical enough and was either overhit or intercepted by an alert Millers’ defence. Charlie Bennett did well to steal the ball as the Millers were bringing it out and appeared to have a clear run in on goal but his control deserted him before he could get a shot away.

Marcel Barrington forced his way to the byline but hit his cross landed in the arms of Rogers, who then had to be alert to dive low and gather in the ball to prevent Barrrington reaching the ball laid into him by Ademiluyi. Neither side could break down the well organised defences and the first half finished goalless.

Lancing brought on Harry Heath and Dan Howick or the restart for Bennett and Gibson. An early corner almost produced a goal for the Millers but Laing was able to head the ball away and clear a follow -up effort. Laing delivered a fine cross to Pope who let the ball drop over his shoulder to set himself for a shot but, although on target, it was straight at the keeper.

The stalemate was broken on 62 minutes. The Millers were putting the Lancing defence under pressure, leading to a shot from the edge of the box from Denzel Gayle, which Jack Meeres was able get down to and block, the ball being deflected from him to Barrington, who bundled the ball into the net as he tumbled into the goal. This acted as a motivator to the Millers and Lancing lost their way for a while. But Heath was getting on the ball and driving forward.

A foul on Fisher led to a free-kick, taken by Briggs. Dan Howick rose well to get his head to the ball which went the wrong side of the upright. Lancing re-energized as the game reached the final quarter. Howick picked out Bull with a long cross field pass and he delivered a cross which was cleared from the goal and out for a throw in. Laing came out of a strong tackle with the ball and hit it towards Lukas Franzen-Jones but it was fractionally ahead of the striker.

The Millers seemed to be content to see out the game with some solid defending but Ademiluyi did bring a good save from Rogers. Franzen-Jones linked up with Taggart who delivered a cross to the far post. It dropped too low for Laing to get any power into his header. In added time, Howick hit a good cross into the box.Franzen-Jones cleverly back-headed it and Pope met it with a diving header which just shaded the upright.

Although Lancing finished the game strongly, they could not break down a solid defence which allowed them very few clear-cut openings. At the other end, the Lancing defence was equally sound and reduced the Millers attack to very few good chances.

So in two games against a side with the potential to finish top of the table, only one goal separated them, which is a massive compliment to Lancing and which a good home crowd appreciated.

Bull was named MoM.

Lancing: Louis Rogers, Alex Laing (Capt.), Jack Meeres, Sam Bull, Charlie Gibson (Dan Howick46), Andrew Briggs, George Taggart, Noel Fisher, Charlie Bennett (Harry Heath 46), Lukas Franzen-Jones, Ben Pope. Unused subs: Leon Fisher, Eliot Jenks, Alex Plummer.

Newhaven Women v Worthing Women

Sussex Women’s Challenge Cup semi-final

by Gareth Nicholas

Two goals by Tierney Scott helped Worthing reach their first-ever Sussex Challenge Cup final in a battling victory at Newhaven.

Shorn of the likes of Sophie Humphrey, Becki Bath and Katie Cooper due to injury, amid a tough run of away fixtures, manager John Donoghue made a couple of changes to the side that ground out a fine 1-0 league win at London Seaward last week. Abi Dolding enjoyed a rare start in goal, while Izzy Glass-Oliver also lined up from the beginning. Lauren Dolbear and Emma Blakely took their places on the bench.

They faced a familiar foe or two as well in the shape of former goalkeeper Annie Hills, a forerunner of the current set-up, and reigning Supporters’ Player of the Year Charlie Carter, who will always be remembered for her goal that set Worthing on the way to last season’s title-clinching victory over AFC Acorns.

Unfortunately for Hills though, a knock suffered in the warm-up led to outfield player Jamie Quinn swapping her original number 12 jersey for the number one shirt instead.

Meeting for the first time since Reds knocked the Dockers out of the FA Cup in October 2021, any hopes the hosts had of gaining revenge for a 6-0 defeat that day looked unlikely in the early stages. Dominating possession without really testing stand-in ‘keeper Quinn, it took the visitors 16 minutes to eventually open the scoring.

The warning signs had been there as Dani Rowe’s corners caused problems until it proved to be a case of third time lucky. The imposing figure of Katie Young rose to back head home from close range.

Young then almost turned from scorer to provider by threading a long, inch-perfect through ball that saw Quinn out quickly to stop Emily Linscer profiting. Soon succeeded by Charlotte Markham’s blocking of Shannon Albuery’s follow-up.

The pace and trickery of Becs Bell carried a threat all afternoon and it was her cross at the midway point of the first-half that Albuery came even closer to heading in, only for her effort to fly narrowly over the crossbar.

A hat-trick of close calls concluded when Quinn frustrated ‘Shan’ once more, just past the half-hour mark.

Not as close though as a short time before the break, due to Albuery reversing roles courtesy of a wonderfully whipped delivery from the right wing that Gemma Worsfold and Lincser were a whisker away from converting.

Finally, during added time, Scott curled in a second after Rowe had picked her out in the18-yard area and Bell nearly made the half-time oranges taste all the more sweeter; starting and completing a spell of penalty box pinball that got underway via her right-sided cross and concluded with a relieved Quinn holding on to Becs’ goalbound attempt.

Blakely and Sammy Quayle were introduced for Worsfold and Young at the interval; the former inches wide with a volley after meeting Rowe’s latest flag-kick a few short minutes into the second period.

Despite not having a recognised netminder between the sticks, Newhaven’s Quinn repelled numerous Worthing attacks, the latest arriving moments later. Improvising instantly to hack clear Albuery’s edge-of-the-box shot.

Caz Hodgson needed little more than 60 seconds to have an immediate impact, when she slipped in Albuery to fizz one across the danger zone that simply required someone in there to get on the end of it.

Not that Reds had things all their own way, thanks to Dolding reacting rapidly to meet substitute Katie Franks at the top of the box, to ensure her clean sheet stayed intact.

Three quarters of the way into the contest, a third strike made the home team’s task harder still. A flowing link-up between Hodgson, Rowe and Scott resulted in the latter cutting inside her marker to complete a personal double.

Late in the day, a positive run by Quayle didn't quite end with an equally positive outcome, as she pulled a venomous drive marginally the wrong side of the far post. The woodwork also came between Chloe Winchester and a second goal in three games, after Quayle offered the opening on the precipice of the penalty box.

Quayle was then the recipient of a raking crossfield pass from Young but, coming back inside Faye Hannaford on the byline, the brilliance of an inspired Quinn kept the striker out.

Despite being two minutes into stoppages, there was enough left on the clock - and in the tank - for Hodgson to show sharpness in stealing possession off Ellie Coade, usurped by Chloe Winchester doing likewise by getting to the ball first and drilling low across custodian Quinn to sneak a fourth neatly inside the opposite upright.

That sets up a tasty treat against Saltdean in the final, Worthing looking to emulate the success of 2017 when Lancing were conquered in the Trophy equivalent, in the inaugural campaign for the present Worthing FC Women’s set-up.