Shoreham

The first of three matches that are not unreasonably considered winnable brought a rather flat performance. Maybe the stop-start nature of the year with postponements causing gaps in the programme knocked the edge of our football or did the early goal lead us to relax a bit? Two good finishes from crosses undid us and cancelled out our penalty as Shoreham returned to the coast with a 2-1 win.

There were only two minutes on the clock when Josh McArthur Nolan made a driving run down the right wing, cut into the box and was taken down for a clear penalty. Richie Wetton stepped up to the spot and stroked the ball into the right corner for 1-0. Shoreham had their first shot on target in the fifth minute as their forward found space to shoot from a central position on the D but Jack Glassborrow made a comfortable save. The Lingers were back on the attack a minute later when Wetton laid the ball off to Louis Gates to have a shot that rose over the bar. On 8mins Shoreham delivered a free kick into the box from the left and George Branton headed it clear and the ball ended up down the field in the Shoreham box. We were having some joy down the right as Gates got clear and delivered a good cross that was just too long. David Heaton won the ball in midfield on 11mins and played a great ball down the left for Jay Simpson to chase. It tempted the Shoreham keeper to leave his line but had the ball knocked past him towards the goal. As it made its way towards the right post it was a race between the ball, a Shoreham defender and McArthur Nolan. The defender just won and it resulted in a corner that came to nothing. Comfortable but a second goal would make all the difference.

A long ball through from Shoreham on 13mins was easily gathered by Glassborrow and five minutes later a central free kick was put comfortably over the bar. On 26mins Shoreham won the ball in midfield and delivered it quickly to the right wing for a driving run to the edge of the box. A good cross was delivered to the left side of our box and headed home for the equaliser. Looking to hit back on 32mins a free kick from the left by Jason Stripp just eluded Branton’s head. Minutes later Gates took the ball down the right, cut in and hit a shot that just did not have enough on it to trouble the keeper. It was Simpson driving down the left next, skinned two defenders but one got back to make the tackle and concede a corner that came to nothing. As the first half was drawing to a close Shoreham were having a good spell as on 40mins Gates was alert to cut out a break on the right at the expense of a corner. Alert again for the corner, Gates cleared off the line amid claims that it had crossed the line. Luke Richardson was on the duty to stop another attack with a good tackle. A long ball downfield from Wetton in added time found Simpson but the offside flag was raised, not for the first time as our timing of runs had been poor so far. In the third added minute it was Richardson making another good tackle at the expense of a corner that was headed behind for a goal kick. With time almost up Shoreham produced a carbon copy of their first goal only down the left this time with a good cross and header to give them a 2-1 lead in the fifth added minute. That was pretty much the last action of the first half.

The lads made a promising start to the second half with a trademark Wetton long throw winning a corner. Stripp’s ball into the box caused a bit of pinball in the box before a free kick was awarded to us on the edge of the D. Wetton lined it up and fired well over but the referee ruled it had to be retaken so it was just a sighter. Take two and Wetton’s shot thumped the top of the bar. On the 54 minute mark, the lads had some assured possession around the box, patiently moving it around from left to right for McArthur Nolan to play in Gates and win a corner. Time for the first change as Chace Hanmer was replaced by Conor Wilford. Pushing for an equaliser, on 61mins Gates crossed from the right into the box but neither Wetton nor Wilford could get a good connection with it and their goalie tidied up. Two minutes later a Wetton long throw was collected too easily by their keeper.

Shoreham had a great chance to put the game to bed on 68mins when through on goal but a great save by Glassborrow with his foot kept us in the game. Our second change saw Wetton replaced by Ashley Aderemi. Shoreham had a break on 70mins but wasted it with a poor cross when they had a spare man. A ball into the box on 73mins found Wilford but it was cleared behind for what should have been a corner not a goal kick. Aderemi won the ball out and put McArthur Nolan in for a shot but the keeper made the save. With fifteen minutes to go, a double change brought on Rhyan Ramsay and Nathanial Williams for Stripp and McArthur Nolan. The lads were still plugging away but it just was not happening. With two minutes of normal time remaining Lucas Sewell came on for Tyrone Magala-Bryan. Could we force an equaliser in added time? Nearly as in the fourth added minute Gates had a shot that looked like it was heading in but was scrambled away by Shoreham to leave them with a 2-1 win at the final whistle.

Not for the first time this season – think Little Common for example – has an early goal not spurred us on to take control and win. A flat performance left a frustrated manager on the touchline as the effort was there but that last five to ten percent that sees it all click was missing. An early chance to bounce back arrives courtesy of a Tuesday evening visit to Loxwood - who lost 1-2 there to Saltdean United yesterday – followed by a trip to the dreadfully out of form AFC Uckfield – possibly spared another defeat as the visit of Haywards Heath Town was postponed. I hope the weather will not hit our trip as we need a good result before entertaining Newhaven. We remain in tenth place in the table but our neighbours Crawley Down are closing in having won a point at Steyning Town to be just two points back and with two games in hand. Peacehaven & Telscombe sit eights point above us but have played a game more.