A hard fought game as both sides needed to take home maximum points particularly for a Shoreham side in nineteenth place, level on points but with an inferior goal difference to eighteenth placed Little Common. An absorbing first half with a defensive mix up gifting us a lead but the lads were worthy of a second for comfort. The intensity was a bit less in the second half and then came a refereeing howler that reduced us to ten men with 35 minutes still to play. The lads dug in and worked hard to hang on to our lead then adding a second with twenty minutes remaining. Shoreham pulled a goal back to keep the game alive but then came their melt down as they were reduced to ten men with their own red card, followed by the goalkeeper being sent to the bench for the rest of the match. A third goal sealed the points for us and put us on the verge of being safe in the Premier Division.

There was no sign of the lacklustre first half of the game against Loxwood as the lads were pushing forward soon after the kick off. Three minutes in and from a throw on the right the ball was channelled via Hamza Abubakari and Kobi Asante to Jimmy Williams on the left. He drove to the byline and towards the goal forcing the keeper to save at the expense of a corner that nothing came from. A few minutes later Ousmane Balde Dansoko had a shot from the left but it lacked the power to really work the keeper. Then just before the ten minute mark Balde Dansoko won the ball on the right and was into the box with a defender for company and their keeper advancing. Between them the Shoreham players let the ball roll free and Balde Dansoko had an open goal to slide the ball into.

The goal sparked a response from Shoreham as from a throw on the right they put a header onto the bar but Sammie Saward was quick to gather the rebound. On the quarter hour a Jason Stripp corner from the left fizzed through the six yard box with a Shoreham touch putting it behind for corner on the right. From the corner ball eventually came back to the right where Jack McDonnell crossed to Gus Ward who hit a shot over the bar. Just short of twenty minutes Balde Dansoko was in on the keeper – the keeper's clearance to touch on the right just eluded McDonnell in acres of space. Camped around their box on 23mins and Asante won a foul as he is held back in a central position just outside the D. Ideal range for Conor Wilford or Stripp. It is Stripp with the kick but it is straight into the wall. Minutes later Asante put himself free with a great drag back and pushed down field to find Williams on the left. Williams passed to Abubakari in the middle for a shot that was straight at the keeper.

The chances kept coming as on 25mins Balde Dansoko pushed into the box on the right for a shot that went out on the far side. Two minutes later Asante had a shot that hit the side-netting on the left. On 32mins McDonnell was free down the right touchline and then driving into the box he was taken down. It looked to be right on the line which would be a penalty but the decision was outside by inches. The kick was played short to McDonnell but his shot was high. Ward had a shot from the left on 38mins that the keeper palmed out for a corner. From the corner the ball came out to Abubakari to hit a shot that slammed off the bar. With five minutes to go, Asante picked up the ball, battled well to keep it and pass it to Stripp but his cross drifted behind for a goal kick. Minutes later Stripp was in position as the last man to put in a great tackle to stop Shoreham. As the half entered added time, Balde Dansoko held his ground while their keeper clattered into him. His theatrical response – one of many – led the referee to give a foul and a yellow card to Balde Dansoko. In the final action of the half, Saward came out to take a corner under pressure and so it was 1-0 to the Lingers but it should have been at least two.

The second half started at a slower pace and five minutes in Abubakari had another shot that was saved. A few minutes later McDonnell was into the box on the right and the ball came out the Asante who won it well. The ball came across to Balde Dansoko and Ward but they could not fashion an opening. Then came the big moment when on 55mins the Shoreham player went into a challenge with Balde Dansoko and kicked his boot. His theatrics plus lots of pressure from other players conned the referee into producing a second yellow card and Balde Dansoko was sent off. It goes one of two ways from this point. A sense of grievance can make the ten men fight harder while the extra player advantage is not apparent, or the extra man is made to count. The lads held strong in the following minutes after holding the edge of the box, Saward gathered the shot that came in. Saward then took a long ball well on 64mins. A minute later a good move started with Stripp then Williams linking up with Abubakari to feed Asante. He turned, rode a tackle and forced a corner which came to nothing. On 67mins it was time to bring on fresh legs as Ward was replaced by Tyrone Gondoh. McDonnell was on a good run down the right and was fouled but he was able to keep his feet and carry on but once the ball was lost there was no yellow card for the earlier foul.

With twenty minutes to play, Abubakari was pushing forward and passed to Gondoh to attack the box and find Asante in the middle who tucked the ball home for a 2-0 lead. On 74mins Matt Cheeseman replaced Williams and five minutes later David Heaton replaced Abubakari. There was still no sign of the extra man counting as Tyrone Magala Bryan pushed down the line on the left and set up Cheeseman to fire a shot that the keeper stopped by the post. Inside the last ten minutes and Heaton was in the right place in the box to block a shot but in the play that followed, Shoreham were able to get through and put the ball through Saward's legs to make it 2-1. An immediate change brought on Sirak Negassi in place of Asante to try to see out the game. Then with three minutes of normal time remaining it was Shoreham's turn to see a second yellow and a sending off after the officials conferred. But that was not the end of it as their keeper talked himself into being sent to the bench for the rest of the game. Once the match restarted, it was the final minute and from the free kick into the box Prince Aderogba tucked the ball home to seal the game. Aaron Kiberu came on for Magala Bryan in the first added minute. Shoreham put the ball into the box and Saward made a great punch clear. Heaton got in the way of the follow up shot. Into the fifth added minute and Cheeseman had a shot to test the stand in keeper. The final whistle followed and just as it had been down on the coast the Lingers won 3-1.

Other than not losing a player to suspension for Saturday's trip to Wick it is hard to see how we could have had a better weekend as in the nine teams from twelfth place down the only other one to get a point were Little Common with their draw at home to Roffey. Our win takes us up a place to fifteenth and just two points behind Wick in twelfth place ahead of our match there. Having turned around a losing streak of eight matches with four wins in a row Wick have now lost their last three. A win there would take us above them and with a good chance of rising up to twelfth as Pagham face a trip to an in form Crowborough Athletic while a struggling AFC Varndeanians host play off chasing Crawley Down Gatwick. It could also see us clear of relegation as we are already out of reach of Saltdean United.