6/3. Report not available.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Bryce Masters, 3 Connor Benton-Powell, 4 Joe White, 5 David Seymour, 6 Nicky Stiles, 7 James Gatcum, 8 Lewis Shead, 9 Roberto Martelini, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Jordan Yahya. Subs : Jamie Bell, Sam White, Martin Denny.
___________________________________________________________________________
20/2. Report not available.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Connor Benton-Powell, 3 Bryce Masters, 4 Jack Stapley, 5 Joe White, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 James Gatcum, 8 Sam Willett, 9 Roberto Martelini, 10 Luke Newman, 11 Joe Barham. Subs used: Lewis McGuigan, Zac Fawcett.
___________________________________________________________________________
17/2. Report not available. United scorers: Luke Newman (2), Joe Barham, Lee Carey.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Jack Stapley, 3 Connor Benton-Powell, 4 Rhys Whyborne, 5 Sean Ray, 6 Bryce Masters, 7 Liam Upton, 8 Lee Carey, 9 Sam Willett, 10 Luke Newman, 11 Joe Barham. Subs used: Chris Chaloner, Roberto Martelini.
___________________________________________________________________________
6/2. Report not available. United scorer: Joe Barham.
United line-up: 1 Ben Freeman, 2 David Seymour, 3 Connor Benton-Powell, 4 Joe White, 5 Jack Stapley, 6 Bryce Masters, 7 Jamie Bell, 8 James Gatcum, 9 Sam Willett, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Roberto Martelini.
___________________________________________________________________________
30/1. Report not available. United scorer: Jack Wellard.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Connor Benton-Powell, 3 Liam Hudson, 4 Jack Stapley, 5 Chris Chaloner, 6 Bryce Masters, 7 Nicky Stiles, 8 Sam Willett, 9 Jamie Bell, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Jack Wellard. Sub used: James Gatcum.
___________________________________________________________________________
23/1. Report not available. United scorer: Jack Wellard.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 David Seymour , 3 Jack Stapley, 4 Joe White, 5 Chris Chaloner, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 Sam Willett, 8 James Gatcum, 9 Bryce Masters, 10 Roberto Martelini, 11 Jack Wellard. Subs used: Connor Benton-Powell, Nicky Stiles.
___________________________________________________________________________
2/1. Report not available. United scorer: Sam Willett.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Jack Stapley, 3 David Seymour, 4 Chris Chaloner, 5 Joe White, 6 Bryce Masters, 7 James Gatcum, 8 Sam Willett, 9 Zac Fawcett, 10 Roberto Martelini, 11 Luke Newman. Subs used: Liam Hudson, Jack Wellard, Nicky Stiles.
___________________________________________________________________________
12/12. Report not available. United scorers: Joe Barham (2), Connor Benton-Powell.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Jack Stapley, 3 David Seymour, 4 Chris Chaloner, 5 Joe White, 6 Connor Benton-Powell, 7 James Gatcum, 8 Sam Willett, 9 Jack Wellard, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Roberto Martelini. Subs used: Zac Fawcett, Grant Payne.
___________________________________________________________________________
24/11. United suffered their first home league defeat of the season this evening, a lacklustre performance handing Hailsham a well deserved victory at a windswept Pilot Field. The U's started brightly enough, with Nicky Stiles ballooning an early volley over the bar, but once they had taken a fifth minute lead, the visitors were seldom tested, and could have run up a far greater score by the full time whistle. United keeper Tom Dullaway made five excellent saves to keep the scoreline down in the first half, although he was at fault for Hailsham's opening goal, failing to cut out a misplaced cross from the left, and presenting the visitors with a simple tap-in. Dullaway had more than atoned for that early mistake by the interval though, the referee calling a halt to proceedings sooner than expected, in order to diffuse an angry confrontation between the two dugouts, following an ugly challenge on U's defender Jack Stapley.
Less than two minutes after the restart, Hailsham doubled their lead, when a long ball downfield caused Dullaway to hesitate, and forced the still hobbling Stapley into an awkward clearance, which was swiftly stroked back past both defender and keeper into the empty net. United responded at last, with Stiles firing narrowly wide, and Jamie Bell forcing a low save from the visiting keeper, but it was nothing more than a temporary reprieve for the U's, as Hailsham saw a goal ruled out for offside, and then Stapley, Bryce Masters and Dullaway all blocked separate goalbound efforts in quick succession. Connor Benton-Powell tested the keeper from all of thirty-five yards inside the final ten minutes, but the visitors ended the contest on a high, grabbing a third goal after a counter-attack down their left in stoppage time, fair reward for a dominant display throughout the ninety minutes.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Bryce Masters, 3 Connor Benton-Powell, 4 David Seymour, 5 Jack Stapley, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 James Gatcum, 8 Grant Payne, 9 Roberto Martelini, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Nicky Stiles. Subs used: Liam Hudson, Jack Wellard.
___________________________________________________________________________
21/11. Taking advantage of the First Team's inactivity, the Reserves, bolstered by the inclusion of Josh Jirbandey, Rhys Whyborne and Scott Ramsay, cantered to a comfortable victory over Selsey at the Pilot Field this afternoon. Nicky Stiles missed two glorious chances to put the U's ahead inside the opening ten minutes, with Tom Dullaway then pulling off his only save of the contest to deny the visitors a sudden goal on the break. United's almost constant probing finally brought them an eighteenth minute lead, Ramsay's cross from the right converted by Jamie Bell at the far post. Three minutes later, the highly impressive Joe Barham scored with a delicate lob from fifteen yards, and he then scored again in the twenty-fifth minute, superbly controlling a long ball and completely wrong-footing the Selsey keeper and a covering defender, before calmly finding the back on an unguarded net.
Still in the first half, Whyborne saw a header tipped onto the crossbar, with Stiles wasting another good chance from Whyborne's crossfield pass, but the U's complete dominance suggested that they would be unlikely to regret those missed chances, a view reinforced when Stiles eventually got himself on the scoresheet with an emphatic finish in the fifty-eighth minute. Stiles' break down the right then set up Bell for his second and United's fifth of an increasingly one-sided contest, with Stiles later curling a shot against the upright after rounding the keeper and being forced wide. Selsey fashioned a couple of decent chances in the closing stages, but poor finishing denied them a consolation goal, with Ramsay, and substitute Roberto Martelini, both going close to adding another goal for the home side.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Josh Jirbandey, 3 Connor Benton-Powell, 4 Rhys Whyborne, 5 Chris Chaloner, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 Liam Hudson, 8 Scott Ramsay, 9 James Gatcum, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Nicky Stiles. Subs used: David Seymour, Jack Stapley, Roberto Martelini.
___________________________________________________________________________
18/11. Report not available.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Bryce Masters, 3 Connor Benton-Powell, 4 Chris Chaloner, 5 Jack Stapley, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 Jack Wellard, 8 Sam Willett, 9 James Gatcum, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Roberto Martelini.
___________________________________________________________________________
11/11. Report not available. United scorers: Jack Wellard (2), Sam Willett.
United line-up: 1 Ben Freeman, 2 Bryce Masters, 3 Jake Wilkins, 4 David Seymour, 5 Jamie Bell, 6 Sam Willett, 7 Jack Wellard, 8 Connor Mulvey, 9 Joe Barham, 10 Roberto Martelini, 11 Zac Fawcett. Subs used: Liam Hudson, Mark West, Grant Payne.
___________________________________________________________________________
31/10. Report not available. United scorer: Nicky Stiles.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Bryce Masters, 3 Jack Stapley, 4 David Seymour, 5 Connor Benton-Powell, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 Sam Willett, 8 Grant Payne, 9 Roberto Martelini, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Nicky Stiles. Subs used: Jake Wilkins, James Gatcum, Liam Hudson.
___________________________________________________________________________
24/10. United made it eight league games without a defeat with an ultimately comfortable win over lowly Shoreham at a rain drenched Pilot Field this afternoon. The U's took the lead within thirty seconds, as Sam Willett found himself in space down the left and chipped instinctively over a stranded Shoreham keeper from a good thirty yards out. For much of the next forty minutes though, the visitors enjoyed the bulk of the possession and goalscoring opportunities, with United skipper Jack Stapley twice getting in the way of goalbound efforts, suffering an ankle injury on the second occasion that eventually forced him off at half time. Tom Dullaway made one excellent save to keep the U's ahead, and Shoreham also missed an absolute sitter, and United had certainly ridden their luck by the time Shoreham enjoyed a huge stroke of good fortune themselves, Joe Barham scoring with a fantastic near post effort, only for the apologetic referee to award the U's a free kick, moments before Barham struck his shot. A minute before the interval though, Barham got the goal he deserved anyway, wriggling his way past three half-hearted challenges and curling a low shot into the far corner to give his side a two goal cushion at the break.
With the rain having finally cleared, United set out to consolidate their slightly flattering advantage in the second period, and a fine passing move involving Willett and Jake Wilkins ended with Jamie Bell drilling home his first goal for the Club from the edge of the area. Joe White was then denied by a decent save, as United continued to press, only for Shoreham to deservedly pull a goal back on the counter-attack in the seventy-first minute. Dullaway made another fine save, as the U's suffered a few nervy minutes, before establishing a three goal lead once again, Bryce Masters' sliced cross flicked goalwards by David Seymour, presenting fellow substitute Roberto Martelini with a simple finish inside the six yard box. Within a minute though, Shoreham produced a near replica of their earlier strike to reduce the lead once more, but tired legs on both sides resulted in a fairly quiet final ten minutes, Barham going closest to scoring with a near post shot that was met by an awkward save. In the end, United had done more than enough to merit the victory, which took them up to fourth place in the table, just a single point behind leaders Eastbourne Town, who the U's visit next weekend.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Bryce Masters, 3 Connor Benton-Powell, 4 Joe White, 5 Jack Stapley, 6 Jake Wilkins, 7 Sam Willett, 8 James Gatcum, 9 Jamie Bell, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Grant Payne. Subs used: David Seymour, Roberto Martelini, Jordan Yahya.
___________________________________________________________________________
17/10. Report not available. United scorers: Sam Willett, Joe Barham.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Bryce Masters, 3 Joe White, 4 Jack Stapley, 5 Connor Benton-Powell, 6 Jordan Yahya, 7 Sam Willett, 8 James Gatcum, 9 Jamie Bell, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Roberto Martelini. Subs used: Andrew Parsons, Zac Fawcett, Jake Wilkins.
___________________________________________________________________________
10/10. United had skipper Jack Stapley sent off in the closing stages of a forgettable performance, which culminated in their disappointingly low key exit at the first round stage of the Sussex Intermediate Cup this afternoon. The visitors, currently lying second in the Brighton, Hove & District League, simply had the physical edge over a U's side containing only one player out of his teens, and frustration eventually got the better of the home side, with Stapley one of three to pick up a yellow card for dissent, before earning another for a deliberate handball offence with thirteen minutes remaining.
United keeper Ben Freeman had already made one fine save by the time Brighton took a fifth minute lead. The U's failed to get organised quickly enough, having conceded a free kick on the right hand side, and once the far post cross had been headed back across goal, Freeman was powerless to prevent a fiercely struck shot from flying in at his near post. Goalscoring chances were at a real premium for the rest of the half, and the closest that United came to an equaliser was from a Roberto Martelini corner, headed goalwards by Stapley, but Sam Willett was just unable to get a decisive touch. On the whole though, neither side seemed capable of stringing more than a couple of passes together, and United's insistence on hitting long balls forward in search of Joe Barham, and his diminutive strike partner Jack Wellard, met with precious little success.
The early stages of the second half showed little sign of improvement from United's point of view, and Freeman was forced to make a smart save to keep the deficit to one. The visitors then missed a golden chance to double their lead, with the U's appearing to draw strength from their escape, Jamie Bell and Connor Benton-Powell both having goalbound efforts repelled by outstanding defensive blocks. On the hour mark, a simple cross from the left was headed past the helpless Freeman to put Brighton two goals up, and the writing was well and truly on the wall, Freeman only preventing any further damage by pulling off another couple of decent saves. Stapley's dismissal then left the U's with an even bigger mountain to climb, and better finishing could have seen the visitors extend their lead twice more in the final few minutes, as United were left well beaten in the end.
United line-up: 1 Ben Freeman, 2 Connor Benton-Powell, 3 Jack Stapley, 4 Joe White, 5 Connor Mulvey, 6 Bryce Masters, 7 Sam Willett, 8 Roberto Martelini, 9 Jamie Bell, 10 Jack Wellard, 11 Joe Barham. Subs used: David Seymour, Zac Fawcett.
___________________________________________________________________________
7/10. A fine second half fightback saw United extend their unbeaten run to seven matches on a dismal and stormy night at the Pilot Field this evening. Boosted by the inclusion of Sam Adams and Matt Maclean, and with Sean Ray continuing his return to fitness in the back four, United initially struggled against Eastbourne's incisive passing and movement, the visitors carving open the U's defence straight from the kick off, only to be denied by Tom Dullaway's sharp save and Jack Stapley's impressive goalline clearance. Eastbourne could well have gone in front on two other occasions as well, before United slowly started to dominate, with Adams missing three presentable chances, and Sam Willett clipping the crossbar with a stunning thirty-five yard volley. Ray forced two fine saves from the visiting keeper, and Adams drilled a free kick just wide, but it was Eastbourne who then took the lead with a goal out of nothing in the thirty-fourth minute. There seemed little danger, as a free kick drifted aimlessly into the United penalty area, but Dullaway allowed the ball to slip from his grasp, and was powerless to prevent it from being turned in from close range. Jamie Bell, Adams and Joe Barham all went close to an equaliser in the latter stages of the half, but a combination of decent goalkeeping and poor finishing enabled the visitors to head in at the interval still a goal to the good.
During the break, it emerged that Dullaway had suffered a possible broken thumb in the incident that led to the goal, and without a replacement keeper on the bench, striker Barham was forced into emergency service for the second half. Within six minutes though, United were back on level terms, as Adams set up Maclean for a twenty yard drive that flew in via an upright. Less than six minutes later, the U's were ahead, when Willett's astute chip released Roberto Martelini for a cool finish, his fifth goal in as many league games this season. United's lead lasted barely ninety seconds though, with Eastbourne counter-attacking after clearing a United corner and firing a shot past Barham and into the roof of the net, The tide suddenly seemed to have turned once again, the visitors having loud penalty appeals waved away after an injudicious challenge by Jake Wilkins, and then seeing a shot bounce off the top of United's crossbar. Back came the U's though, grabbing the winner with nineteen minutes remaining, as Maclean finished off a sweeping move down the right hand side involving Willett and substitute Bryce Masters. Adams and Martelini were both denied by smart saves, and Masters struck the outside of the post from a narrow angle, as United searched in vain for a decisive fourth goal, and Barham had to make a couple of excellent late saves of his own to secure the U's fourth league win of the campaign.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Jack Stapley, 3 Joe White, 4 Sean Ray, 5 Jake Wilkins, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 Sam Willett, 8 Matt Maclean, 9 Roberto Martelini, 10 Sam Adams, 11 Joe Barham. Subs used: Bryce Masters, Connor Benton-Powell, Sam Cook.
___________________________________________________________________________
3/10. Report not available. United scorers: Sam Willett (2), Joe Barham, Bryce Masters.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Liam Hudson, 3 Joe White, 4 Sean Ray, 5 Jake Wilkins, 6 Bryce Masters, 7 Jack Stapley, 8 Sam Willett, 9 Jamie Bell, 10 Roberto Martelini, 11 Joe Barham. Subs used: Lewis Shead, Zac Fawcett, Jordan Yahya.
___________________________________________________________________________
26/9. Report not available.
United line-up: 1 Josh Willis, 2 Connor Benton-Powell, 3 Sean Ray, 4 Joe White, 5 Liam Hudson, 6 Bryce Masters, 7 Jack Stapley, 8 Josh Jirbandey, 9 Jack Wellard, 10 Luke Newman, 11 Joe Barham. Subs used: Andrew Parsons, Jordan Yahya, Lewis McGuigan.
___________________________________________________________________________
19/9. Report not available.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Connor Benton-Powell, 3 Joe White, 4 Sean Ray, 5 Bryce Masters, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 Ashley Kidman, 8 Jack Stapley, 9 Grant Payne, 10 Luke Newman, 11 Joe Barham. Subs used: Jack Wellard, Andrew Parsons.
___________________________________________________________________________
12/9. United surrendered their 100% home record, as Hassocks fought back from a goal down at the Pilot Field this afternoon, only for Sam Willett to salvage a point with a late penalty. The U's made an excellent start to the contest, dominating much of the opening half an hour, and taking the lead in the fourteenth minute, Hassocks failing to deal with a Willett corner, or the midfielder's follow-up cross, and giving Joe Barham the opportunity to fire home via the keeper's right hand post. For all their possession and territorial advantage though, the U's seldom looked like adding to their tally, although Ashley Kidman was denied a clear run on goal by a professional foul that surprisingly failed to warrant even a passing word from the referee to the perpetrator. Kidman was later twice denied by some good goalkeeping, and Jamie Bell had an effort blocked after rounding the keeper, while the visitors finally enjoyed a decent spell in the ten minutes leading up to half time, United keeper Tom Dullaway making three smart saves, before being beaten after an incisive Hassocks break down the right in the forty-third minute.
Willett's sublime pass set up Bell for a great chance within moments of the restart, but the left winger was denied by another brave stop, while Kidman's pace created a chance out of nothing, but his finish crucially lacked composure. Dullaway tipped a free kick over the bar at the other end, but he was again left exposed in the fifty-seventh minute, as a slick move down the left cut open the home defence once more, allowing Hassocks to take the lead. Three more excellent saves from Dullaway kept United in the game, and the visitors also contrived to miss an open goal, before the U's battled back themselves in the closing stages, winning a penalty for handball with ten minutes remaining, confidently converted by Willett to level things up once again. Kidman looked to have been fouled in the area a few minutes later, yet appeals for a second spot kick were ignored, but the striker then almost exacted his own revenge, racing clear down the left, only to be denied by another fine save, which ensured that honours would end rightly even at the final whistle.
United line-up: 1 Tom Dullaway, 2 Lewis Shead, 3 Joe White, 4 David Seymour, 5 Connor Benton-Powell, 6 Bryce Masters, 7 Sam Willett, 8 Jack Stapley, 9 Jamie Bell, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Ashley Kidman. Sub used: Jordan Yahya.
___________________________________________________________________________
5/9. Debut goals from young strikers Ashley Kidman and Sam Cook helped United fight back from a goal behind against ten man Arundel at the Pilot Field this afternoon, maintaining their 100% home record and sending the U's third in the fledgling league table. Kidman fired United in front barely thirty seconds into his first start at intermediate level, running onto Joe Barham's crossfield pass to beat the visiting keeper with a first time shot. Barham then went close himself with a far post volley from Sam Willett's corner, and was just off target with a header from a Kidman cross, but Arundel slowly began to dominate proceedings, creating four one-on-one chances, finally taking one of them to equalise in the forty-third minute, and then hitting the outside of Josh Willis' left hand upright in first half stoppage time.
Barham was denied by an outstanding save early in the second half, but the visitors remained in the ascendancy, taking the lead twenty minutes after the restart with a close range shot that gave Willis no chance. United looked to be struggling for a response, but a moment of good fortune saw them draw level with a quarter of an hour remaining, Arundel having a player sent off for a foul on Jamie Bell near the left touchline, and Sam Willett scoring with a cross direct from the resulting free kick, the referee overruling an offside flag in allowing the goal to stand. The U's suddenly looked the more likely winners, and they duly grabbed all three points in the closing stages, substitutes Zac Fawcett and Cook combining for the latter to turn and fire low past the keeper in the eighty-sixth minute of a hugely entertaining contest.
United line-up: 1 Josh Willis, 2 Liam Hudson, 3 Connor Benton-Powell, 4 Jordan Yahya, 5 David Seymour, 6 Sam Willett, 7 Roberto Martelini, 8 Jack Stapley, 9 Ashley Kidman, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Jamie Bell. Subs used: Lewis Shead, Zac Fawcett, Sam Cook.
___________________________________________________________________________
29/8. Report not available. United scorer: Joe Barham.
United line-up: 1 Josh Willis, 2 Liam Hudson, 3 Jack Stapley, 4 Joe White, 5 Connor Benton-Powell, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 James Gatcum, 8 Sam Willett, 9 Grant Payne, 10 Joe Barham, 11 Roberto Martelini. Subs used: Connor Mulvey, Michael Burgess.
___________________________________________________________________________
22/8. Report not available. United scorer: Roberto Martellini (2).
United line-up: 1 Perry Salmons, 2 Jack Stapley, 3 Joe White, 4 David Seymour, 5 Jamie Bell, 6 Liam Hudson, 7 James Gatcum, 8 Sam Willett, 9 Connor Benton-Powell, 10 Jack Wellard, 11 Roberto Martelini. Subs used: Connor Mulvey, Grant Payne, Michael Burgess.
___________________________________________________________________________
15/8. Report not available. United scorer: Roberto Martellini (2).
United line-up: 1 Perry Salmons, 2 Jack Stapley, 3 Joe White, 4 David Seymour, 5 Connor Benton-Powell, 6 Jamie Bell, 7 James Gatcum, 8 Sam Willett, 9 Liam Hudson, 10 Jack Wellard, 11 Roberto Martelini. Subs used: Grant Payne, Michael Burgess.