Selsey impress but slip to defeat... Midhurst let lead go

Read the reports below and don’t miss all the local football in the Observer every Thursday. Selsey 1 Saltdean 3 SCFL division one A cracking game saw title favourites Saltdean take the points and leave the Blues feeling very hard done by. Selsey started brightly and created a series of golden chances with their quick free-flowing football. Brad Dean blazed over when it seamed easier to score, Ryan Morey had a couple of efforts saved and Joe Clarke went close. Saltdean showed Selsey’s forwards how it should be done on 33 minutes when Josh Jones ran ton to a hopeful punt and fired home. Selsey continued to dominate possession in the second half with the visitors looking dangerous on the break. From one of those breaks Saltdean forced a corner. Selsey appeared to clear the danger but the ball was returned into the danger area and poked home by Jones for his second. Furious protests followed by Selsey players, clearly feeling Jones was offside, but the officials waved away the complaints. Selsey responded immediately from the kick-off and a through-ball was latched on to by Clarke, who finished coolly under extreme pressure from the Saltdean defenders. Again Selsey were undone from a corner, Wes Mills heading home on 80 minutes and effectively killing the game off. Manager Steve Bailey was thrilled with his side’s efforts and the brand of football the team are currently playing and felt with a little bit of luck could and probably should have got at least a draw. Selsey visit Ringmer on Saturday and host East Preston on Easter Monday. Selsey: Smith, Low, Boulton, Kilhams, Dines, Chittock, Corell, Clarke, Groom, Dean, Morey. Subs: Parsons, Ebers, Mepham, Miller, Manners. Ringmer 2 Midhurst 1 SCFL division one Midhurst’s unbeaten run came to an end as they lost their first game in five. Dave Berkowitz had ten first-team squad members unavailable but such is their strength in depth, the Stags still fielded a strong team. There were starts for 18-year-old Alex Brazier at left-back and 16-year-old Harry Tollworthy in central midfield. Both have promising futures. Call ups were made for Monty Morgan, who started on the left of midfield, and 16-year-old Luke Nerston, who started on the bench. Lewis Hamilton was at centre-back because of the lack of defenders available. On a difficult surface Midhurst made the brightest start and dominated early stages. Dreckmann, Kemplin and Tollworthy controlled midfield and on 20 minutes, the Stags opened the scoring. Dreckmann jinked past several players to release Gary Norgate, who slotted home. The second half saw Midhurst try to get their second, but they were kept at bay. A sour note came on 60 minutes with a clash of heads between Shelly of Ringmer and Ant Kirby, the Stags winger, who fell to the floor clutching his nose. Severe concussion followed and Kirby was substituted. A hospital visit followed and the Stags youngster came away with a fractured nose. It was a killer blow when Ringmer got their equaliser. A ball into the Stags box wasn’t dealt with and the Daryll Costen tucked it away. Ringmer who looked more likely to get a winner and they did on 90 minutes. Mark Broughton committed a foul 25 yards out for his second yellow and saw red. Mark Pulling struck home to give the relegation-battling side victory. Midhurst visit Lingfield on Saturday and host Billingshurst on Easter Monday. Midhurst: Cowell, Hunt, Hamilton, Broughton, Brazier, Tollworthy, Kemplin, Dreckmann, Kirby, Norgate, Morgan Subs: Chaplin, Martin, Nursten. Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking sports news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on. 1 Make this website your homepage 2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex 3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex 4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. Share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!