Altendorff’s Lancers dominant in friendly win over Shoreham

Lancing piled on the pressure in the opening minutes and a shot drilled towards the bottom left hand corner of the goal in the 10th minute forced Shoreham goalkeeper into an early save.

Both sides had chances but the deadlock was broken when a penalty was awarded to the home side in the 39th minute. A chipped cross from the right hit a Shoreham defender’s arm, which was raised in the air. Lancing’s midfielder Andrew Briggs smashed the penalty into the net to give his side the lead.

It only took a few minutes for the home team to double their lead, with a corner in the 43rd minute finding the head of a Lancing player to keep the ball alive and falling to James Hull, whose own header found the back of the net.

29 pictures by Stephen Goodger from Lancing v Shoreham.

In the second minute of the second half, Shoreham came close to pulling a goal back with a shot that trickled just past the post.

Apart from this chance, Shoreham didn’t craft many attacks in the second half, with the difference in fitness levels apparent between the Isthmian League side and the Southern Combination League side, with the latter of the two flagging.

In the 60th minute, Briggs cut in from the right to release a rocket of a shot, which went soaring toward the top corner. But it was rising all the time and just fired over the bar.

However, a third goal wasn’t far away as a piece of brilliantly intricate play into the box was finished off with an emphatic close-range finish from Lancing’s Mohamed Zabadne.

As Shoreham players only tired further, Lancing won three free kicks in the space of six minutes. A venomous shot just over the bar, a shot saved on to the bar and a shot past the bottom right all came from Alex Laing.

A fourth did come for the hosts as Shoreham goalkeeper fumbled when trying to grasp the ball from the feet of lively substitute Mo Juwara. The winger crossed the ball into the box for Tyrone Madhani to volley home. His finish cannoned off the underside of the crossbar.

A few stepovers and a burst of pace by winger Juwara to evade multiple defenders were the last actions to note as the game came to a close.

Lancing manager Dave Altendorff said: “I think we played really well. It was an improvement from the Wick game (which Lancing won 3-0 a week earlier), we look a bit fitter and above all you can start to see the cohesion between players.

"The movements off the ball, rotation, patterns, it’s all becoming a little bit more natural and telepathic. We’ve had six training sessions and two matches now, so it’s really pleasing to see that already.

“The main takeaway from the game is, by contrast to the Wick game, we were really good at winning the ball back so quickly after we lost it. In the Wick game, it was a little bit lackadaisical and lethargic. Where as here we had two or three players on them and they all bought into the work rate off the ball.

“We feel confident going into the new season but we obviously know that we’re a club that doesn’t have the resources that some of the other teams in this division (the Isthmian south east) have.

"I’m a relatively inexperienced manager with relatively inexperienced players at this level so we’ll be going into most of the games as underdogs. We’re fully aware of that and so we play with freedom and lack of pressure. We’ll try and finish as high as we can.”

Shoreham manager Michael Death took positives from the Musselmen’s display as they gear up for life in the SCFL premier after promotion: “We came here (to Culver Road) light in terms of squad, due to people dropping out last minute because of typical pre-season reasons. We knew we were going to have to relinquish the ball to a good side that are obviously a step above us.

"The players have done what I’ve asked them to: they were organised. The linesman has given a penalty 14 yards outside of the box! We’re going to have to take that as that will happen throughout the season too. I think if we get to half-time and it’s 0-0, I’m really pleased but at 1-0 they’re a bit disappointed, then it’s 2-0 and after that it’s just a regroup for the second half.

"I’ve learnt a lot about individuals but I’m also really proud of the team for sticking to the game plan and seeing their way through the game. A 15-0 defeat could’ve happened because they’re good but it didn’t.

"People that I’ve thrown into the game have shown me they’ve got character. A couple of players have raised my eyebrows in terms of ability and what they can offer technically.

“Once players get back from their holidays and with new players coming in over the next week or two, we’ll be a little bit more structured and organised for the new season.

"We’ll certainly be having a go and this season is about consolidation after a successful season last season. There is going to be a different dynamic and mentality which the players have switched on to, and the players coming back and coming in will be switching on to that too.”