Worthing so close to cup win over MK Dons – Lancing Sitt on a point

MK Dons 3 Worthing 2

Women’s FA Cup

Worthing were moments away from a magnificent victory, only to suffer the cruellest of fates through two stoppage time goals by MK Dons.

Boss John Donoghue made two changes with Rachel Palmer and Niamh Andersson returning.

Aiming to bridge a two-division gap, the visitors made a nervous start and the hosts were first to threaten. Nicole Pepper spread play out to Tricia Gould on the left wing. Her low cross found Mollie Coupar, who laid the ball back for Rhianne Rush to blaze well wide.

Coupar earned her side a free-kick following a push by Chloe Lelliott, but it came to nothing.

Worthing worked their way into the match and Hayley Bridge had the Reds’ first sight of goal. Pouncing on a defensive error, she was a whisker away from working Chloe Sansom in the Whites net, via a shot that whistled over the bar.

Two minutes later, a terrific long pass by Katie Young put Sophie Humphrey clean through the middle but Sansom was out smartly to snuff out the danger.

Palmer sent captain Gemma Worsfold scurrying down the left, but the skipper's effort bounced off the top of the bar.

The deadlock was broken just before the half-hour mark by the Dons after a Coupar dead ball wasn’t properly cleared and eventually, Rush drove an edge-of-the-box attempt through a crowd of players and into the bottom corner.

But the underdogs stunned their hosts by levelling then going in front.

It was 1-1 when Bridge drilling in a low ball from the left which seemed to be deflected in. Humphrey made it 2-1 by blasting of a rocket into the top corner.

MK began the second half on top but Coupar headed Pepper’s corner straight to keeper Lauren Dolbear.

Dons star player Lucy Wood intercepted a Palmer pass, only to fire the wrong side of the post.

Dolbear wasn’t truly tested until the 66th minute, when she tipped a Pepper piledriver from 35 yards over the bar.

A promising forward foray in the dying minutes saw Lelliott nick possession off Pepper to allow Worsfold to pick out Andersson on the right, but the eventual shot was wide.

Sadly, all the Reds’ outstanding work was undone by an added-time double.

Young was penalised for handball with a free-kick and a yellow card. Pepper took aim from 30 yards and somehow located the bottom corner.

Goalscorer then turned provider, as a ball over the top was latched on to by substitute Leoni Miceli, who sped clear of Bridge before beating the advancing Dolbear and slotting into an empty net with 96 minutes played.

There was still time for Andersson to go close to snatching a draw, reaching the right-hand touchline and watching on in agony as the ball flashed across the face of goal before the referee blew her whistle and Wembley dreams were put on hold.

GARETH NICHOLAS

Sittingbourne 1 Lancing 1

Isthmian south east

Lancing returned from an arduous trip to Kent with a valuable point.

Horrendous hold-ups en route to Sittingbourne meant the team and fans did not arrive until shortly after the 3pm kick-off time. Other parties were happy to delay the start.

Lancing gave a debut, on loan from Worthing, to Kyle O’Brien, a speedy forward. Will Berry was back as was Modou Jammeh, after a spell at Worthing.

it was a leggy and sluggish Lancing who fell behind to a Youssouf Bamba strike after only four minutes.

And it took 20 minutes or so before Lancing started to find their feet, but they gradually began to turn the tide in their favour.

Kane Louis’s equalising header after 35 minutes was a deserved reward for their improved performance.

There was an ebb and flow to the second half with both teams having chances.

Jammeh was a real threat going forward, but spurned a chance for a late winner.

DAVE WILMOTT

Wick 3 Seaford 0

SCFL Division 1

Wick turned the corner after slipping down the table thanks to three superbly executed set-pieces.

The Dragons had slipped from second to fourth after a 2-0 defeat to leaders Epsom & Ewell but flew back up to second with a comfortable victory over Seaford at Crabtree Park.

All three goals came from devastating corners by Lucas Micevicius.

The first in the 24th minute saw Wick captain Johan van Driel rise at the near post to head his side into the lead, and it was 2-0 early in the second half when Nathan Hawker converted from 12 yards.

Ryan Barratt rose highest of all in the 68th minute to thump home a towering header and wrap up maximum points.

Wick are not in action this weekend and face Montpelier Villa in the Division 1 Cup at Lancing’s Culver Road on Wednesday.

Manager Lee Baldwin said: “It’s a crucial part of our season which could well define our title prospects. We played well against Seaford and could have scored more. It’s imperative we maintain that form.”

Yapton 2 Rudgwick Res 5

West Sussex Lge Div 1

Goals from Josh Dean, one of them a spectacular effort from 35 yards, gave Yapton a 2-0 interval lead.

Yapton found the net twice more only to see an offside flag and in the second half, Rudgwick ran riot.

Flansham Park Res 5 Yapton Res 1

WS Div 3 South

Yapton trailed 3-0 at the interval. Aaron Chihoi pulled one back but hopes of a revival faded.