YM battle back to draw with Littlehampton

A wet and windy Gorings Mead saw Division 1’s third and fifth placed sides share the spoils of an even encounter that neither side in the end wanted to lose.

Littlehampton midfielder Liam Humphries lobbed the visitors into the lead midway through the first half, before a Liam Hunter penalty levelled the scores quarter of an hour later.

Sam Blundell dealt the hosts a blow when he poked the Golds back in front right on the stroke of half time, but YM responded immediately after the restart as Nick Sullivan made it 2-2.

Blundell headed home his second of the afternoon to restore the visitors’ advantage shortly after, but the hosts again fought back, finally through Kieran Greig, whose low strike eventually shared the points.

YM manager Peter Buckland said: “First and foremost I thought it was a testament to Division 1 football under the conditions. There was some good quality football out there from both sides and I think that a draw is about the right result.

“I can’t dress it up anymore than it was really, which was a just above average performance from us all round.

“We were definitely better in the second half and in the last 15 we really went for it. With a little bit more rub of the green, we might have sneaked a victory.

“I’m not despondent. I think that Littlehampton are the best team we’ve played this season. Their work rate is phenomenal, but every time we went behind we came back.”

YM (4-2-3-1): S Smith, D Sullivan, Burgess, Crane, Evans, Dugdale, Hunter (Gannon 77), Wood (R Curtis 63), Brown, Greig, N Sullivan.