Littlehampton win at home to Midhurst

He said: “It was much better from last Tuesday and we could have had double figures.

“We missed a hatful, but I’d be more worried if we weren’t creating chances and it was pleasing.

“I felt we deserved to win and our performance on Tuesday was the worst for a while, so I saw that as just a blip.

“Justice was done in the end, although we made it hard for ourselves by missing so many chances and not sealing it sooner.”

Phil Churchill, who recently left Golds’ local rivals Clymping, where he was manager, to join Midhurst, headed his team ahead in the sixth minute with his third goal in three games, and Golds then missed a host of chances to equalise before half-time.

Barney Boutwood missed an open goal, Nathan Peacock hit keeper Paul Williamson when well-placed, Ross McKay was denied by Williamson and Niall O’Hagan went close, before Littlehampton finally drew level four minutes after the restart.

Williamson raced out of goal to intercept Chris Hazell’s through ball, but he lost his footing and allowed the in-form Jason Jarvis to run through and slot home for his 13th goal of the season.

Jarvis then had another effort saved and Boutwood hit the bar before Golds’ pressure finally told and Hazell touched in the winner after Peter Beadle had flicked on Richie Hellen’s free kick on 73 minutes.

Holders Golds entertain Little Common, who they beat in the quarter-finals last season, in the Division 2 Cup second round on Saturday.

LITTLEHAMPTON: Fuller; Hazell, Crawford, McKay, Wollers; Beadle, Hellen, O’Hagan, Peacock; Boutwood, Jarvis. Subs: Gaskin (Peacock 75), Goff, White.