Rye grab thrilling victory

Despite being without captain Shaun Loft, Rye manager Scott Price felt the Sussex County Football League Division One game should have been dead and buried by half time.

As it was, the teams were level at 2-2. Rye twice took the lead through a brace of goals from the again excellent Andy Atkin only to be pegged back on both occasions, with Lancing’s second goal coming from the penalty spot.

In-form Lancing went in front for the first time despite Rye starting the second half strongly, but Sam Adams made it 3-3 with a left-foot shot from just outside the box.

Rye goalkeeper Ollie Jones then saved a penalty for the second successive match and the visitors went down the other end where Sean Kelly scored the winner after Atkin’s header was well saved.

Sidley United put a stop to back-to-back defeats in the same division with a 1-1 draw at home to Selsey, which manager John Lambert considered a fair result.

The Blues played quite well during the first half and led at the break after Jason Taylor flicked the ball over the goalkeeper having got on the end of an Andy Hales shot from the left.

But Selsey came back into the game during the second half and levelled with a goal that has been credited to Ollie Haggar, whose shot hit Jack Cooper before rolling past Matt Dann. Cooper raced back but could only help it into the net.

Full reports and reaction will appear in Friday’s Observers.

Standings (played-points): 1 East Preston 12-32, 2 Peacehaven & Telscombe 11-24, 3 RYE UNITED 12-24, 4 Redhill 10-23, 5 Lancing 12-22, 6 Ringmer 10-22, 7 Hassocks 12-22, 8 Arundel 10-17, 9 Horsham YMCA 11-16, 10 Lingfield 10-16, 11 Pagham 9-13, 12 Shoreham 12-13, 13 Dorking Wanderers 10-12, 14 St Francis Rangers 11-12, 15 Selsey 10-12, 16 Crowborough Athletic 11-12, 17 East Grinstead Town 12-11, 18 SIDLEY UNITED 11-11, 19 Hailsham Town 10-9, 20 Chichester City 13-9, 21 AFC Uckfield 11-6, 22 Worthing United 10-2.