Sidley dig deep to clinch victory

SIDLEY United's players continue to do a remarkable job at picking up points under such difficult circumstances.

Saturday's fully-merited 3-1 win over Selsey was their second successive victory since the tragic deaths of friends and team-mates James Duffell and Liam Cox.

The award and subsequent conversion of a first minute penalty undoubtedly aided the cause and, although the momentum waned temporarily after a bright beginning, they showed tremendous character to respond after their initial lead was wiped out.

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Joint manager Andy Laskey said: "The result was excellent, the performance at times was not brilliant but it would be a bit harsh to criticise them because last week was quite traumatic for some of them. The mood beforehand was surprisingly upbeat - more so than I expected. But you look at them and you see sometimes they are thinking of other things."

This is only to be expected from such a close knit club and serves as a perfectly acceptable explanation for the occasional lax periods they endured during the course of the match.

They got off to the perfect start though when Mark Freeman's progress into the box was halted for what Laskey described as a "definite" penalty from which Adam Day picked out the top corner.

United dominated the next 10 minutes, spraying the ball around with confidence and carving out several decent openings that went unconverted.

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But a mis-directed back-pass to Rob Wiley, although unpunished, seemed to knock the hosts out of their stride and second-from-bottom Selsey levelled after 34 minutes when Wiley couldn't quite keep out Porter's 20-yard drive.

A half time change of formation which saw Matt Dadswell pushed forward into midfield and Dave Ward out wide to right wing-back seemed to work the oracle with Ward providing the delivery for a pair of almost carbon copy strikes in the space of three minutes that settled the contest mid-way through the half.

Striker Kevin Rose, who is enjoying arguably his most impressive spell for years, won a pair of key headers in the Selsey box that presented Wes Tate with an empty net for the second and Dadswell with just the keeper to beat for the third.

A couple of half chances went begging for the home side thereafter while improving Selsey caused Wiley little concern at the other end.

Sidley are back at Gullivers on Saturday November 15 when Broadbridge Heath visit in the third round of the Sussex RUR Charity Cup.

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