Four from Fender: Littlehampton wallop Wick in Sussex Senior Cup

Devon Fender scores for Littlehampton against Sheppey - and he went on to score four v Wick in the Sussex Senior Cup | Picture: Stephen Goodger

Devon Fender hit four goals, including a first-half hat-trick, as Littlehampton knocked neighbours Wick out of the Sussex Senior Cup at the rain-lashed Sportsfield.

The two sides battled to a 1-1 draw in last season’s Peter Bentley Cup semi-finals before the Golds won on penalties but this result was never in doubt once Fender opened the scoring after a surging run in the 17th minute.

The striker doubled the lead ten minutes later when he swept in a lovely pass from Josh Short and George Gaskin capitalised on some sloppy play in the wet to add the third in the 34th minute.

Sixty seconds later it was 4-0 as Fender headed in off a post and the striker increased the lead with another smart finish just before the hour mark.

Joe Benn immediately made it six and Scott Packer completed the rout from the penalty spot two minutes before the final whistle.

‘The difference between Isthmian League football and Southern Combination Division One was there to see - at least we kept battling to the end and refused to throw in the towel,’ Wick manager Lee Baldwin said.

Read Mitch Hand’s views on Littlehampton’s Isthmian League efforts to date – including Saturday’s 3-2 loss at home to Sheppey – in the Littlehampton Gazette, out Thursday.