Lancing are brilliant at Beckenham – Shoreham on the up – Wick back in race – Worthing Women lose lead

The victory leaves Dave Altendorff’s team just three points off the play-off zone three days after they’d drawn 0-0 with Sittingbourne at Culver Road.

Beckenham took the lead through Finlay Lovatt before a Charlie Nicholas own goal brought the Lancers level before half-time.

Andrew Briggs put Lancing ahead 17 minutes from time and Knory Scott’s 90th-minute strike made it 3-1, though there was still time for Nicholas to reduce the deficit to 3-2.

Lancing head to fifth-placed Ashford on Saturday bidding to build on the win. One team with work to do in the Isthmian south east – despite their win on penalties in the Sussex Senior Cup at Worthing – are Littlehampton Town.

They crashed to a 5-1 home defeat to Sevenoaks. Matt Astle cancelled out an early goal by the visitors but the Marigolds ended up well beaten and slipped into the bottom two.

Littlehampton will hope for better when they visit Burgess Hill on Saturday.

In the Southern Combination premier division, Shoreham have had a much better week as they try to climb off the bottom of the table.

They drew 2-2 at Peacehaven on Saturday and followed that with a 3-1 win at AFC Uckfield on Tuesday, only their second league win of the campaign. The Musselmen host AFC Varndeanians on Saturday.

Worthing FC Women let a half-time lead slip and lost 2-1 at Ashford in Division 1 SE of the National League.

Club captain Gemma Worsfold started after coming off the bench against Norwich a week earlier.

There were places in the squad for Tierney Scott, Izzy Glass-Oliver and newly signed Shannon Albuery.

On a chilly afternoon, the Reds caught their hosts cold when Worsfold beat goalkeeper Emma Vigolo from a seemingly impossible angle after only two minutes.

She squeezed in a half-volley from virtually the left-hand touchline and it nestled neatly inside the far post.

Worthing remained ahead at the break but Ashford levelled early in the second half.

Six minutes after the restart, Brogan Moore picked her spot to curl a shot and over a helpless Lauren Dolbear.

Later in the half Lavanna Neufville ran clear on the left and picked out the recently introduced Martha Riley to smash home and put the hosts ahead.

Worthing could not rescue a point as five added minutes provided promise that went unfulfilled.

- GARETH NICHOLAS

Copthorne 2 Wick 4

SCFL Division 1

Josh Irish took just 21 seconds to fire Wick into the lead against Copthorne and send them on their way to a victory which reignited their Southern Combination Division 1 promotion charge.

The Dragons’ leading scorer ran onto a long clearance from goalkeeper Keelan Belcher and tucked away his chance on Horsham’s artificial surface before rounding the goalkeeper to double his tally and the lead in the 25th minute.

George Bingham increased the advantage just before the break, finding the bottom near corner after fine work by Dave Crouch, and Lee Baldwin’s team were well on their way to their first win in six league outings.

Copthorne had not been without chances of their own in the opening 45 minutes, however, and they reduced the arrears when Matheus Andrade scored five minutes after the restart.

Bingham was then sent off for a late challenge and Copthorne striker Oscar Wendell was also dismissed for forcibly shoving the Wick midfielder in the back in retaliation.

Crouch restored the three-goal lead with a typically cool finish before Andrade reduced the arrears again with his second of the match as time elapsed.

“It was a very frustrating because we made the game very difficult when we didn’t need to,” said Dragons boss Baldwin.

"It’s not often you go in at half-time and everything you say to the lads is negative but there was a lot that needed addressing. But we are happy to take maximum points and move on from there.”

Wick 3 Godalming 1

SCFL Division 1

Wick produced one of their slickest displays of the league season on Tuesday night to stroll to a comfortable win against third-placed Godalming at chilly Crabtree Park.

The polished performance leaves them in the thick of the play-off race.

Josh Irish opened the scoring in the 25th minute, rifling home a long ball from goalkeeper Keelan Belcher for his 19th goal of the season but only his first at home in the league.

The striker turned provider shortly after the break when Sam Conolly stepped over his low cross along the edge of the area and Dave Crouch smacked in his 11th of the campaign.

Conolly tucked a third into the bottom corner before Godalming scored a late consolation, with the result never in doubt

Worthing United 0 Arundel 1

SCFL Division 1

There was heartbreak for the Mavericks as the Mullets came away with the points – scoring the only goal of the game deep into injury time.

The game was a competitive affair with both defences performing admirably to nullify the flare players on both sides and a goalless draw would have perhaps been a fair reflection. See Stephen Goodger’s pictures from the match here.

Holbrook Olympic 1 Goring CC FC 1

WSFL Division 1

A clash between the only unbeaten sides ended in a 1-1 draw for Goring against the leaders.

Holmbrook opened the scoring through Bilal Latif following a defensive mix-up. Goring then dominated possession and eventually levelled through Jay Walden, who headed powerfully home from a splendid cross by Kieran Gillard.

The second half saw Goring take total control with MoM and captain Todor Bankov excelling in midfield. Sam Madgwick forced a fine save and Jacob Pippin was unlucky with a superb strike.

Ben Cooper thought he’d made it 2-1 but the officials said his strike didn’t go in.

Wittering 2, Yapton 2

West Sussex Div 2S

Yapton were so close to victory, but conceded from a penalty in the final minute.

Wittering took a first-half lead, but Yapton equalised on 35 minutes with a Levi Stevens penalty after Ryan Burch had been brought down.

Burch laid on Yapton's second for Josh Dean and that was held until the late disappointment.

Yapton Rserves lost 6-5 at home to Worthing Town Reserves in Division 3S. Paul Middleton, Zak Timmins (3) and Luke Yates were on target.