The Lancers hit five in a league game for the first time in five years as the Culver Road crowd saw their side prevail in a three-pointer here for the first time since January – a maiden victory for new gaffer Dale and his player-assistant no.2 Rhodesy. 

I returned to HQ after missing Lancing’s recent run of fixtures due to work commitments and then an overseas holiday to be met with a host of fresh faces in the Yellow and Blue. 

There were a plethora of new players in the line up with the new management team’s recruitment drive seeing five debutants in the XI and a further three on the bench.

Lancing made harder work of this than they perhaps should have done against the ten men of Mussels, but two late goals added gloss to the scoreline and lifted the spirits of the majority of the 266 inside the ground. 

The Lancers remain at the foot of the table but are now only within two points of free-falling Mussels – themselves with many recent additions following their own appointment of a new man at the helm.

Lancers had two early chances to go ahead. First, the familiar face, and feet, of player-manager James Rhodes almost hit the jackpot when he fired over the bar after good work from the impressive Ellis.
Captain Ore Allen then tried his luck from distance but his daisy cutter was an easy save for Shoreham stopper William Walton. 

Rhodesy had a free-kick tipped wide in a bright start for Lancing but, against the run of play, we were punished for our profligacy in the 24th minute.
An Owen Waters set piece should have been dealt with but instead struck the chest of debutant keeper Callum Monks, who failed to gather. After a spot of penalty area pinball, it dropped to recently-introduced Shoreham substitute Medsar Woldesus to tap in from virtually on the line.
Mo Khedidji should have done better with a header, and our hard-luck tale continued when Omar Abdsami saw his clever lob agonisingly clear the crossbar.

Lancing found ourselves one down at half time but the consensus was the result would come if we kept plugging away and carving out openings.
Eight minutes into the second half, and the Lancers were level. It was all down to the excellent work of the eye-catching Khedidji, as he collected the ball and burst clear down the wing. Mo shrugged off a couple of half hearted challenges, cut inside and hit a low shot under Walton for a well-deserved debut goal.
With the famous old ground rocking to the beat of Lancing’s vivre, those in Yellow and Blue had their tails up and set about putting Shoreham to the sword. Two minutes further on and with parity restored, Culver Road erupted once more as Lancing hit the front.
Rhodes was sent tumbling to the turf by the trailing leg of Walton; referee Duncan Carter booked the keeper and immediately pointed to the spot.
Collier sent the keeper the wrong way for a fourth goal of the campaign from a player who has been consistently excellent in this transitional season.
Omar had a header tipped away but then came a moment in the game which turned the odds almost decisively in our favour. Walton raced from his goal to intercept the run of Nsue – Sha, but mistimed his contact and sent Adrian sprawling – despite pleading his innocence there was no escaping the censure of a second yellow and the visitors would have to play with an outfield player in goal for the remaining minutes. 

Marlon Campbell struck the bar in a rare glimpse of goal for the depleted visitors, but this was to be Lancing’s day as we turned on the style in the closing stages.
Omar’s free-kick drew a great save from Shoreham’s stand-in stopper but the ball was recycled and worked to Tyrese who slammed in a 20-yarder despite taking a tumble as he fired on goal.

Josh Cooper bundled in from a corner to give the ten men an unlikely lifeline and set nerves jangling in a crowd who had not seen their side in this position too often.
As a sudden downpour had the spectators running for cover, the conditions played a part in our fourth, game clinching goal. A Collier corner was swung in, swirling through the driving rain and strong wind, to catch out the moonlighting goalkeeper as it flew straight in. 

Then, with two minutes left, Lancing had five for the first time since the throes of the Covid lockdown. Ore picked up the ball on halfway and surged into the box to fire high into the roof of the net and seal the precious prize of three points, and the bragging rights, in this demolition derby. 

My man of the match was Ellis for his two goals and an omnipotent, lung busting showing. Honourable mentions to Mo for a very good debut and Tyrese for a tempo setting showing in midfield. 

We face Newhaven at home next Saturday: please note this is a 5.45pm kick off.

Lancing XI: Callum Monks; Alfie Knight, Ore Allen, Henry Yorke – Johnson, Sonny Causton; Tyrese Mthunzi, James Rhodes; Adrian Nsue – Sha, Mo Khedidji, Ellis Collier; Omar Abdsami. Substitutes: Fin Miles, Baran Kartel (for Rhodes, Khedidji 70), Scott Packer (for Nsue – Sha 80), Kane Louis, Will Berry.