Late Lancers survive Senior Cup scare

Lancing 3 Mile Oak 1

Lancing left it late as Shay Leahy and substitute Lewis Lembikisa turned this Sussex Senior Cup tie on its head to avoid a major upset at the hands of County League Mile Oak.
The Lancers came within ten minutes of an ignominious exit from the county’s most prestigious cup competition against a side two divisions below us.
But just when it looked as though a seismic shock was in the offing, Noel’s equaliser gave the Lancers a new lease of life as he poked in a 79^th-minute leveller.

That looked to have paved the way for penalties but our late rally reaped rewards and steered the Yellow and Blues into the metaphorical hat.

It’s not often sides at this level of football can claim to have international call ups, but lo and behold, the Lancers had four players proudly representing their countries. Knory Scott and Luke Robinson were away with Bermuda. Sam Bull and Charlie Gibson were representing England age group in Croatia. This meant a rotated side for the visit of our local rivals, in a fixture which used to be commonplace when both sides locked horns with regularity in the County League.

Charlie may have been absent but there was at least a Gibson in the XI as goalkeeper Daniel came in for a debut in place of an injured Alieu Secka. Ryan Riddles also made a senior bow at right-back and Leon Fisher made his first start since dual signing for Alfold in a youthful Lancing line up.

The absentees meant there were only two substitutes on our bench with Shay Matthews rested and the returning Lembikisa also waiting in the wings.
As was perhaps expected given the divisional disparity between the two sides, Lancing started strongly and looked to chop Oak down to size. Noel fired wide and Ta’shae also went close at the culmination of a goalmouth scramble, but visiting goalkeeper Louis Peach punched clear.

Ahmed Belgarne and the ever lively Callum Erskine were then both narrowly off target, but our best effort of the contest went the way of Noel ten minutes before the break.

Our no.11 was our best player on the night and showed why he is such a handful for even the most erudite of defences. Having pulled the ball down, he spun in behind and fired on goal only to see his effort cannon back off the crossbar and to safety.

Gibson saved well to deny Chris Whittington at the other end but, just as we did on Saturday, we found ourselves behind by half-time. Credit must go to Oak’s Harry Robins for a strike fit to grace any level of football. Lancers were too slack to close down the forward but he took a touch and arrowed a magnificent, dipping strike on the angle high across Gibson and in.

Half time: Lancing 0-1 Mile Oak

Jamie Hollis played both trump cards at the break as Shay Matthews replaced Riddles and Lewis Lembikisa came on for Ahmed.

Lembikisa was into the action straight away as he burst clear down the left but his searching ball across goal evaded everyone when a touch was needed.
Andall-Gibbons found Matthews with a great ball on the overlap but the latter’s shot was too close to Peach and he claimed the ball to snuff out the danger from the lurking Fishers.

Lancers were looking increasingly laboured as we were reduced to half chances and hopeful shots from distance. The arrival of an apocalyptic downpour aptly seemed to typify the bleak mood of many of the 154 hardy souls running for cover inside the ground.

But as the heavens opened, so Lancing stirred. Lembikisa collected the ball in midfield and drove at the Oak defence. He poked the ball through into the path of the onrushing Noel who rolled under the keeper to level the tie, despite the presence of a lunging Oak defender on the line.

Having rescued the contest, Lancing laid siege to the Mile Oak goal in search of a winner. Peach foiled Lembikisa at the last, before the keeper then saved well to deny Ta’shae from distance. Matthews saw a chance go begging and Erskine fired into the side netting on the angle.

After a flurry of corners, it was from another set piece that we finally made the pressure tell. Harrison’s tenacity yielded both time and territory, and from the resultant Parker delivery the ball came loose for Leahy to thump home a curler.

Oak had battled gamely but the gap between the sides eventually took its toll. Sammy Donnelly’s side now had to chase the game, leaving the back door unlocked in the process.

It was from one such foray forward that we caught them on the counter as the impressive Lembikisa added his first goal in yellow to his earlier assist. He dispossessed Liam Smart on halfway and drove for goal. Peach had drifted off his line and Lewis spotted the opening to send a perfect lob sailing over the keeper and into the net to seal the deal for Lancers.

To finish, I’d just like to give a quick shout out to our vanquished opponents from Mile Oak. They did their club and their division proud and conducted themselves superbly throughout, on and off the pitch. We wish them well for their season.

Lancing XI: Daniel Gibson; Ryan Riddles, Harry Docherty (c), Shay Leahy, Harrison Parker; Ahmed Belgarne, Ta’shae Andall-Gibbons, Leon Moore; Leon Fisher, Callum Erksine, Noel Fisher. Substitutes: Shay Matthews (for Riddles 46), Lewis Lembikisa (for Belgarne 46). Att: 154