Match Reports

The Mavericks' unbeaten run continued with a 6-0 drubbing of Southwick on a chilly afternoon at Old Barn Way.  

As usual, this was an excellent team performance from Danny Woods' young players who played with assurance, commitment, fluidity, and above all, a belief that victory would be theirs.

There were several contenders for man-of-the-match. Callum Wells came on as a second half substitute and scored a hat-trick, captain Dillon Nagle led by example and calmly slotted home two penalties, and goalkeeper Aaron Relf who pulled off a string of miraculous saves to keep his second successive clean sheet.

In truth however, this was a game of two halves. The opening exchanges were about even, but the home side slowly began to dominate. Relf was called into action twice to deny Jordan Stallibrass and Dan Bateman, and a series of timely blocks by the defenders kept the score at 0-0.

The Mavericks weathered the storm, and took the lead in the 42nd minute, Nagle scoring from the penalty spot after Tshikume Phadagi had been upended inside the area.

By contrast, the second half was an avalanche as the Mavericks pressed forward and netted five more times. Southwick became frustrated, and several of their players lost their composure and their discipline. A fracas on the half-way line did not help their cause. Indeed, at one stage they were reduced to nine men after two of their players, including goalkeeper Steve Allfrey, were sin-binned.

Nagle scored his second penalty in the 63rd minute, and two minutes later Elliott Bennett raced clear to make the score 3-0.

Callum Wells then took control and scored three goals towards the end of the match. In the 74th minute he tapped the ball home from a corner, and in the 90th minute he drove the ball into the net from distance. He completed the scoring deep into stoppage time to elevate the Mavericks to 7th place in the league.

Keith. 

The Mavericks extended their winning run to five matches with an exciting 3-1 victory at Mile Oak.  Going into the match, the home side had only lost once in the league, so to come away with maximum points was a fantastic achievement for Danny Wood's young side.

This was a fine team performance, with every member of the side playing to his full potential. To single out any one player would be unfair. The defence held out remarkably well with block after block, whilst in midfield and attack the Mavericks were unerring. Indeed, the final goal tally could easily have been more.

It was Mile Oak who took the lead however. In the 16th minute, Jack Marriott cut in from the left and drilled a low shot across the face of goal into Aaron Relf's net.

But the Mavericks were not fazed by this early setback. Tshikume Phadaji's decent strike in the 25th minute was well saved by Mile Oak goalkeeper Aaron Stenning, and before half-time the scores were level when, in the 37th minute, Zane Richardson headed home from a Stephen Jackson corner.

The second half became increasingly stretched, as both sides pressed forward at every opportunity. But it was the Mavericks who looked most likely to score, and in the 73rd minute the goal duly arrived, albeit in the most fortuitous of circumstances. A dreadful defensive blunder allowed Dan Hills to pounce and plant the ball firmly into the net for a 2-1 lead.

And it was Hills who scored the Mavericks' third goal, stabbing the ball home at the far post in the 80th minute for another deserved victory.

Keith. 

After a superb 5-3 victory at Bexhill United on the previous Saturday, the Mavericks scraped home with a 1-0 victory over bottom club Billingshurst, to claim their fourth successive league win.

Perhaps it was the full moon that shone brightly over Lyons Way, or maybe it was a touch of “after the Lord Mayor's show”, but the expected goal fest did not materialise. The three points gained however, were priceless.

As one might have expected, the Mavericks applied relentless pressure on the visitors' goal in the first half, but were unable to penetrate a six-man defense who held out remarkably well, belying their awful goals against tally. As the half progressed a hint of frustration crept into the Mavericks' game plan as the chances went begging.

Fortunately, Billingshurst were creating virtually nothing at the other end. When the odd opportunity did present itself, the ball was usually ballooned not only over Aaron Relf's crossbar, but over the tall catch-netting as well, and into the road.

Billingshurst's stubborn resistance was finally breached in the 65th minute when Stephen Jackson fired home into the top corner from 25 yards. The relief around the ground was palpable, for anything other than victory would have been a travesty.

A few minutes later Dillon Nagle thought he had doubled the lead, but his close range effort was ruled offside.

An insurance goal would have put the game to bed, but at the final whistle the Mavericks had secured their fourth consecutive league win, a statistic to be proud of.

Keith. 

For the second time in four days, the Mavericks entertained AFC Varndeanians in a cup match. On the Saturday the visitors had emerged as 4-3 winners in the Division 1 Cup, a match played in horrendous conditions of driving rain.

By Tuesday night however, the monsoon had moved on and this match was played under clear skies, even if there was an autumnal chill in the air.

As was the case on Saturday, this was another excellent game of football between two sides who were committed to play attacking football.  The pace of the game was breathtaking for the entire 90 minutes, with wave after wave of fluent passing moves to entertain the disappointingly sparse crowd.

The Varndeanians had the first real chance of the game when, in the 13th minute, Scott Packer missed an open goal from close range.  At the other end Dillon Nagle was embarking on some blistering runs down the right flank, culminating with some superb crosses into the danger area.

An unsavoury incident occurred midway through the first half when Ollie Stevenson stamped on the prostrate Nagle as he lay on the ground. It was as blatant as it was premeditated, yet incredulously the offender escaped with only a yellow card.

The only goal arrived in the 60th minute when Packer drilled the ball into the net past Aaron Relf in the Mavericks' goal.

Mavericks' substitute Morgan Kennett almost hit an equalizer in the 80th minute, but his fierce strike from the left flew just over the crossbar.  A few minutes later Relf saved bravely at the feet of AFC Varndeanians' Lawrence Edwards to keep the score at 1-0.

The Mavericks may have lost these two cup matches, but both were by a slender one-goal margin, and the management team and players can be justifiably proud of the performances.

Keith.

On an atrocious afternoon of grey skies and driving rain, the two teams played some fantastic football to entertain the supporters.  Indeed, the players were given an ovation at the final whistle.

AFC Varndeanins took an early lead in the 3rd minute in highly controversial circumstances when Dan Barden bundled the ball into the net.  Mavericks' goalkeeper Aaron Relf appeared to be clattered in the build-up, but the goal stood.  Barden scored again in the 20th minute, latching on to a through-ball and calmly slotting home past the advancing Relf.  

In the 37th minute it was 3-0 when Oliver Stevenson scored with an acrobatic strike and the game seemed as good as over.

The Mavericks' best chance of the half came in the 37th minute.  Stephen Jackson and Dan Hills linked up perfectly, but Hills' strike was well saved by Tom Bradford in the Varndeanians' goal.

Dillon Nagle reduced the deficit in the 50th minute from close range, and Nagle became provider following a dazzling run down the right flank culminating with a pin-point cross to Hills who made no mistake.

Suddenly the Mavericks were back in the game, but unfortunately they fell 4-2 behind in the 62nd minute when Luke Maloney fired home for the visitors.

The Mavericks never gave up however, and battled away to the very end.  Callum Thoms blasted home a penalty kick in the 83rd minute to reduce the arrears to 4-3, but an elusive fourth goal needed to force extra-time did not materialize, and the Mavericks were out of the SCFL Division One cup.

Keith.

The evening started with bad news as Assistant Manager, Adrian Hendy, was forced to return home as soon as having arrived with a family emergency. And with Luke Carter taking training for the Under 23's back in Worthing, Chairman Bill Clifford was called up to deputise and assist Manager Danny Wood.

Danny, in turn was forced into a number of changes, due to player availability, further to the team's first League win and clean sheet at home to Shoreham on Saturday. This was unfortunate but, as it turned out, by no means a bad thing.

The Mavericks came out of the traps fast and were a goal up within just 2 minutes. Josh Brown, now four in four, followed in well to smash home a rebound off the home side's keeper. Indeed, the visitors did not let up, creating a number of good chances before Dan Hills nodded home at the far post from captain Dillon Nagle's well delivered free kick on 26 minutes.

Oakwood then seemed to get themselves together and the last ten or so minutes of the half was all them. The Mavericks defended well though and managed to see the pressure out until half time.

The second half was a more even affair.  Although, despite hitting the woodwork twice, the game wasn't clinched until the 87th minute following excellent work from Man of the Match, Ted Hartley, who unselfishly squared to Tshikume Phadagi for him to knock in the third.

Arguably our best performance of the season to date and great to know that we now have a squad with such great strength in depth.  Well done to Danny and all the players.

Bill

The Mavericks deservedly won their first league game of the season against a disappointing Shoreham outfit, who were only average at best. Nevertheless, as poor as Shoreham were, Worthing United played well, and the longer the game went on the more likely a home victory became.

After a deluge of rain in midweek, Saturday dawned bright and clear and the match was never in doubt. Missing from the Mavericks' line-up were Joe Patching (injured) and Kieran Deacon (suspended). It was also Joji Phillips' last game for the club before returning to London to continue his studies. His presence on the pitch and his prolific goal-scoring will be missed, and we wish him all the best for the future.

The first half of this match was, it has to be said, nothing much to write home about, with goal-scoring opportunities at a premium.  Indeed the only chance fell to Phillips, whose fine strike on goal was well saved by Shoreham goalkeeper Ricardo Alves.

The second half was more entertaining. In the 55th minute a fierce 30-yard strike from Shoreham's Dean Stewart-Hunter flew just over Aaron Relf’s crossbar, whilst at the other end Phillips' tremendous goal-bound effort was matched by an acrobatic save by Alves.

As the half wore on, the Mavericks grew in confidence. Tom Butler might have scored in the 72nd minute but blazed his shot over the bar when it looked easier to score.

Josh Brown eventually won the match for the home side with two late goals of quality. Phillips crossed from the left and Brown expertly headed home to put the Mavericks 1-0 ahead, and his measured strike a few minutes later put the game to bed.

The three points were in the bag, and the Mavericks had recorded their first win & clean sheet of the campaign.

Keith.

For the fourth game in a row, the Mavericks scored three goals. But only one of those games has resulted in a victory, the other three have ended in defeat.  Scoring goals is not a problem it seems, the problems are in defence where 16 goals have been shipped in those four games.

Having said that, the Arundel side that came to Lyons Farm were certainly the best team the Mavericks have faced this season.  Their passing moves were slick, their pace was electric, and their finishing was deadly. Furthermore, in Eli Amoo they possess one of the  finest players in the league.  On the night, he was a different class to everyone else on the pitch, especially in the first half, and at one point Arundel led 3-0.

The visitors took the lead in the 2nd minute, Rob Madden heading home, and in the 16th minute it was 2-0 when Amoo scored from close range.  In the 32nd minute, Amoo crossed from the right and Morgan Forrey's header beat Joe Sandell in the Maverick's goal, and Arundel were almost out of sight.

In the 44th minute however, Callum Thoms crashed the ball into the net with a penalty kick that Harry Kane would have been proud of, giving the Mavericks a glimmer of hope.

To their credit the Mavericks fought on, and indeed drew the second half 2-2.  Callum Chalmers increased Arundel's lead to 4-1 in the 53rd minute with a shot across the face of goal, but Joji Phillips pulled a goal back in the 65th minute with a well-taken goal.

The excellent Eli Amoo made it 5-2 in the 73rd minute with a rasping shot that gave Sandell no chance, but the Mavericks scored again in the 82ndminute, Giuseppe Gaute-Lammi firing home to complete the night's entertainment.

Keith.

On a blustery afternoon, Roffey won this exciting match 4-3 in the proverbial “seven goal thriller”. In truth, it could have gone either way, but the Mavericks were guilty of gifting the opposition with three first-half goals which ultimately cost them the match.

There were five goals in a pulsating first half.  Roffey took the lead in the 5th minute with a close range effort from Kieron Purkiss, only to see Mavericks' captain Joe Patching hit the equalizer with a screamer into the roof of the net in the 12th minute.

Roffey however, re-took the lead in the 15th minute when Sam Sourbridge hooked the ball into the net. Joji Phillips made it 2-2 in the 35th minute with a fierce strike that rattled the underside of the crossbar before crossing the line, but the Mavericks conceded a third goal in the 37th minute when Purkiss took advantage of some poor defending, and at the interval Roffey led 3-2.

With the strong wind at their backs in the second half, the Mavericks pressed forward and might have scored on a few occasions.  Dillon Nagle's cross from the right was headed just over the bar by Yassine Jilal in the 57th minute, and a minute later Kieran Deacon was unlucky when his excellent strike hit the woodwork.

At the other end, Aaron Relf in the Mavericks' goal was superb, pulling off a string of point-blank saves to keep his side in the game.

But Roffey went 4-2 ahead in the 85th minute, Pat O'Sullivan rifling the ball home to secure the win. 

There was still time for Dan Hills to score a late goal, but the clock ran out and United had been beaten for the fifth time in the league this season.

Keith. 

The Mavericks achieved a hard-earned draw at Storrington on this beautiful late summer's afternoon in West Sussex.  The Mavericks started well and controlled the opening phase of the match.  Joe Patching came closest to scoring, but his free-kick in the 20th minute sailed over the crossbar

Towards the end of the first half however, the home side began to press forward, and might have scored on two occasions.  The ever dangerous Martin Harris rattled the crossbar in the 34th minute, and in the 42nd minute the same player hit the post with a fierce strike from the right.

Harris it was who opened the scoring in the 55th minute, stabbing the ball past Aaron Relf in the Mavericks' goal.  The goal contained more than a hint of offside, but despite the protestations of the Maverick defenders, the goal stood.

The equalizer came in the 75th minute.  The excellent Kieran Deacon crossed from the right and Joji Phillips headed home at the far post.

The point gained ended a run of five consecutive defeats in all competitions, and lifted the spirits of the Worthing United contingent.  The Mavericks remained bottom of the division, but only on goal difference, and a revival of fortunes was hopefully around the corner.

Keith. 

The Mavericks shipped seven goals for the second match running, although on both occasions the opposition was from the Premier Division.  Trailing 2-0 at the interval, the team battled away, and it was only towards the end of the match that the floodgates opened.  Callum Thoms scored the only goal from the penalty spot.

Keith. 

On a hot, sunny afternoon the Mavericks were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Vase by a far superior Lancing side from the Premier Division.  

Their goal hero was Alex Fair, who netted four times. He opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 4th minute, and James Rhodes made it 2-0 in the 6th minute, firing home into the far corner.   

The Mavericks' best moment of the first half came when Joe Patching saw his excellent strike parried away by Taylor Seymour in the Lancing goal.  

But the home side piled on the pressure. George Fenton's fierce strike from the left flank increased the lead in the 36th minute, and Fair's own second goal in the 41st minute gave Lancing a 4-0 lead at half-time.

Fair completed his hat-trick in the 50th minute, beating Joe Sandell from 12 yards, before Worthing United's Joe Kennard almost pulled a goal back. His superb effort was tipped over the bar by Seymour, and Lancing came again.

Fair made it 6-0 in the 69th minute with a fine individual goal, and Mo Juwara scored the  seventh in the 78th minute with the best goal of the match, a dazzling solo effort which mesmerized the deflated Mavericks' defence.

Sadly there was still time for Kieran Deacon to be sent off for two yellow card offences, completing a miserable afternoon.

Keith. 

The Mavericks slumped to their fourth league defeat in five matches, and find themselves in the unenviable position of propping up the rest of the table.  Whilst it is only the beginning of September, results need to improve in the near future.

That being said, the Mavericks, playing in all red, started brightly in this match. Dom Taylor did well in the first minute with a curling shot from the edge of the penalty area which was well saved by Billy Nash in the Selsey goal.

But the home side were 2-0 ahead at the interval. Max Davies lobbed United goalkeeper Joe Sandell to open the scoring in the 20th minute, and Callum Dowdell added the second goal with a well-struck shot from the left flank in the 23rd minute.

Despite the score-line, Sandell was having a good match in the Mavericks' goal, saving bravely at the feet of Selsey's Dowdell and Brad Hayward in quick succession nearing the hour mark. And the Mavericks came close to scoring in the 60th minute when Dillon Nagle released Joji Phillips who fired just over the crossbar.

However, Hayward put Selsey 3-0 ahead from close range in the 70th minute to secure the  points.

Then, amidst great confusion, Yassine Jilal pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute. As the Mavericks' players celebrated, the referee's attention was diverted to the linesman, who it seemed was the only person in the stadium who thought the ball had been driven into the side-netting.  After a brief consultation, the referee awarded the goal. Maybe the linesman should have gone to Specsavers.

In addition to Sandell, Joe Patching had another good game for the Mavericks, but otherwise this was a below par performance from the team.

Played on a mild evening, this was an entertaining match with plenty of excitement and near misses at both ends.  At the end of 90 minutes however, it was Littlehampton who maintained their 100% start to the season with a narrow 2-1 victory.

The home side had most of the possession and created more goal scoring opportunities throughout the game, and should have taken the lead in the 5th minute.  But Harry Russell headed just wide of the post when it looked easier to score, and a few minutes later Mavericks' goalkeeper Joe Sandell saved well from Littlehampton's Ben Gray.

It was not all one-way, and at the other end Kieran Deacon's excellent strike was tipped over the crossbar by Littlehampton keeper James Binfield.  With half-time approaching however, the Mavericks fell 1-0 behind when Gray netted from close range.

The Mavericks drew level on the hour mark when the referee awarded a penalty following an infringement inside the area.  Dom Taylor stepped up and crashed the ball into the roof of the net, and at this point a share of the points looked feasible.

Parity lasted just three minutes.  George Gaskin bundled the ball over the line in the 63rd minute to put Littlehampton 2-1 ahead to complete the scoring.  Gaskin might have added to his tally in the 70th minute but was denied by Sandell.

The Mavericks almost reduced the deficit in the 82nd minute when Dillon Nagle's dipping shot from a corner shaved the bar, but frustratingly there were no more goals and the team returned home empty handed.

The match ended on a bizarre note when no less than three United players were sent to the sin-bin for dissent, leaving just eight able-bodied players on the pitch.

Keith. 

On a beautiful sunny afternoon in late summer, the Mavericks succumbed to an efficient, hard-working Mile Oak side who moved into a comfortable 3-0 lead at the interval and never really looked back.

The match was preceded with a minute's silence in memory of former players Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt who lost their lives in the Shoreham Air Show disaster of August 2015.

The home side started the match brightly but fell a goal behind in the 7th minute when Mile Oak's Joe Benn struck from distance.  It may have been slightly against the run of play at that point, but sadly it was portent of what was to come.

Joe Patching, who had another good match for the Mavericks, might have equalized on the quarter-hour with a fine solo effort, but his final shot was easily saved by Aaron Stenning in the Mile Oak goal.

Five minutes later the visitors moved 2-0 ahead when a defensive lapse allowed Benn to waltz through the heart of the Mavericks' midfield and plant the ball very firmly into the far corner of Ryan Reid's net.

In the 34th minute it was 3-0.  Benn's free-kick from the right was met by Harvey Dunk at the far post who headed home unopposed.  It all looked far too easy and at this stage a heavy defeat looked to be on the cards.

To their credit, the Mavericks upped their game in the second half and contained the away side, who were unable to add to their goal tally. Callum Wells almost scored a consolation at the death after being put through by Patching, but by then the damage was already done.  The game had been won and lost in the opening 45 minutes.

Keith.

The heavy rain from the previous day had abated, allowing this match to begin under sunny skies.  And what a match it was! Missing several key players due to injury and suspension, the Mavericks battled magnificently for the entire 90 minutes to overturn a 2-0 deficit and obtain a well earned 2-2 draw.

In such a fine team performance it may seem unfair to single out individual players, but it should be noted that the Mavericks' Ted Hartley was outstanding and hardly put a foot wrong all afternoon. Dillon Nagle, Joe Patching and goalkeeper Joe Sandell all put in decent shifts, but it was the collective team effort that ensured a share of the points.

The opening exchanges were about even with goal-scoring opportunities at both ends. In the 5th minute Sandell saved well from point blank range at the feet of Tyler Goatcher, but the Mavericks' keeper was unable to stop Seaford's Connor Jones slotting home in the 15th minute.

The visitors moved 2-0 ahead in the 38th minute when Owen Muller unluckily sliced the ball into his own net at the far post, and at this stage things were looking ominous for the home side.

Nagle, however, pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time with a low shot into the far corner. It was the psychological boost the Mavericks needed, and after the interval they came out fighting.

Midway through the second half Yassine Jilal equalized with a screamer into the top corner that left Seaford's goalkeeper Josh Measor clutching at thin air. Jilal's goal celebration was something to behold, containing enough backward somersaults and backflips to win a gymnastics bronze medal at the Olympic Games.

All in all, it had been a great game of football, and a wonderful advert for the SCFL.

Keith.

On a blustery afternoon at Lyons Farm the Mavericks were knocked out of the Peter Bentley Cup at the first hurdle, but despite the high winds the match was full of incident, containing four goals and a sending off.

Mavericks' captain Kieran Deacon was dismissed in the first half for receiving two yellow cards, and with only ten men on the pitch the task became difficult.

The Mavericks had their chances however.  In the 20th minute Joji Phillips side-footed just wide of the post, and the same player ballooned the ball over the crossbar from 12 yards in the 27th minute.  Midway through the second half Joel Davison came close, and a Joe Patching free-kick in the 83rd minute was tipped over the bar by Oakwood goalkeeper Ashley Davy.

But this was Oakwood's day.  Josh Neathy opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a precise finish, and in the 45th minute Mitch Casselman made it 2-0 following a poor clearance by Connor Berwick in the Mavericks' goal.

Charlie Adsett added a third in the 67th minute after more terrible defending, and Neathy completed the scoring late in the match with a decent finish. He might have scored a hat-trick but his penalty kick at the death was wide of the mark.

Neathy, it has to be said, hardly endeared himself to the home supporters, going down like a sack of King Edwards each time a United player so much as breathed on him.  Eventually, the referee became exasperated and showed him a yellow card.

Keith.