Truly Selsey ...

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Monday 27 August 2012 (11am) at the High Street Ground
Result	Selsey 1 Lancing 5
Competition	Sussex County League Division 1 (step 5)
Hopping	I am here because Horley’s game has been postponed (they have an FA Cup replay this week instead) and Selsey rhymes with Horley.  It was either here or Hartley Wintney but the lure of the sea was the clincher.  You will understand in two matches time why the rhyming mattered.  You may not care, but you will understand.  Here is a token sea shot to prove the lure, with a bird on a stick added in the classical intersection-of-thirds position for aesthetic reasons.
Pre-match preparation
Not a lot because of the last-minute change of itinerary.  Two clubs with similar league records but Lancing beat Selsey 6-1 in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round.
This match in one sentence
Order was eventually restored after Selsey took an unlikely lead, though the final two goals were late in the game.
So what?
Still very early in the season, but Lancing climb to mid-table and Selsey are in the lower reaches.
The drama unfolds
Lancing were well on top right from the start, and so it was that Selsey took the lead out of nowhere in the 22nd minute.  Graham Bush flicked the ball up and sent a superb dipping volley into the far corner.  To be fair, that's what he had intended and he did well not to look too surprised.  1-0 The London tones of Selsey manager Richard Towers rang across the ground.  He told the lino on the far side that he couldn't just go round sticking his flag up, but fortunately the one on the near side wasn't paying attention.  His flag for offside ruled out an equaliser for Lee Garnham sliding in at the far post.  Selsey really needed to hang on to the lead till half-time - they were now playing more confidently - but with 41 minutes on the clock the ball broke from a tackle to Darren Boswell, who fired a splendid shot low into the left-hand corner.  1-1 Just before the half-time whistle, Garnham got his goal from almost the same position as the earlier disallowed effort.  It seemed likely to the neutrals that this could open floodgates.  1-2 at half-time Here is a clip from early in the second half which includes some of Towers' verbal interventions, fortunately broadcastable.  Just afterwards, he offered the advice to his players that they "should keep it off that big geezer's head".  Selsey are the Blues. Meanwhile, winger Wayne Joseph was causing Selsey problems with direct runs to the touchline, although the visitors had to wait until midway through the half for their third goal.  It was a great lob, flicked with the outside of the boot, by Richard Hudson from midfield.  1-3 Sam Joyce was caught out of his goal with ten minutes to go as he had chased a ball to the touchline.  He was lucky that Lancing messed up the chance.  No matter for them, however, as Boswell then got his second of the day with nine minutes to go.  1-4 The second clip shows Selsey in search of a late consolation. Sadly, what actually happened just after this was that the Selsey defence was ripped apart and Hudson had a tap-in.  1-5 Lancing keeper Sam Cronin tipped over Barney Covill's goalbound shot just before the ref blew the final whistle.  Final score 1-5
The programme
Something random
There’s Hinshelwoods in these parts.  Marc (son of Paul, nephew of Danny) wore the number 3 shirt for Selsey.  Indeed, Danny has had two spells as manager of the club and another son, Scott, has played here too.  The names will be familiar to fans of Crystal Palace and Brighton among others. Most of the adjoining houses had direct access to the ground through Secret Garden-type gates in the hedge, but no turnstiles, surely a missed opportunity ...
Hopping for Moorfields Update
Six goals is above the predicted season average but nothing else to report.
What Next?
A scenic drive up the A29 towards Gatwick, where Crawley Down kick off against Dulwich Hamlet at 3pm.