Gavin on target as Blues march on

County League OneRingmer 3 Southwick 0THE Blues dominated from start to finish to beat bottom club Southwick and maintain their eight-point lead at the top of the table.

Gareth Green was at his tormenting best down the left flank as he gave the Southwick defenders a torrid time while Danny Bird marauded down the opposite side and Gavin Jones looked dangerous every time he got the ball.

A goal feast seemed in prospect as crosses rained into the Wickers penalty area and only resolute defending and wayward finishing thwarted Ringmer.

Chris Dicker had three chances in the first ten minutes but was just off target from outside the penalty area on each occasion. Dominic Shepherd had two efforts blocked by the visitors's goalkeeper while Clay Lamont's header was cleared off the goalline.

The opening goal came in the 27th minute when a quickly-taken throw-in from near the corner flag by Andrew Ducille saw Jones turn and fire a left-foot shot into the corner of the net.

Dicker, Ducille and Jones then all squandered chances to increase the Blues's lead before half-time.

At the opposite end Ringmer's defence had an anxious moment when Ross Standen was severely impeded by an attacker while attempting to collect the ball from a corner, but it was eventually scrambled away to safety.

Otherwise man-of-the-match Gary Stacey and Lamont kept the visiting attack at bay so that Standen and a not-fully-fit Julian Curnow had a relatively quiet afternoon.

Dicker increased the Blues's lead some ten minutes into the second half with a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. Then a shot from Ducille deflected off a defender and then off Jones to wrongfoot Ben Counsell, who reacted well to keep the ball out.

Mark Probert had a shot blocked by the goalkeeper and although Jones was first to the rebound his shot was also blocked by Counsell. Probert then put Jones clear only for his effort to go wide.

Shortly afterwards Counsell, who had been struggling all afternoon with injury, was forced to leave the field and in the dying moments a neat passing movement down the left side involving Green, Jones and Matt Beeston ended with Green beating the emergency goalkeeper for Ringmer's third goal.