To coin the old cliché it was very much a game of two halves at The Sportsfield on Tuesday night and while ultimately a draw was a fair result both sides could feel frustrated they didn’t end up with a win.
Littlehampton were the dominant force in the first half once they had absorbed some early Lancing pressure. Alieu Secka in the Lancers goal had made a couple of fine saves low down and Josh Short had seen a header fly just over before Golds pressure was rewarded in the 37th minute.
Rob O’Toole did some good work down the left and pulled the ball back across the box to a waiting Dion Jarvis who rifled the home side ahead. Just a couple of minutes later Scott Faber almost doubled Golds money with a strike that thudded against the upright and Lancing would probably have been grateful to reach the interval without further damage.
The second half though saw a complete reversal in the balance of play. This time Mac Chisholm was the busier keeper making a couple of fine one on one saves before being helpless to stop a Stanley Berry free header from a 71st minute left wing corner.
O’Toole missed a golden chance to restore Golds advantage and they were immediately punished at the other end in the 80th minute when Noel Fisher curled sublimely home from the edge of the box.
That looked like it might be enough to seal the points for Lancers until Berry made an injudicious challenge in the his own box in the last minute of the 90. A penalty was awarded and a second yellow card for the unfortunate Berry ensued.
To add insult to injury O’Toole smashed home the spot kick to rescue a point for Golds and leave both sides thinking they might have had more from an encounter which has done neither team too many favours in their current position at the wrong end of the League table.
John Clarke