Biggs hits a treble to sink Shoreham

Wintery conditions greeted these two sides at Middle Road on Saturday, including a strong wind and single figure temperatures.

Shoreham started the livelier and they were on the offensive as early as the fifth minute when Brad O’Connor broke down the right wing and crossed for makeshift centre forward Mark Pelling but his header only grazed the bar from six yards.

Two minutes later, left-back Guy Harding crossed for Michael Belli but the midfielder was stretching for the header and unable to direct it goalwards. Arundel had their first opportunity on 15 minutes as Josh Biggs flicked onto brother Rory but the lob was misdirected wide of the right hand post.

Shoreham should have taken the lead in the 22nd minute as Harding found himself bearing down on goal from the left, only to fire straight at James Fernandes’ legs. Just a minute later, it was Pelling who was was clean through with visiting defenders appealing in vain for offside. However, his shot was straight at Fernandes again. These were chances the hosts would be left to rue.

Mullets took the lead in the 36th minute when Josh Biggs took an early shot from Aaron Hooker-Meehan’s through ball that did not allow Seb Bos to set himself for a save and the ball nestled in the bottom left hand corner.

Biggs got his second in the first minute of first half injury-time as Bos was forced out of his box and into a weak clearing header, only for the visiting forward to side-foot the ball home from 25 yards, despite the desperate lunges of recovering defenders.

Biggs could have had his third five minutes after the break had it not been for a flying Bos save but the hat-trick was complete on the hour when an attempted cross bobbled off his shin to wrong-foot the keeper, who was already committed to coming to claim the cross.

It should have been 4-0 on 70 minutes but substitute Lewis Jenkins was surprised to find himself with an open goal after Bos failed to collect a cross and hit the bar from six yards.

Frustrated Mussels boss Simon Funnell said: “We’ve got a whole new side who will take a bit of time to gel but I’m impatient and don’t like losing.

“I wouldn’t swap any of these players but have to admit that a striker would be a fantastic early Christmas present.”

SHOREHAM: Bos, Johnston, Harding, Sinclair, Panayi, Allan, Curtis, Belli, Pelling, Hunter, O’Connor. Subs: Goodsir (O’Connor 56), Stevens (Harding 80), Edwards (Allan 84), Funnell, Measor.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.shorehamherald.co.uk/

2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ShorehamHerald

3) Follow us on Twitter @Shoreham_Herald

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Shoreham Herald - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.