Denny strikes late to clinch win

Martin Denny’s second half double clinched a deserved 2-1 victory over second-bottom Storrington in Macron Store Sussex County Football League Division Two.

Without the unavailable Steve Morris, Common player-manager Russell Eldridge made three changes with Jared Lusted, Steve Mote and Sam Brown coming into the starting line-up, and Eldridge himself playing just behind lone striker Lewis Hole.

It was Common who made the early running and Denny saw an effort clear the crossbar before Lusted blasted wide having cut in from the left.

The best chance of the half fell to Hole, but he was unable to beat the advancing Elliott in the home goal and Lusted failed to hit the target with the rebound. Denny saw another attempt curl over the crossbar as the Commoners looked to make their first half pressure count.

However, it was the hosts who took the lead against the run of play on the stroke of half time when a neat interchange in the Common area resulted in Richard Ayres calmly stroking the ball past Matt Cruttwell into the corner of the net.

Common began the second period in a similar fashion to which they had approached the first half and were immediately on the front foot. Hole was once again denied by the home goalkeeper and Ricky Mote narrowly missed the top corner.

The scores were soon level when a free kick on the halfway line was headed on by Zack McEniry to Denny, whose scuffed effort trickled past the stranded goalkeeper and into the corner of the net.

Common continued to apply the pressure without creating too many clearcut chances. Lusted fired wide when well-placed and Eldridge saw an effort parried by the home stopper.

Cruttwell had to be alert to snuff out a rare Storrington attack, but it was the Commoners who looked most likely to pinch the win and they did just that when a McEniry cross was headed across goal by Alex Carey for Denny to volley into the roof of the net from six yards.

Common saw out the remaining minutes without too many scares to pick up their third away league victory of the season.

Common: Cruttwell, R. Mote, S. Mote, Brown (Bristow), McEniry, Smith, Denny (Feakins), Sherwood, Hole, Eldridge (Carey), Lusted.