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| Saturday 27 November 2004 East Court FC 4 Buxted II 0 East Court remain at the top of Mid Sussex Football League Division 5 after a convincing win against Buxted II on Saturday. East Court started the game well but were forced to make a substitution early on when striker Ross Kelly sustained a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Paul Brice. The home side came close to opening the scoring when midfielder Lee Champion stung the hands of the Buxted keeper with a vicious 25-yard piledriver after being set up by Billy Denyer. East Court took the lead half-way through the first half when the ball broke loose on the edge of the penalty area and Carl Buckler hit a brilliant curling shot past the outstretched hand of the Buxted keeper into the corner of the net. Court soon made it two when neat interplay between Andrew Wright and captain Simon Nickols resulted in a Nickols cross reaching Brice near the penalty spot. Brice calmly weaved his way into a shooting position and placed the ball beyond the keeper. On the stroke of half-time East Court scored their third goal. Billy Denyer won the ball in midfield and played it through to Brice on the right wing. His cross was controlled by Ben Sunderland and laid into the path of Denyer who picked out the far corner of the goal from 18 yards out. In the second half East Court brought on Nick Clarkson-Tooze for Sunderland and the home team continued to press forward. Shortly afterwards Buckler set up East Court's fourth goal when his teasing cross was volleyed in from close range by Denyer for his 20th goal of the season. East Court were unlucky not to add to their tally when the lively Clarkson Tooze saw his solo effort whistle past the woodwork. Makeshift striker Paul Bishop came on for Wright towards the end of the game and there was still time for him to cause further problems for Buxted with his mazy runs. One of these surges resulted in a penalty appeal which was turned down by the referee. As has so often been the case this season, the East Court defence of Wright, Daniel Medcalf, Martyn Bishop and Nick Palmer did not put a foot wrong, and Palmer deservedly picked up the man-of the match award. Keeper Chris Butler was completely untroubled throughout and it is now over 300 minutes since East Court last conceded a league goal. Team: C.Butler, A.Wright, (P.Bishop) N.Palmer, L.Champion, D.Medcalf, M.Bishop, S.Nickols, B.Denyer, R.Kelly (P.Brice), B.Sunderland (N.Clarkson-Tooze), C.Buckler |