From Saturday’s victorious FA Vase team squad rotation was the key with Josh Maher, Joe Fitzpatrick, Scott Faber, Conor Bull and Mayckol Sabino all dropping to the bench and Josh Parazo, Ryan Timms, Dom Taylor, Chris Neatherway and Alfie Gritt all returning to the starting XI against an experienced looking Littlehampton side which included former Town players Shaun Skipper and Jack Boxall.

So at a cold and quite windy Shooting Field the first half of this Adur v Arun cup tie was a fairly even affair with both sides playing decent passing football but struggling to create any real chances of note.

Two minutes before the break though we went a goal behind when Golds front man Davison Mendez Borges fired a great dipping shot from just outside our box into the top right corner, giving JJ no chance.

Half time – Town 0 Littlehampton 1

Despite the setback after the break we came out fighting and turned in an excellent second half performance.

With the fresh legs of Josh Maher coming off the bench our forward play had an added impetus and Rob Clark was getting much further forward on the other flank. On 56 minutes we got our reward when Maher got away down the left to cut in and deliver low into the box for that man Clark to rifle past Golds keeper Stoner to level the score.

Just two minutes later things got even better for us when a long ball from Alex Gathern was played back by Alfie Gritt for Dom Taylor to hit a screamer from 25 yards into the top left of their net to give us the lead. 2-1!

We kept our momentum with further subs Sabino and Faber also making their mark but our visitors continued to chase the tie and press us and like on Saturday the outcome was always in the balance. Sabino had a great chance one on one to put the tie to bed, the keeper saving well down low to his right. And there was a late scare for Steyning when the visitors had a late penalty appeal for handball turned down in the last few minutes.

There was a little feistiness at times with five bookings in all – Gritt and Timms picking up yellows for us.

Yes, all credit to both sides for battling hard and making it a decent game of football, but foremost well done to the Barrowmen for again coming out on top in another hard battle in what was their 24th competitive match of the season to date.

Just getting back to Saturday, we have been rewarded for our FA Vase win over Banstead with a trip to Kent in round 3 to face Bearsted FC of the South East Counties League. The match will take place on Saturday 1st December.

A coach will be running from the club, details to follow, stick it in your diary now!

Meanwhile, next up – this Saturday, a League fixture at home to Hailsham (KO @ Shooting Field – 3pm)

Final score - Steyning Town 2 Littlehampton Town 1

Town line up – Banasco - Zaragoza, Parazo (Maher), Clark, Levoi, Timms, Gathern ©, Taylor, Haulkham, Gritt, Hunter (Faber) , Neatherway (Sabino) - Unused subs – Bull, Fitzpatrick

Ref – Keith Dawson Assts – Brendan Jones & Stuart Jone