10-man Common beaten in senior cup

Little Common Football Club's progress in the county's premier knockout competition was halted by higher grade opposition on Tuesday night.
Little Common player-manager Russell Eldridge.Little Common player-manager Russell Eldridge.
Little Common player-manager Russell Eldridge.

Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division One leaders Common were beaten 4-0 away to Premier Division pacesetters Shoreham in round three of the Parafix Sussex Senior Challenge Cup.

Common player-manager Russell Eldridge said: "The effort, attitude and endeavour of the boys were fantastic, and I couldn't really have asked for much more in that respect. Obviously we came up a bit short in the end."

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Although a little nervous to begin with, Common gradually got a foothold in the game and looked calmer on the ball. Common defended well and restricted Shoreham's chances, but trailed at the break to a sloppy 13th minute goal.

Common started the second period really well and had a chance to equalise, but the pattern of the game changed on the hour when Louis Walker was sent-off for handball on the line.

Shoreham converted the resulting penalty to go 2-0 up and Common became a little bit over-run during the final half-an-hour with their numerical disadvantage.

The visitors didn't let their heads drop and kept working hard, but tired contributed to Shoreham adding two more to their tally in the closing 15 minutes.

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"I was really pleased with our organisation and ball retention was good," added Eldridge. "We just lacked that little bit extra to compete to the level we would've liked to have done."

Common: Cruttwell; Cooper (Stoneham), McEniry (Lusted), Aston, Walker; Wells, Saville, Eldridge, Smith (Bristow); Tate, Hole.

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