Huckett’s double sinks Shoreham

Mullets had lost their previous four league games and boss Brett Torode said “I’m just pleased that we finally got a win under our belts, to be honest.

“I thought Grant Thetford and James Wotherspoon did well on their full debuts for the club, but we played as a team again, so we are getting there.”

In an entertaining game at Mill Road, Shoreham were slow out of the blocks and went behind after just two minutes. James Wotherspoon beat the offside trap down the right and was not closed down upon entering the penalty area, enabling him to pick out Huckett, who placed the ball past James Shaw in the visitors’ goal from eight yards.

Mussels almost equalised just two minutes later as a Dan Jordan header from a free kick grazed the bar.

The remainder of the half belonged to the Mullets as Rory Biggs forced a great save from Shaw with a 30-yard pile-driver on 36 minutes, and the Shoreham stopper was called into action again just three minutes later as he got down smartly to save a Huckett free kick.

Arundel did finally extend their lead in the 43rd minute with the Wotherspoon-Huckett combo combining once again as the former produced a cute pass through a defender’s legs for the latter to finish from an almost identical position as the first.

Mussels began the second half far livelier, before the big turning point was a straight red card for Arundel’s Rory Biggs for a poorly timed tackle on Lee Eastman after 58 minutes. Although the tackle was not a good one, it lacked malice and the dismissal was therefore harsh on the combative left-back.

The home goal was placed under considerable pressure for the remainder of the game as home skipper Dave Walker managed a last-ditch tackle to foil Kit Trigear as the Shoreham midfielder was in the process of getting his shot off on 71 minutes and James Fernandes tipped over a thunderbolt from Fionn Bowra in the 78th minute.

Jordan’s fearsome drive then came off the bar as Shoreham realised it was not to be their day and salt was almost rubbed into their wounds but Arundel substitute Dave Herbert shot just wide.

ARUNDEL: Fernandes; Da Costa, Dudas, Peake, R.Biggs; Thetford, D.Walker, Mike Huckett, Jenkins, Warr; Wotherspoon. Subs: Grove (Thetford 73), Herbert (Wotherspoon 79), Hunter (Warr 89), J.Biggs.

Mullets’ John O’Hara Cup match at St Francis on Tuesday was postponed owing to a waterlogged pitch.