Don’t bank on Barclay to end his drought

Brad Nixon grabbed a hattrick but it was James Barclay who was the centre of attention as Unicorn United climbed to the top of the Worthing and Horsham Sunday League.

Their 7-4 victory against Forest Recommission leaves the Bognor pub side two points clear at the summit with four games in hand.

Tom Simmonds and Danny Passingham both scored twice as the Unicorn strolled to a 7-2 lead before being awarded a late penalty. But it was then that matters took a turn for the worse for poor Barclay.

Unicorn chairman David Phillips said: “He has just worked hard to return from injury and we sent James on as a substitute near the end.

“He has never scored in seven years with the club and so we let him take the spotkick but he failed to score.

“The boys on the pitch were laughing so much they couldn’t stop Forest Recommission going straight up the other end and pulling a goal back.

“Poor James (above) took a bit of good-natured stick all afternoon after the miss but he is a good lad and took the ribbing as it was intended.”

The Unicorn’s Saturday reserve team, managed by Danny Towers, won the West Sussex division five south title without kicking a ball when they took full points after their opponents failed to turn up.

Towers said: “It has been a very good season and everyone in the squad has played their part in this success.

“They are a really good bunch of blokes and we have won the league by playing in the right spirit and with respect to our opponents.”