Pictured Above - Goal scorer JACK COLLINS

Simon Hull is remaining positive despite a tough start to the season for Arundel in which they've been hit by setbacks ranging from Covid-19 to a fractured skull.

Report Courtesy of Worthing Herald. THANK YOU

Pictured Above - DAN GEAL who suffered a fractured skull

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The Mullets were unable to play for a week after a played tested positive for Covid-19 and have had plenty of injury setbacks.

They sit 12th in division one of the SCFL after Saturday’s 2-1 loss at home to Worthing United.

Boss Simon Hull said: “It’s been a difficult start what with the Covid-19 lockdown following a positive test from one of our players.

“We have had our share of injuries losing Dan Gibb for the season after tearing his patellar tendon and knee cap fracture. Club captain Jordan Dudas is out with a serious knee injury.

“We’ve played a lot of the sides I expect to be challenging for promotion –Bexhill, AFC Varndenians, and of course Littlehampton. We got a good point against AFC Varndenians and on the road at Midhurst.

“I felt we competed well for long periods against Littlehampton and got ourselves back in the game with 25 minutes remaining, but a red card hurt us. 

“An early red card at Bexhill made an already difficult afternoon trickier still but we weren’t close to good enough that afternoon.

 “We know a vast number of clubs in our league have decent budgets to work with, but I feel we have a good squad who are with us for the right reasons and we are competitive on our day. 

“We have a relatively young group of players who are learning and will become more consistent as they mature. I was pleased with the character we showed turning a 2-0 deficit at Oakwood into a 3-2 win."

Simon Hull said he was very disappointed with the result against Worthing, saying the game was 'probably not one for the purists, it was a typically fiery derby'.

He said: "I have no complaints with the award of the Worthing penalty but felt Worthing were very lucky not to be reduced to 10 men after 15 minutes with a challenge to the head of one of my centre-halves, Stephen Sedgley, who had to be replaced. 

 "To lose Dan Geal, who slotted in at centre-half, ten minutes later to a serious head injury which subsequently turned out to be a fractured skull was another massive blow. We all wish Dan a speedy recovery.

"A draw would have been about right on reflection but we failed to take our chances. It clearly meant everything to Worthing United taking us as a scalp on Saturday, they are a decent young side but we didn’t reach the levels and standards we set ourselves. 

"We will stick together, work hard at training on Tuesday and Thursday and prepare well for Storrington's visit to Mill Road on Saturday."

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1. Lewis Boughton

2. Owen Benfell

3. Joel Parsons

4. Dan Geal (35mins)

5. Rob Madden

6. Steve Sedgley (19mins)

7. Jack Collins

8. Matt Noble (Capt)

9. Ben Gray 

10. John Phillips

11. Morgan Forry (75mins)

12. Tris Van Den-Berg (75mins)

14. Tom Jefkins

15. Ash Harper (19mins)

16. Shane Brazil (35mins)

GK. Gareth Challen

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Attendance - 52

Goal Scorers – Collins

Yellow Cards – Phillips, Brazil

Red Cards – None