Wittering United secured promotion to the West Sussex Premier Division for the first time since 2015 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over TD Shipley Reserves under the lights at Billingshurst FC.
The decisive goal came just moments into the second half, courtesy of club stalwart James Scutt. The long-serving left-back and Wittering's record appearance holder picked up the ball on the edge of the opposition box, weaved his way past two defenders, and curled a brilliant strike into the far corner – a fitting moment for Mr. Wittering himself.
Wittering started brightly, with top scorer Cam Corell going close in the 6th minute after a clever flick from Kai Francis, only to be denied by a routine save from TD Shipley goalkeeper Charlie Hewitt.
The game’s opening period was finely balanced. Wittering captain Conor Forster made a rare mistake in the 18th minute, allowing Toby Smith to snatch possession and square across the face of goal, with George Crocker just inches away from converting.
Moments later, Wittering responded with some sharp interplay down the left, as Scutt and Josh Castle combined well to set up Francis, who forced a smart stop from Hewitt at his near post.
The remainder of the first half became a scrappy affair, typical of a tense cup final, with neither side able to gain full control amidst a flurry of fouls and stoppages.
Scutt’s strike just after the interval gave Wittering the lead, and they came close to doubling it minutes later. Francis broke down the right and fed Angus Stewart, whose one-on-one effort was well saved by Hewitt. From the resulting corner, James Hubbard rose highest but saw his header crash agonisingly off the post.
On the hour mark Josh Castle surged 30 yards into TD territory before slipping in Corell, who unusually failed to find the target.
TD Shipley’s best chance to level came shortly afterwards, when captain Mark Senra dispossessed his opposite number and slid an inch-perfect pass into the path of Smith, but the forward's strike was expertly blocked and then smothered by Jack Benham in the Wittering goal.
The game turned in Wittering’s favour again in the 68th minute when George Crocker was shown a second yellow card after kicking out in frustration, moments after being brought down by Charlie Spencer on the right flank.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, TD Shipley pushed forward in the final stages, with the very impressive Sayif Ahmed heading over in their only real threat on goal. Wittering, for their part, managed the closing minutes effectively, with the reintroduced Chizfahm stretching the defence and nearly setting up Francis for a second.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the referee brought the game to a close after 93 tense minutes, sealing Wittering United’s fourth promotion in six seasons and capping off a remarkable campaign.