TONY Holden struck his first goal for Burgess Hill to keep his new club's Sussex RUR Cup hopes alive against Unijet County League rivals Langney Sports.

The former Worthing marksman, who swapped the Ryman League for the challenge at Leylands Park, fired a 75th-minute quarter- final equaliser but confessed that his own performance was poor.

He said: "I can play a lot better than that. It was hardly a performance to be proud of, but at least I managed to get the first goal under my belt."

Holden has a habit of scoring vital goals in cup competitions. He hit an extra-time winner to send Rebels through at Dover in the FA Cup this season.

But it has taken him three matches to find the target with his new club. He said: "It was about time."

Double

Then he insisted his new club can complete a double over Langney by beating them in the replay and catching the leaders in the league.

He said: "The title race is not over yet by a long way. If we can keep picking up points in the league and Langney slip up a couple of times the championship race will be wide open.

"We're a good side that works very hard and I'm sure the boys are up for the challenge."

Holden was signed over the holidays from Worthing following Clinton Moore's departure to Crawley. The former Rebel was more than happy to step down a level after the lack of games he was getting at Woodside Road and the amount of travelling involved in the Ryman League.

He said: "It was getting me down a bit. I was not getting many games and it's gets a bit too much when you're taking time off work to travel to places like Oxford in midweek. And then you have to go to work the next morning after a long round journey the previous evening."

Burgess Hill and Langney Sports both played their full part in a last-eight clash which lived up to its pre-match expectations. It was a cup cracker.

Langney dominated the opening half and ought to have done better than secure a one-goal lead through John Snelgrove's 37th-minute strike. Garry Wilson's men had missed some excellent opportunities, but then found themselves hanging on after an end-to-end second half , especially after Holden levelled.

Extra-time proved just as thrilling and Langney could count themselves unlucky not to have stolen it as their superior fitness began to tell.

Wilson, though, paid tribute to his team's opponents for their never-say-die spirit. He said: "Burgess Hill showed a lot of character after half-time and thoroughly deserved their equaliser. We knew they'd be strong and it made for a terrific cup match.

"Both sides were well disciplined, played good football and overall we probably just about shaded it on chances."

Early on, Lively Langney midfielder Daren Pearce had the confidence to shoot from distance on two occasions, but goalkeeper Richard Waters saved on both occasions.

Langney striker Matt Allen failed to take advantage of an opening on the break. He had time and space as well as players up in support midway through the first-half, but he shot tamely at the goalkeeper.

Snelgrove, though, finally gave Langney the lead when he got on the end of a left-wing cross by Craig Willard to strike home off the crossbar.

Sports looked as though they could open the floodgates, but Hillians came out for the second half in determined mood. Daren Newman had a header cleared off the line, then another that bounced off the right post.

Holden scored when the ball broke for him and he had the easy task of lifting the ball over advancing goalkeeper Oliver Oxley to bring Burgess Hill back into the tie.

Extra time was end-to-end and Snelgrove almost netted with a spectacular overhead kick, which Waters did well to tip over. Hillians' Ashley Carr had a shot cleared off the Langney line as either side look capable of winning.

Langney dominated the second period of extra-time and it needed the crossbar to thwart an excellent acrobatic volley from Pearce in the death stages.

Hillians boss Gary Croydon said : "We showed in the second half what we're made of. I was a bit disappointed with our first-half performance, but we took the game to them for the remainder of the game.

"There was nothing to choose between us. It was a match between two good sides and an excellent advert for the County League."

Match facts

Burgess Hill: Waters, Lutwyche, Williams, Cable, Newman, Edwards, Johnson (sub: Hutchings 102mins), Thomsett (sub: Venton 116), Carr, Holden, Head. Sub not used: Kelly.

Langney Sports: Oxley, Baker, S. Willard, Barham, Burt, C. Willard, Stevens (sub: Colbran 8), Pearce, Ducille (sub: Phillips 80), Snelgrove, Allen (Avaisi 89).

Referee: Stephen Fuller.

Men-of-the-match: Newman (Burgess Hill), Ducille (Langney).

Attendance: 340.

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