Even a victory over Rustington wouldn’t have been enough to see United promoted as nearest rivals Little Common, a side that United led by nine points at the start of the year, overcame league champions Littlehampton Town 3-1 to finish the season in the third and final promotion place.

The match was a typical end of season game and not one for the purists, with neither side seeming to get into any kind of rhythm.
Liam Baitup came close to netting his 40th league goal of the season in the opening twenty minutes but the ball just evaded the hitman inside the six-yard box.
United were then mainly restricted to long range efforts by a battling Rustington defence as Pete Cooper and Jamie Bunn both brought out the best in visiting ‘keeper Charlie Gammons in the only other real noteworthy efforts of the first half.
Rustington came close to taking the lead at the start of the second half when Steve Kirkham found space to lob an effort over Adam Sargent, but his effort went wide of United goal.
But it was to be the visitor’s day as Grant Harrison was adjudged to have committed a foul inside his own area to give Rustington captain James Bennett to chance to slot home a penalty which he duly converted.
United thought they had drawn level in the 80th minute as Nick Barden’s whipped cross was headed goalbound by Cooper, but the ball bounced off the underside of the crossbar and back into play much to the annoyance of United players and officials alike with Baitup especially disgruntled and booked for his protest.
The result brought the end to United’s season, one that promised so much after their magnificent unbeaten run that included three team of the month awards and a historic 2-1 victory at Ryman Premier League Lewes, but ended in bitter disappointment and ensures another season in the second tier of the Sussex County Football League.

United: Sargent; Simmonds ©, Harrison, Sherriff, Newby, Stracey, Del-Gaudio, Bunn (Catt 58), Cooper, Baitup, Divall (Barden)