Sussex manager John Suter blamed bad defending for his side's 4-3 South Western Counties Championship defeat against The Army at Lancing last night.

Two goals from Sidlesham's Scott Tipper and one from Kevin Townsend of Whitehawk twice put Sussex in the lead but The Army battled back each time and grabbed the win with two goals in two second half minutes.

Suter said: "We created a lot of chances and scored three goals but we didn't defend well enough and it cost us.

"We could have scored five or six but in the end they were the ones who held on to the lead and that was the difference."

Sussex, holders of the championship, were looking to build on a 2-0 win against Jersey in their last match back in November.

Suter named a young looking side which included Tipper, who has hit 22 goals for Sidlesham this season.

The Sussex manager did have the luxury of including Horsham duo Lee Butcher and James Grant in the squad as the Ryman club were without a midweek game but Gavin Geddes was ruled out before kick-off due to illness.

The home side took the lead against the run of play on 23 minutes when Tipper pounded on a loose ball and slotted under visiting keeper Leighton Bull.

The Army got back on level terms five minutes before the break when Sean Hale headed Steve Nadolleke's deep cross back across goal and John Stevenson bundled the ball in from close range.

The visitors went ahead on 55 minutes when Burgess Hill's Dez Guile deflected Paul Alford's header into his own net.

The lead lasted just two minutes, however, as Tipper scored his second with a header six yards out from Gary Norgate's cross.

The free scoring game continued when Townsend restored the home side's advantage in the 62nd minute with a neat finish from 12 yards.

The Army turned the rollercoaster of a game on its head with two goals in as many minutes. First Stevenson slotted home on 73 minutes, then Mick Brown headed in from a corner by Hale.

Sussex: Dumbrill; Lutwyche, Williams, Guile, Copley (Grant, 79), Langridge, Duffield (Eldridge, 75), Butcher, Tipper, Norgate (Harding, 86), Townsend. Subs not used: McCarthy.

The Army: Bull; Jordan, Tagg, Bell, Boughen, Alford (O'Connor, 68), Nadolleke (Geary, 83), Bartlett (Ashurst, 73), Brown, Stevenson, Hale. Subs not used: Davis, Burton.

Referee: Kevin Greening.

Attendance: 105.

Man-of-the-match: Scott Tipper.