A footballer has been cleared of attacking a linesman after a cup match.

Handcross defender Keith Boniface was found not guilty of causing actual bodily harm to Tony Eke during the quarter final clash.

Mr Eke, manager of opponents Old Varndeanians, was also acting as a linesman during the Mid Sussex Leaguecs Montgomery Cup game.

A court heard Old Varndeanians had a 1-0 lead with just minutes of the match to go on St Valentine's Day last year.

Referee David Ellmer awarded Handcross a free kick on the edge of the away team's penalty area as the clock ticked down.

The shot rebounded off the goalkeeper and was put into the Old Varndeanians' net by Handcross striker Ryan Clinker.

Hove Crown Court was told Mr Eke flagged for offside and the goal was disallowed just seconds before the final whistle was blown.

Mr Boniface, a civil engineer, who had been taken off with a hamstring injury, went on to the pitch to ask Mr Eke why he had ruled the goal offside.

It was alleged he pushed Mr Eke to the ground, punched him and kicked him twice on the top of his head.

The court heard Mr Eke suffered a broken thumb and cuts on his head during the incident on February 14 last year.

Mr Ellmer told the jury he saw the linesman kicked twice on the top of his head. Mr Bonniface, 37, said he had gone on to the pitch to ask Mr Eke who was offside because he did not think the decision was right.

He told the jury: "He was laughing and smirking so I called him a cheating b******d because I believed nobody was offside and he had cheated."

He said the linesman had raised his flag and slapped him on the hand with it as he lifted his arm to ward it off.

Mr Boniface said: "A split second later the linesman had fallen to the ground and I realised he was trying to get me into trouble with the referee.

"I did not push him or punch him or kick him. I stamped twice on the ground and shouted at him."

Michael Butler, head coach for the Handcross team, said in a statement read to the jury he had seen the linesman raise his flag towards Mr Boniface.

He added: "I did not see Keith Boniface strike the linesman at all."

The jury took just over an hour to unanimously find Mr Boniface not guilty.

Mr Boniface, of Brighton Road, Handcross, did not want to comment as he left court.