An amateur football match was abandoned after about 20 minutes as two players were "assaulted" by the opposition in a "completely unprovoked attack", a club says.

Midhurst and Easebourne FC said its community team's fixture at home against Emsworth Town in a memorial cup on Saturday afternoon was called off after the incident, with one player needing hospital treatment.

The club said the player had been discharged but had "severe damage" to the inside of his mouth, a broken bone in his jaw and "a high chance of requiring surgery to fix the injury further".

Sussex Police says it is investigating and "no arrests have been made at this time", while Emsworth Town has been contacted for comment.

A spokesperson for Midhurst and Easebourne said the club was "deeply shocked that an incident of this nature has occurred during a game that should be enjoyed by everyone involved".

"As a club we will continue to be working closely with Sussex Police and the West Sussex Football League to make sure the correct sanctions are carried out, and make sure we protect any further teams having to put their players at such risk playing the game we all enjoy," they added.

The Sussex FA said it was aware of a "serious allegation of misconduct arising from an incident over the weekend".

"The matter is currently under investigation and, to ensure that process can be conducted fairly and appropriately, we will not be providing any further comment while the investigation remains ongoing," they added.

The spokesperson said appropriate support was being provided to the club.

Sussex Police says its officers are investigating a report that "an altercation" took place at the ground, leading to one player "sustaining a serious injury and attending hospital for treatment".

"Inquiries to establish the circumstances remain underway and we ask witnesses or anyone with relevant footage to contact us," the force added.

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