Crowborough Athletic 3 v 0 Ringmer

Tuesday 27th August 2013
Sussex County League Division One
Alderbrook Recreation Ground, Crowborough
Admission including Programme: £6.00
Attendance: 121
Match Rating: 3

Exactly a week after a tense, action packed, nerve wracking and ultimately heartbreaking (from a Crowborough point of view) FA Cup game, I made a return visit this evening for a probably more mundane league fixture against local rivals Ringmer. Originally planned to be a bank holiday fixture, this game was moved back a day.

Crowborough certainly did not suffer any hangover from their FA Cup extra time defeat, winning 1-6 at previously unbeaten Lancing on Saturday, after falling behind and saving a penalty before they scored.  It would surely be a blow that Saturday's hat-trick hero Sam Carrington would be unavailable this evening. Ringmer lost their opening two games - interestingly the first one away to Lancing - and were then knocked out of the FA Cup by Greenwich Borough after a replay, but then won 4-1 at home to Chichester City on Saturday.

On another warm evening with clear skies, this was a game that was a midfield battle for the most part, particularly in the first half. Crowborough took thelead on 9 minutes, when a lovely looped ball down the right wing was eventually crossed low into the box and although the first Crowborough player could not get a meaningful touch to the ball, Callum Ridley tapped in at the far post. There was not much goalmouth action for much of the first half, although Ringmer were unfortunate not to be back on level terms just after the half hour mark. First a powerful shot was remarkably saved at point blank range by the Crowborough Nick Collick, and shortly afterwards a free kick hit the crossbar.

The second half started much in the same vein as the first half - competitive, but with few clear cut scoring opportunities. On 79 minutes, Crowborough were awarded a penalty when Wayne Clarke had his ankle tapped by a defender as he drove into the box. Clarke himself struck the penalty into the top right hand corner, despite the keeper getting fingertips to the ball. And after Ringmer were denied by another wonderful point blank save by Col lick as the game entered stoppage time, Crowborough went up the other end and some poor defending allowed Elliott Ward to take the ball towards one on one with the keeper. Ward knocked the ball to one side and floated the ball into the net from outside the penalty area and from a slight angle. So a convincing looking victory for Crowborough, for a win they deserved although a three goal victory was somewhat flattering.

Eastbourne Town 0 v 2 Peacehaven and Telscombe

Monday 26th August 2013
Isthmian League Premier Division
The Saffrons, Eastbourne
Admission: £8.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 187
Match Rating: 2

At the conclusion of my earlier game at Eastbourne United, I headed from the east to the west of Eastbourne to take in this Isthmian League clash. Although it would mean another revisit for me, my previous visits were many years ago and I recalled what a pleasant ground The Saffrons is.

The Saffrons is about a five minute walk from Eastbourne train station, and to access the ground, one enters through an attractive turnstile building dating back to 1914. Entering in one corner, there are a couple of uncovered steps behind one goal and stretching along one length, with a small covered area from the corner where one enters and four wooden benches placed within. Behind the other goal is a stand with two rows of seating, a tea bar and the changing rooms. Along the remaining length is just hard standing. The imposing town hall, whose bell strikes every quarter hour, makes a very attractive backdrop behind one length, and the ground generally has a very pleasant, almost quaint feel to it. The programme was really excellent. Priced lower than at most other clubs at this level it has a very professional look and feel, was very informative, and even contained a four page insert with updates from Saturday's games.

Eastbourne Town have had a poor start to their season, picking up just one point from their opening five games, scoring just two goals in the process. Having been promoted as champions from the Sussex County League last season, and have had a reasonable start to their season, winning one, losing one and drawing the other three of their opening five games.

With the game played under very warm sunshine, the match started in very competitive fashion, but with Peacehaven doing most of the attacking. They took the lead on 15 minutes when the ball was driven in from the right and then Jamie Brotherton drove in a powerful shot across the keeper and into the net. The game continued in much the same vein up to half time, Peacehaven looking much more likely to score and Eastbourne having nice cutting edge whatsoever.

Into the second half and Eastbourne came out much more purposeful and dominated the early stages of the second half, but still never convinced that they could score and as the half wore on, they lost a little impetus again. Four minutes from time though and Eastbourne were awarded a penalty when there was a coming together in the penalty area. Reinforcing the view that the home side wouldn't score if they played until midnight, the penalty was struck at a good height for the keeper which saved well to his right. Into injury time Peacehaven put the result beyond doubt when the ball broke to Brotherton, who ran towards goal before cooly slotting low past the keeper and into the net. It looks like being a very long season for Eastbourne, as it is hard to see them scoring enough goals, whilst Peacehaven look set to have a comfortable first season at this level.

Eastbourne United Association 4 v 0 Seaford Town

Monday 26th August 2013
Sussex County League Division Two
The Oval, Eastbourne
Admission: £5.00
Programme: 50p
Attendance: 155
Match Rating: 4

For my August Bank holiday action, I decided to stay fairly local and take in two games in the Eastbourne area. Although I had only visited The Oval just four months ago, I decided that this would be the better game on offer, with the home side in great form as well as the game being a local derby.

The Oval has unsurprisingly not changed since April, however I did get a programme today, a real bargain at just 50p even if it was a double issue, covering Saturday's home game too. Consisting on 36 pages with an attractive cover, it had plenty to digest. It may have a high proportion of advertising, but that is not to be criticised given the price.

After narrowly missing out on promotion last season, they have certainly hit the ground running, winning their opening three league games, scoring 15 goals in the process, as well as progressing in the FA Cup. After finishing last season in 12th place, Seaford have had a poor start to this season, picking up just one point from their opening three league games and exiting the league cup at the first hurdle.

On a very sunny and warm morning, this was an entertaining and competitive game right from the start, although particularly in the first half, Seaford were a match for the home side and had the outstanding chances to score. Indeed, they should have scored after just two minutes when their striker broke clear of the defence, but dithered as he approached the keeper and eventually dribbled the ball out of play. On 16 minutes Eastbourne were awarded a penalty for an apparent trip in the box. It looked a dive, and three linesman convinced the referee change his mind. Six minutes later and the home side did take the lead. Inside the area, the ball was pulled back to Jason Taylor, who hammered the ball inside the keeper's near post. On 29 minutes, Seaford saw a shot tipped onto the bar, although the keeper shouldn't have been given the opportunity to make a save. Several chances came and went for both sides, but 1-0 was how it remained as the half time whistle blew.

Eastbourne United started the second half with much more urgency and it paid dividends within a minute with a great shot on the turn from the edge of the box into the roof of the net by Adam Kneller. On 57 minutes, Eastbourne were awarded a penalty which this time everyone was in agreement with for handball. Wes Tate struck a good shot towards the top right corner of the goal, but the keeper pushed the ball onto the woodwork. Then after failing to convert two one on ones in quick succession, it was third time lucky for Jack Divall. It was almost all Eastbourne in the second half as Seaford rarely threatened, although they did hit the crossbar from a free kick. With virtually the last kick of the game, the home side made it four when Linton Rogers dribbled the ball in from the byline, drew the keeper out before slotting the ball cool inside the near post. So an expected comfortable victory for Eastbourne United, although they didn't play particularly well and missed plenty of glorious chances, and Seaford will be very disappointed with how badly the faded after the break.

Racing Club Warwick 1 v 4 Southam United

Saturday 24th August 2013
Midland Combination Premier Division
Townsend Meadow, Warwick
Admission: £5.00
Programme: 50p
Attendance: 100
Match Rating: 4

My first long distance trip of the season was inspired by the availability of very cheap advance tickets using Chiltern Railways, to a ground that aroused my curiosity previously having driven past it, in a part of England I've watched little non league football.

Townsend Meadow is about a half hour walk from Warwick rail station, via the historic and attractive town centre and finally past the Warwick Racecourse grandstand as one approaches the ground - which indeed backs onto the racecourse. Once one passes through the enclosed turnstile in one corner of the ground, there is a large, modern, very neat and tidy clubhouse building behind the goal. This, together with some new, bright and colourful signage around the ground, is the only modern aspect of the ground - otherwise, it is a ground that is crumbling, matching the club's fortunes on the pitch. Between the entrance and the clubhouse, there is a scout hut which houses the officials' changing rooms, whilst in the opposite corner are two yellow portakabins which serve as the players' changing rooms. Straddling the half way line on the length where one enters the ground is an all seater brick stand that has seen better days with quite a few seats removed. On the other side is another brick all seater stand, but it is longer and has a lower roof. Behind the other goal is just hard standing. Trees surrounding the ground give it a nice rural feel and crumbling it may be, but still give me a ground like this any day over the dull, soulless facilities springing up at an alarming rate at this level to meet ground grading criteria. The programme was very basic, 12 pages providing little more than a couple of minutes worth of browsing, but at a sensible price of 50p I would be loathe to criticise it too harshly.

When I booked my train tickets for today, Atherstone Town were scheduled to be the visitors, which would have made for an interesting game between two former Southern League clubs. However since then, Southam United had become today's opponents, which would represent a local derby, with the clubs being separated by just ten miles. Neither team has hit the ground running in the league season so far, both teams have won one and lost the other two of their three games so far. Last season, Southam did the double over Warwick, and finished in seventh place, with Warwick finishing 17th in the 18 team division.

Having happily left torrential rain behind in London - which would cause several games to be abandoned in the south-east today - the weather was overcast but dry here. After a lively and fairly even opening to the game, the outcome was all but decided by a seven minute spell early in the game. The visitors took the lead on 10 minutes when a long punt forward by the keeper was controlled by Simeon Smith, who took a few strides with the ball before hitting a powerful shot from an angle which the keeper saved but Pawel Tomczak hit home the rebound. Six minutes later and Southam doubled their advantage. The ball was played low from the right across the box and the ball was tapped home from the centre of the goal by Smith. A minute later and it was 0-3. Some neat tippy tappy football inside the area ended with the ball being tucked home by George Curry. It was a devastating seven minute spell, from which the home side didn't recover in the first half, with Southam always looking much the likelier to score further goals.

The home side improved after the interval, and they pulled a goal back on 62 minutes. A corner eventually fell at the feet of a Mark Turton just inside the box, and he unleashed a powerful drive into the roof of the net. Suddenly a comeback didn't look out of the question as Warwick looked a different team full of attacking intent. One got the feeling that the next goal would be crucial, but shortly after Warwick couldn't put the ball away as it scrambled around the six yard box, Southam restored their three goal advantage on 70 minutes when Smith guided the ball with his head into the net after a fine cross on the run by Andy Wilson-King. That surely was game over now, and although Warwick continued to create some presentable chances to score again, they fell to a heavy defeat which means they have now lost all three of their opening home games of the season so far.

Crowborough Athletic 2 v 3 East Preston (aet)

Tuesday 20th August 2013
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Alderbrook Recreation Ground, Crowborough
Admission with programme: £6.00
Attendance: 75
Match Rating: 4

After a false start last Tuesday when the league game against Shoreham was postponed due to floodlight issues at the Alderbrook – overhanging trees causing too low Lux readings around part of the pitch – tonight I took in my first Crowborough home game of the season in an FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay, between two teams in the Sussex County League Division One.

The Alderbrook Recreation Ground has not seen any alterations in the close season. Not that it needed any, it remains a very neat and smart stadium with excellent facilities for the Sussex County League.  Admission price has remained the same and still includes a programme. Crowborough have produced a good programme in recent seasons, but it has been improved on this season, with a very colourful and professional look, and plenty of information about the squad and recent results.

Quirks of the football fixtures have meant that this would be the third time that the two clubs have met in the ten days since the league season  started – indeed, Crowborough have only played East Preston so far this season. After East Preston quite comfortably won at the Alderbrook on the opening day of the season 0-3, the first game in this FA Cup tie was much closer, ending in a 0-0 stalemate, although apparently East Preston certainly had the better chances to win the tie at the first time of asking on Saturday. They won their other league game so far this season 1-4 at Selsey. Last season, East Preston finished third in the Sussex League Division One, whilst Crowborough finished 15^th.

On a warm and sunny evening, East Preston dominated the opening exchanges, but from pretty much their first attack on goal, Crowborough took the lead on nine minutes when Jason Barton, a member on Tunbridge Wells’ FA Vase Final team back in May, met a corner with his head and although his header wasn’t particularly powerful, it made its way to the back of the net through a crowd of players.  East Preston continued to dominate the game after this setback, so it was no surprise when they drew level on 25 minutes through Tom Livett. They continued to look much more the likely to score up to half time, but the score remained at 1-1. It wasn’t a pretty half of football, with the ball frequently being drilled high upfield at every available opportunity by both sides.

Into the second half and Crowborough’s already tough task became even tougher when substitute Wayne Clarke was sent off for two yellow cards in quick succession. Indeed, East Preston seemed to look to capitalise on a rather erratic and inconsistent performance by the referee by frequent moaning and overreacting to seemingly innocuous challenges, and for a period of about ten minutes, Crowborough’s players did threaten to lose their discipline. On 72 minutes, they fell behind for the first time in the tie when Joe Shelley scored, but Crowborough really seemed to up their game after falling behind, and managed to get an equaliser on 79 minutes when Sam Carrington headed in a free kick. The tie could have gone either way for the remainder of the 90 minutes as Crowborough continued to look a more threatening side.

However, with the scores tied at 2-2, the match entered extra time, and so it remained at half time in extra time. On 110 minutes, East Preston went back into the lead through Darren Boswell, a lead which they held on to fairly comfortably in the end, with players of both sides collapsing in heaps at the final whistle after 120 minutes of all-action football. East Preston will not travel to Combined Counties League outfit Colliers Wood United in the next round.