Seaford Town 1 v 1 Saltdean United

Monday 28th December 2015
The Crouch, Seaford
Southern Combination League Division One
Admission including Programme: £5.00
Attendance: 60
Match Rating: 2

For my second game today, I drove half an hour eastwards from my morning game at Upper Beeding to take in a game in the division above, with this one of only two games not kicking off at 11am, instead starting at 2pm. Although The Crouch is a ground I have visited twice previously, my last visit during daylight hours was some nine years ago, and I recall this being a very pleasant place to watch football - even if the fare on the field promised to be not quite so enticing.

The Crouch is situated about a five minute walk eastwards from Seaford town centre, and one has the choice of paying to enter the ground behind one of the goals, alongside the clubhouse, or by strolling in for free via a separate unmanned entrance to the recreation ground area. Many, if not the majority, seemed to choose the latter option. In front of the clubhouse there is covered decking, and to the side there is a tea bar offering hot food. Hard standing is available around the entire pitch, and there is an attractive all-seater stand straddling the half way line, and from here one can see Seaford Head rising in the distance, making an attractive background. The perimeter to the recreation ground is set back some way from the football pitch, giving a pleasantly spacious feel to the arena, and a stone wall around some of the perimeter also adds to the ground's appeal. The 32 page programme was heavily loaded with advertising, but was provided free of charge to those who chose to pay an admission fee. Only 8 pages were of interest and not advertising, although the content still covered the basics well.

This match pitched together the bottom two teams in the division. Seaford are second bottom, with three wins and one draw from their 18 league games, but this represents a massive improvement from last season, when they earned just one point all season to finish bottom by 16 points, and 27 points behind third bottom Saltdean. Saltdean were the bottom team coming into this game, with just one point and three draws from their 18 league games so far this season. So, today clearly represented a great, realistic opportunity to claim three points to attempt to climb the table. These two teams met in the Division One Cup back in October, with Saltdean progressing following a penalty shoot-out.

Unfortunately the bright sunshine I enjoyed at Upper Beeding had given way to overcast skies here. Seaford had the better of the first half, looking much the likelier to score, and they thought they had done on 10 minutes when the ball was poked in from a low cross but the goal was ruled out for offside. The closest Saltdean came to scoring was on 21 minutes when a Seaford sliced the ball goalwards, but his own keeper involuntarily blocked the ball.

Into the second half and the game continued in the same vein, Seaford still looking the better team but Saltdean looked capable of scoring, which they did on 73 minutes. A free kick was played into the box and after a couple of shots were blocked, David Pugh drilled the ball into the roof of the net. Three minutes later though, Seaford were awarded a penalty when the Saltdean keeper tripped the forward running onto the ball, and Oliver Jones confidently fired the ball into the top right corner. Both sides had chances to claim a much needed three points, and their best chances came within a minutes of each other on 78 minutes. First, Seaford saw a header flash just wide of goal, and then Saltdean saw a powerful shot hit the crossbar. But in the end, both teams had to settle for a point which probably pleased neither, from a fixture that represented their best chance to claim a rare 3 point haul.

Upper Beeding 3 v 0 Hurstpierpoint

Monday 28th December 2015
Memorial Playing Field, Upper Beeding
Southern Combination League Division Two
Admission: None
Programme: Free
Attendance: 50
Match Rating: 3

For my Bank Holiday footballing action today, I decided to stay fairly local after yesterday's long distance hop and tick off my penultimate ground in the Southern Combination League.

The Memorial Playing Field is situated just off the high street in the centre of the village of Upper Beeding. One enters the ground behind one corner, and finds predictably basic facilities, consisting of a railed off pitch along three sides, the remaining length is roped off, although the area around the half way line is blocked off to protect the cricket square. There is hardly any hard standing, and no cover. The football pitch is situated within a sporting complex, with a play area behind one of the goals, and further sports fields and a primary school behind one length. Behind the remaining goal there are allotments, whilst behind the remaining length is the cricket field, with a fairly attractive two storey dark wooden building in one corner, refreshments being served from its top floor. Tea, coffee and KitKats were offered free of charge to spectators, which was a very nice touch. Between this and the main entrance are two small brick huts housing the changing rooms. The ground has an attractive setting, with plenty of trees all around, and the South Downs rising aroundthe ground in the distance. An 8 page programme was produced and available free of charge - it is also downloadable from the club website. It was very basic, apparently lacking some of its usual features, but any programme is welcome at this level and I have encountered far worse.

Upper Beeding, in their first season back at this level having been promoted from the West Sussex League, came into this match in third place, one point behind the top teams in the division but having played 3 games more than leaders Roffey and 2 games more than second placed Billingshurst. They have won eight and drawn six of their 17 games so far. Hurstpierpoint have struggled this season, and came into this match second bottom of the 16 team division, having won just once and drawn two of their 14 games.

On a bright, sunny and mild morning, there was little indication in the early stages of the apparent gulf between the two teams, and indeed the visitors had the first real chance, when a sliding clearance prevented a back flick finding the back of the net. However Upper Beeding took the lead on 27 minutes. Sam Witherden raced onto a through ball to race clear of the defence, and after the keeper parried the initial shot, Witherden's follow up shot took a deflection high into the air and the ball dropped into the net despite a desperate attempt by a defender to block. The home side went on to dominate the rest of the half, creating plenty of  chances, the best of which being when two players just failed to connect with a low ball drilled across the 6 yard box, and when the ball was blasted just over when the striker had plenty of time and space to pick his spot.

Into the second half and Upper Beeding continued to dominate, and they spurned glorious chance after glorious chance through a combination of poor finishing and not getting a strike on goal quickly enough, and one started to wonder if they would be made to pay for missing their chances to double their lead. But finally they did double their lead on 70 minutes. The ball was headed towards the centre of the penalty area and Ben Whales headed in from close range. That really put the game beyond doubt, and Upper Beeding added some gloss to the scoreline with a third goal on 88 minutes. The keeper blocked a close range shot with his legs, but the ball cannoned off Witherden and went into the net.

This was a strange game in that Upper Beeding could and probably should have at least doubled their goal tally, yet Hurstpierpoint actually played quite well, much better than their league position suggested they would. But this victory meant that Upper Beeding climbed to the top of the table, whilst Hurstpierpoint remain second bottom. Promotion and relegation will almost certainly not be a factor for either club though due to ground grading.

Brightlingsea Regent 1 v 0 Heybridge Swifts

Sunday 27th December 2015
North Road, Brightlingsea
Isthmian League Division One North
Admission: £8.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 275
Match Rating: 3

After a rare Boxing Day without football due to family commitments, I was determined to catch some action today, although from the handful of games being played today in the south-east, this was the only game at a ground I had not previously visited, and so I made the relatively long trip to north-east Essex.

North Road is located just to the north of Brightlingsea town centre, and with the nearest train station four miles away with an irregular bus service from there to Brightlingsea, driving really is the best option for getting here. Located at the end of a road of terraced houses, spectators enter the ground through a turnstile hut, and find themselves pitchside along one length. To the right of the entrance is a small stand covering a standing area, whilst to the left is the modern metallic all-seater stand, and beyond that, there is a burger van and then the brick clubhouse. Overhang to the front of the clubhouse offers a covered standing area, and is where the most vocal home fans seem to congregate. Opposite the clubhouse is an all-seated stand, which apparently the club bought on ebay a few years ago, with a construction seeming to be made of scaffolding offering cover. There is just hard standing along the rest of this length and behind one of the goals, whilst spectators are not permitted behind the remaining goal closest to the clubhouse and "ebay" stand. All in all, it's quite an unremarkable, basic and fairly dreary ground, but is clearly in a transitional stage and as the club settles into Step 4 football, having played in the Essex & Suffolk Border League as recently as 2011, no doubt facility and cosmetic improvements to the ground will continue. The 32 page programme was laid out attractively and was a good and informative read, and for a remarkably cheap price of £1.00 following a similarly commendably cheap admission fee.

Brightlingsea Regent came into the Christmas period in 13th place in the 24 team division, although as they have played fewer games than everyone else in the division, a play-off place is not out of the question - currently they are 9 points shy of fifth placed Cheshunt, but with five games in hand. After struggling at the foot of the table for most of the season so far, Heybridge Swifts are upwardly mobile at the moment, having won two and drawn the other of their last three league games, and three wins and two draws from their last six games, and came into this game one place above the relegation zone, in 20th place, with 20 points from 26 games. When the two teams met in Heybridge last month, Brightlingsea won 1-5.

There was considerable doubt that I would even make this game, as I was stuck in traffic for over an hour approaching the Dartford Crossing, although with the roads behaving themselves across Essex, I arrived with 20 minutes to spare in the end. On yet another dull, overcast afternoon, the game started surprisingly evenly, with the visitors perhaps looking the more threatening team on the break. But on 28 minutes, Brightlingsea were awarded a penalty for a silly lunging foul tackle in the penalty area. Jake Turner shot the ball low into the bottom left corner to give the home side the lead. The game remained a tight affair up to half time, and the closest Heybridge came to an equaliser was on 39 minutes, when a free kick heading for the top right corner was well saved by the keeper.

Heybridge could probably feel slightly disappointed to be behind at the break, but Brightlingsea started the second half the brighter, creating the better chances, but still Heybridge were well in the game, and had a great opportunity to equalise on 77 minutes when they were awarded a penalty for another foul tackle in the area. But the opportunity was spurned as James Guy placed his strike wide of the right hand post. Things got worse for the visitors when they were reduced to ten men when their captain Liam Thomas was shown a second yellow card. They still had one more chance to grab a point, when a header from a corner was saved, but it was Brightlingsea who claimed the three points. Although Brightlingsea always had that extra bit of quality, Heybridge will feel disappointed to come away with nothing, but will surely take great heart from a solid performance which bodes well in their battle against relegation.

Hartley Wintney 2 v 0 Hanworth Villa

Saturday 19th December 2015
The Memorial Playing Fields, Hartley Wintney
Combined Counties League Premier Division
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 68
Match Rating: 3

This match was not even on my radar when I left home this morning, as I set off aiming for a visit to Fleet Town. However, there was little appealing about the mid table game there and when I noticed this top of the table fixture, I decided to stay on the train a stop longer and come closer to completing ticks for the Combined Counties League Premier Division.

The Memorial Playing Fields is about a half hour walk from Winchfield train station, with about half of it a pleasant walk through woodland. Spectators enter the ground behind one corner, with the changing rooms to the right of the entrance kiosk and a brick clubhouse set slightly above the pitch and straddling the half way line. It’s a pleasant place to enjoy refreshments, being spacious and welcoming inside. A metallic all seater stand is located opposite, with just hard standing around the rest of the pitch, apart from behind one of the goals, which is inaccessible for with a tall hedge, tree and goal net. Hedgerows line the length behind the stand and behind one of the goals, giving the ground quite a neat enclosed appearance. The 34 page programme was very good, with plenty of reading material and all the necessary stats to give a good background to the game.

Hartley Wintney have had an outstanding season so far. They top the division by four points having played a game less, with 16 wins, 1 draw and just one defeat from their 19 league games. They reached the third qualifying round of the FA Cup, only losing to an injury time goal at National League South outfit Eastbourne Borough and gave reached the last 32 of the FA Vase. Hanworth Villa have also had a good season so far, coming into this game in fifth place, with 11 wins and two draws from their 20 games. When the two teams met last month, Hartley Wintney won 1-3.

On a mainly overcast but unseasonably extremely mild afternoon, the first half was even, although the home side always looked the more likely to score, but the feeling at half time was that we were witnessing two good sides cancel each other out.

The second half continued in much the same vein, but the home side took the lead on 67 minutes. After a shot was deflected but trickled just wide of the goal with the keeper diving the other way, they did score from the resultant corner, when Shane Hollamby connected with an overhead kick and the ball found the back of the net. On 75 minutes, Hanworth also saw a shot take a sizeable deflection but the ball went just wide of the post, and that was about as close as they came to scoring all match. Hartley Wintney almost secured the points on 84 minutes when they saw a shot cleared off the line, but they did make the points safe as the game entered injury time. An initial shot was parties by the keeper at his near post and Aaron Parfitt dribbled the ball from wide of goal to a more central position before firing the ball into the net.

No doubt that this was a good game between two very good sides, but Hartley Wintney had that little bit of extra quality to claim the three points, and it would take a major downturn in form if they do not go on to win the division to earn a shot at Southern League football, for which they have applied.