Southern Combination League Division One
The Shooting Field, Steyning
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 67
Match Rating: 4
I wanted to take in some more festive football this evening, taking advantage of not being at work the following day. Visiting a new ground was virtually impossible, and my choice was further severely limited thanks to waterlogged pitches claiming most games in the south-east. Happily, Steyning Town installed a plastic pitch (in 2016) since my last visit seven years ago, and so this game was never really in doubt, despite snow falling in the area in the morning but which fortunately did not stick around.
The Shooting Field is located just to the north of Steyning village, and spectators current enter via a temporary entrance in one corner of the ground, while the original turnstile area is part of rebuilding work. Along the length closest to the entrance, there is a covered standing area which is currently used to store junk. Straddling the half way line is the clubhouse, which is bright and fairly roomy inside, and has large windows to watch the action through for those who do not fancy braving the elements outside on wintry days and nights. In front of the clubhouse, there is a rather intimate all-seater stand. A little further along the length, there is another all-seater stand with about five rows of seating. Around the rest of the ground, there is just hard standing, and although there is grass banking behind the furthest goal and along the remaining length, spectators are asked not to stand on it. Trees surround the ground, and it is a quiet and peaceful location. Indeed, it is a pleasant modest ground, easy on the eye and retaining its individuality and charm despite the installation of the plastic pitch. The 28 page programme was a double issue, also covering their coming Saturday's home game, and it was a decent read and covered the essentials well, although almost half of the content was advertising.
This match was a local derby, between two teams firmly entrenched in mid table. Steyning were in ninth place, following nine wins and two draws from their 19 league games, while Storrington were in twelfth place, following five wins and four draws from their 20 league games.
On a freezing cold evening under a clear, moonlit sky, this was an even match, with both sides taking advantage of the plastic pitch to play good passing football along the floor, and rarely looking to lump aimless balls forward. On 9 minutes, Storrington saw a far post diving header hit the inside of the post and roll along the line, whilst on 14 minutes, a Steyning player just inside the opposition half saw the keeper off his line and tried to lob him, but the keeper just got back to grab the ball. On 31 minutes, Steyning again saw a shot just gathered on the line by the keeper, but they did take the lead on 33 minutes, Steyning did take the lead when Craig Knowles pounced on a loose ball to fire the ball home from a central position 10 yards out. The visitors levelled the scoreline on 42 minutes, though, Bradley Lewis firing a free kick low just inside the keeper's right hand post.
Into the second half and Storrington took the lead on 67 minutes when, after an initial shot was blocked, Joseph Stakim drilled the ball low across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Steyning then equalised on 78 minutes when their player drove with the ball towards the outer edge of the six yard box and cross the ball low for Knowles to tap the ball home. Steyning came closest to claiming the winner in the remaining minutes, seeing a header cleared off the line, and as the referee put his whistle to his lips to blow for full time, a free kick was lumped into the box and a shot was parried by the keeper in the last action of the match.
A share of the points was probably a fair reflection of the game, which neither side dominated but played some good, patient, attractive football throughout.
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