Southern Combination League Division One Cup 3rd Round
The Polegrove. Bexhill-on-Sea
Admission: £4.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 57
Match Rating: 4
I decided on a rare midweek game this evening. Midweek games do not seem to come along that often at The Polegrove, and for quite an interesting looking cup tie, I paid my first visit in almost three years.
The Polegrove, which is now sadly the only senior football ground in Bexhill after the sad demise of Sidley United's home ground at The Gullivers and Little Common starting a groundshare at Eastbourne United's home ground The Oval at the start of this season in order to preserve senior football, had remained unchanged in recent years. The beautiful large old fashioned stand still sits proudly straddling the half way line, which offers good protection against sea breezes, although not against swirly drizzle, as conditions were this evening, resulting in all the wooden steps being wet through. The clubhouse remains between the entrance behind a corner flag and the stand, a plastic pathway provides hard standing behind the goal closest to the entrance, with just grass behind the other goal and along the remaining length. The 28 page programme was very good considering the level, containing interesting articles and more than the necessary stats and facts, and an acceptable level of advertising.
Bexhill were in sixth place in the Southern Combination League Division One (second tier of the Sussex County League in old money), having won 12 and drawn four of their 23 league games, and a top three promotion spot is still to play for, of which they are currently six points adrift. AFC Varndeanians were in 15th place in the 18 team division, having won five and drawn three of their 23 league games. The two teams have already met home and away in the league this season, with Bexhill completing the double, 1-4 away in September and 2-1 at home in December.
On a mild evening with frequent showers of swirling drizzle, the pitch was in remarkably good condition considering how much rain had fallen in the last week, and Bexhill were the better team throughout this match, but this was entertaining game despite a soft pitch and the poor weather conditions, and the outcome remained in doubt virtually throughout. Bexhill took the lead in the 32nd minute, when a corner was headed at the back post back across goal, and Gordon Cuddington headed home. The visitors came close in the 37th minute, when Connor Martin just beat the keeper to a long low ball played into the area and poked the ball goalwards but a home defender got back in time to clear the ball. On 42 minutes, Bexhill were awarded a penalty after their striker Georges Gouet was pulled back, but Craig Ottley's penalty was saved by the keeper to his bottom right. But two minutes later and Bexhill did score their second with a very similar goal to the first. This time it was Cuddington with the far post header following a corner and Lewis McGuigan headed home. Things were looking comfortable for Bexhill, until the visitors were awarded a penalty on the stroke of half time, when David Altendorff was fouled by the keeper as they both tried to get to a forward ball first, and Ryan Walton struck the ball into the bottom left corner.
So the game was very much in the balance at half time, and two minutes after the restart, AFC Varndeanians saw a far post header by Martin was blocked by the keeper. And within a minute, Bexhill reopened their two goal lead. Liam Foster raced from midfield into the area, and his shot was saved by the keeper, and the ball deflected across the goal into the path of Georges Gouet, who drilled the ball home. The game seemed to be meandering towards a fairly comfortable home victory, until the visitors pulled a goal back on 82 minutes, when a mis-hit shot was headed home by Elliott Wood. The game was suddenly right back in the balance until Bexhill scored their fourth on 88 minutes. The ball was lofted forward for Corey Wheeler to run onto, shrugging off a defender as he raced forward before passing the ball via a deflection to Wayne Giles, who tapped the ball home. The game was up for the visitors, but at the end of normal time, they saw a shot from the edge of the area tipped over, and four minutes into added on time, they saw a header from a corner headed off the line. And so it was Bexhill who deservedly progressed to the semi final.
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