Southern Combination League Division Two
Limekiln Playing Fields, Crowborough
Admission : None
Programme: Sold out
Attendance: 53
With a gloriously hot and sunny Bank Holiday Monday forecast, I decided against risking a long distance car journey in search of a new ground for me and instead decided to stay fairly local, and watch two games in Crowborough, starting with this game kicking off at 11am.
The Limekiln Playing Fields enjoys a very rural location, accessed by car via a narrow country lane with a ford running across it, or a 20 minute walk from Crowborough train station, and is nestled immediately adjacent to The Ghyll woodland nature reserve, with trees all around the main pitch, with views across to the neighbouring village of Rotherfield. Inside the main entrance to the complex, there is a fair sized car park, and the clubhouse building, which houses the changing rooms and a tea bar with a decent sized room to sit in. Refreshments are also available from a window from the same tea bar. A whiteboard displaying the team line-ups is located pitchside of the clubhouse building, where the players come out. The pitch is fully railed, with an impressive number of advertising boards hanging from the railings, and there are a couple of permanent brick dug outs. There is no hard standing, nor cover, available, although there are some wooden benches along the half of the length closest to the clubhouse. No floodlights are present. A noticeable feature of the ground is a pronounced slope from end to end, and the pitch is rather undulating in places too. On a very warm, sunny day, the Limekiln made for a beautiful setting for football. Programmes were produced for this fixture, but only a handful were available for spectators, which were snapped up before my arrival.
Jarvis Brook finished in sixth place in the division last season, and started this season with a 2-2 draw at home to reigning champions Rustington, and a 0-8 win away to the division's perennial whipping boys Ferring. Copthorne lost their opening game at Angmering Seniors 3-2, before drawing 1-1 at Worthing Town.
Copthorne started this match on the front foot playing up the slope in the opening minutes, but on 4 minutes, Ben Adams ran onto a throughball and despite strong appeals for offside, Adams stroked the ball home to give Jarvis Brook the lead. And the home side had numerous chances to increase their lead, but saw shots go just over or wide. The Copthorne manager was shouting at his players, and he took advantage of the first half drinks break to give his players an extended pep talk, but they did look somewhat off the pace after a bright opening. With the scoreline remaining just 1-0 at half time, the visitors were certainly still very much in the game going into the second half, when they would be kicking down the slope.
But on 52 minutes Jarvis Brook doubled their lead, when George Holman headed the ball in at the near post from close range following a corner, despite the keeper getting a hand to the ball. The home side continued to create good chances, and their third goal came on 67 minutes when Adams headed home from close range at the far post. And they made it 4-0 on 74 minutes, with Adams completing his hat trick, a good run towards the penalty area culminated with a powerful shot across the keeper and into the far top corner. Jarvis Brook had further chances to extend their lead, but 4-0 was how it finished, a fair reflection on a game that Jarvis Brook dominated, impressing with the work rate and creativity in very hot conditions.
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