SC Pass + Move Arrows 2 v 2 Little Common II

Wednesday 28th April 2021, Kick-off 18.30

East Sussex League Divisions 2 and 3 Supplementary Cup

Netherfield Recreation Ground, Netherfield

Admission and Programme: None

Attendance: 35 (approximate)

Despite not feeling too great with feeling the after effects of my Covid jab yesterday, this was a game I looked forward to taking in, ticking most of the boxes of what I enjoy about games towards the end of the season - an early evening kick off straight after work, a game between two decent sides at their level, and played at a rural village recreation ground.

The Netherfield Recreation Ground is located just to the east of the small village of Netherfield, a couple of miles north-west of Battle. A small car park, quickly filled, is located just inside the entrance, as is a white pavilion building, from which quite an impressive range of refreshments were available, including hot food. The pitch was roped off along one side, and the ground has a very attractive and peaceful setting, with tall trees close behind the end closest to the entrance and pavilion, a hedgerow behind the roped off length, fields behind the other end, whilst there are sweeping views across the wooded valley beyond the remaining length. On a warm, sunny day, the setting would be glorious, although unfortunately conditions this evening were overcast and chilly.

Both clubs have had very decent records this season - indeed, they would probably be disappointed that this season has been so fragmented. In the regular season in the third tier, Division Two, of the East Sussex League, Little Common II had a perfect record, winning all eight of their games, whilst SC Pass + Move Arrows won four of their five league games, losing the other, against this evening's opponents, also at the Netherfield Rec, 1-2 on the opening day of the season. In this Supplementary Cup competition, it is SC Pass + Move who are leading the way in the group, having won three and drawn the other of their four games so far, while Little Common II had won two and drawn one of their four games so far.

This game certainly lived up to expectations, played at a good pace and with chances aplenty at both ends. The home side had the first big chance on 8 minutes when a header from a corner was blocked, but within a minute, it was the visitors who took the lead when, following a diagonal ball forward, the ball was drilled low under the keeper from a slight angle by Nick Kavanagh. Pass + Move then had some great chances to get back on level terms. On 26 minutes, the goalkeeper sent a long punt downfield, a Little Common player failed to intercept the ball on the halfway line, and the Pass + Move player ran on and brushed past a covering defender to run through clear on goal before slotting the ball past the keeper, only to see the goal ruled out as the “brushed past” was deemed to be a foul - it looked a very, very soft decision. On 30 minutes, Pass + Move saw a header from a corner come back off the crossbar, on 33 minutes a lovely looped reverse cross drifted towards the back post and  a header went just wide of the post, whilst on 39 minutes, another header from a corner went just over. But on 43 minutes, Little Common II were awarded a penalty following a trip in the box, but the Pass + Move keeper pulled off a terrific saved low to his right and although the ball squirmed away from him and was eventually bundled home, the referee blew his whistle for a foul.

Within a minute of the restart, the visitors doubled their lead. The ball was spread out to the right wing, with a large suspicion of handball in controlling the ball, before crossing beyond the far post, and Rhys Jones stabbed the ball home. Again it was Pass + Move who went on to create plenty of chances. On 49 minutes, a shot from the edge of the area was patted out by the keeper, on 54 minutes the ball was struck under the keeper and rolled towards goal but a defender got back in time to clear, on 64 minutes, a free kick came back off the post, and a minute later, a bullet header following a corner went just wide. But just as it was looking like it was going to be out of those nights for Pass + Move, they did pull a goal back on 75 minutes with a lovely goal by Jack Booth, fired into the top right hand corner from just outside the area. And on 82 minutes, they were awarded a penalty when the keeper fumbled the ball and tripped the striker as he tried to retrieve the ball. The penalty was duly converted, into the top left corner, and not only had the visitors surrendered a two goal lead, but they were also reduced to ten men after having a player sent to the sin bin (in effect, for the remainder of the game), and the keeper had to be carried off, and was replaced by an outfield player. As it turned out, the stand-in keeper was not tested in the remaining minutes, and it was Little Common II who had the only real chance, in added on time, when a long range low shot squirmed through the keepers grasp but fortunately for him, the ball crept just past the post for a corner.

So the points were shared in a very entertaining encounter, and a draw was probably the right result in the end. 

Lyndhurst 3 v 2 Sway

Saturday 24th April 2021, Kick-off 15.00
Hampshire Premier League Supplementary Cup
Wellands Road, Lyndhurst
Admission and Programme: None
Attendance: 25 (approximate)

With a beautiful sunny day forecast today, I originally planned to head out to the Isle of Wight for a visit to Ventnor. With some homebound train connections not very convenient, and a gut feeling that Ventnor may not be able to field a team today, struggling as they are at the foot of the table and on the receiving end of a few hidings of late, I decided against it at the last minute, and just as well, as my gut served me well as Ventnor failed to put out a team. Instead. I decided to head down to the heart of the New Forest and combine some walking with a visit to a scenic ground.

Having caught the train to Ashurst, I then embarked on a four mile walk across the New Forest, predictably passing by plenty of roaming ponies and cattle en route, and on my approach to Lyndhurst, the wonderfully picturesque cricket ground of Lyndhurst & Ashurst Cricket Club, complete with its thatched roofed pavilion and situated at the foot of Bolton's Bench, a yew capped hillock. Wellands Road is located a couple of minutes walk from the pretty village centre, behind a Ferrari showroom, and entrance is gained in one corner of the ground. The pitch is railed virtually all the way around, although there is no hard standing, and the only pitchside furniture are decent sized green painted wooden dugouts. A couple of large wooden buildings are located behind the corner closest to the entrance, one housing the changing rooms, with the usual Hampshire League team whiteboard and club sign posted on the exterior wall, the other houses a tea bar. In front of these buildings, there are several picnic wooden tables scattered on the grass, and behind this corner, the village's church spire can be seen in the close background. As would be expected, the location is very peaceful and rural, with a rustic charm about the place, mostly surrounded by trees but with fields stretching out behind one end.

It is fair to say that this "season" has been a struggle for both clubs, who occupied the bottom two spots in the Hampshire Premier League Senior Division when it was curtailed. In fact, Lyndhurst lost every one of their 13 league games, conceding over five goals a game and with a goal difference of minus 54. They did manage a draw their first game in this Supplementary competition, away at QK Southampton, before losing their next three games. On paper, today's game represented a good chance for Lyndhurst to achieve another positive result. Sway had won won and drew one of their eleven regular season fixtures, but actually conceded more goals than Lyndhurst, 68, so averaging more than six goals a game. And they conceded double figures in each of their last three games of their regular season. So, the enforced break probably came at a good time for Sway, at least. Of their four games in this competition, Sway have lost three, but did win 1-0 against today's opponents Lyndhurst a fortnight ago, and in the opening game of the regular season last September, Sway won at Lyndhurst 0-2.

On a pleasantly warm and sunny afternoon, this New Forest derby turned out to be a highly entertaining and lively game, a game which had pretty much everything. It's fair to say that Lyndhurst were down to the bare bones today, their dugout was vacant throughout, with no substitutes and they were not even able to provide anyone to run the line, with the visitors covering both. That didn't stop Lyndhurst starting really positively, and they should have opened the scoring on three minutes, when the ball was lobbed over the defence, allowing  the striker to run on before striking the ball wide of the target. But they did score on eight minutes, following a long punt downfield by the keeper, the defenders couldn't deal with it, with a Lyndhurst player gaining possession in the penalty area before passing through to his team mate, who stroked the ball across the keeper and into the far corner. Another long punt downfield three minutes later again caused the Sway defenders problems and a low cross from the right was clipped goalwards, but the Sway keeper made a fantastic reflex save, deflecting the ball up and onto the top of the bar and over. The long high balls launched downfield by Lyndhurst continued to cause real problems for the Sway defence, blinded by the the bright sunshine as the ball dropped towards them. On 19 minutes, Lyndhurst saw the ball stabbed just wide at the far post following a corner. Sway had barely threatened before they were awarded a penalty on 21 minutes for a rather rash lunge, and it was duly converted into the bottom right corner. And four minutes later, the turnaround was complete as the visitors scored their second with a lovely goal. The ball was pumped forward and the Sway player took a deft touch before lashing the ball past the keeper. The game then settled down for the remainder of the half, as the visitors started to control the game, and the only notable chance came on 33 minutes, when a Sway free kick forced a decent save to the keeper's right.

The action really hotted up in the second half, in all senses, and two minutes after the interval, Lyndhurst had a goal ruled out for offside, and on 53 minutes they were awarded a penalty as their player was pushed over chasing a ball dropping over his shoulder. But the Sway keeper managed to get his fingertips to divert the ball onto his left hand post and away. But Lyndhurst did equalise on 73 minutes, when a corner was met with a glancing header, and the ball gently looped off the far post and bounced over the line. And three minutes later, they were awarded their second and the game's third penalty for a rash lunging tackle as the Lyndhurst player approached the byline. This time the penalty was converted to put Lyndhurst into the lead. A flashpoint came on 79 minutes when the Lyndhurst keeper tried to waste time in not picking up the ball, until the Sway player went in quite strongly to try to nick the ball, probably catching the keeper, who reacted badly, who stormed after the Sway player, pushing him in the head. Both players were shown red cards for their involvement, with the Lyndhurst number 10, who had seemed to be carrying an injury for most of the game, donned the gloves. He wasn't tested in the remaining minutes though as Sway seemed to run out of steam and ideas, and Lyndhurst saw the game out quite comfortably to claim their first win of the season, a win they deserved today, all the more so as the odds seemed stacked against them in terms of numbers at least and then having an outfield player in goal for the last ten minutes. Straight after the final whistle, I swiftly made my way back to Ashurst station along the busy A35, not such a pleasant walk as my outbound one, but necessary to catch a train within an hour to ensure getting home at a reasonable time. 

This really was a fabulous day out which pretty much had it all - sunshine, warm but not hot, a beautiful part of the world to explore, a charming ground to visit, and a highly entertaining game. A real tonic to lift the spirits after a very difficult and confined few months. 

Battle Town 3 v 2 Bexhill A.A.C.

Wednesday 21st April 2021, Kick-off 18.30
East Sussex League Premier Division One Supplementary Cup
Battle Recreation Ground, Battle

Admission & Programme: None

Attendance: 30 (estimate)

For this evening's game, I allowed myself a little nostalgia, returning to visit a town that I called home for several happy years, for my first visit to the Recreation Ground in three years.

Whilst there have been some quite significant changes to the wider Battle Recreation Ground, with quite extensive tarmac paths having been laid, along with a new bicycle track downhill from the football pitch, the football pitch itself and its immediate surroundings remain unchanged. So it still remains an appealing and enjoyable venue to watch football at, thanks to a steep grass bank running along one length, with spectators able to watch from the flat surface along the top bordered by a hedgerow, and with a few benches available to sit on. From this side, the background across the pitch is scenic, mostly large trees behind the goals and along the opposite length, save for a view of the countryside into the distance in one corner. Almost immediately behind the other length, there is a steep downward hill, which certainly kept a "ball boy" active as he regularly went to retrieve the balls that had bounced down the hill. A pavilion housing the changing rooms, and a wooden castle serving as a children's play area, are located above one corner, between the pitch and the main road. In recent times, Battle Town have been streaming their home games live on Facebook, although only the second half was this evening, accompanied by the commentary of club founder and former manager Gary Walsh. An impressive effort to very much be applauded in hopefully raising the profile and visibility of the club.

Battle Town is the new name for a club previously known as Battle Baptist, the change presumably with the goal of enabling the only football club in the town to appeal more to the general local community, rather than being perceived as a club that is focused towards those of Christian faith. For this fixture in the East Sussex League Supplementary Cup, involving clubs in the league's top two divisions, Battle would be favourites, playing in a higher division, and regularly competing for honours in recent seasons. When the regular league season was curtailed, they were in fifth place in the ten club Premier Division, following three wins and a draw from their five league games. In this Supplementary Cup competition, Battle won 3-0 at home to Division One outfit South Coast Athletico, before losing 3-2 away at fellow Premier Division outfit Wadhurst United. Bexhill A.A.C. were in third place in Division One in the regular league season, following four wins and a draw from their five league games, but were only three points adrift of the top two with two games in hand on both. In this supplementary competition they won both of their home games so far, both against Premier Division opposition in the shape of  Wadhurst United 3-1 (a entertaining game that I watched) and then Robertsbridge United 2-1. In between, they lost 4-1 away at fellow Division One outfit South Coast Athletico.

Although the sun was shining this evening, enhancing the picturesque surroundings, a very chilly breeze ensured that it felt bitterly cold (by April standards, at least). Bexhill impressed in the first half, and took the lead on 7 minutes following a long ball played forwards which the Bexhill player latched onto, ran forward with the ball before striking the ball across the keeper and into the far corner. But on 14 minutes, Battle equalised when a corner was headed back across the keeper and into the net by Jamie Lindsey. The visitors then went back in front four minutes later when the ball was played to the byline which the Battle defender seemed to be covering, but was barged to one side by the Bexhill player, the ball was played low across the goal for a close range tap in. But on 28 minutes, Battle equalised for a second time. This time it was Bexhill's turn to appeal for a foul as the Battle player gained possession and dribbled in from the left and eventually the ball was played towards the six yard box and although a couple of defenders looked favourite to get there first to clear, Lindsey just managed to nip in first to tap the ball into the net for his second of the game.

2-2 was how it remained at half time, and into the second half it was Battle who gained the upper hand and looked the more likely to grab a winner. They thought they had scored on 72 minutes, when a slide rule low diagonal ball forward was tapped in at the far post, but the goal was ruled out for offside, with no real protests. Bexhill had their best chance of the second half on 74 minutes when a terrific shot from outside the area hit the bar, but four minutes later, Battle forced a parried save by the keeper following a free kick, and a follow up goalbound shot hit a defender. But on 84 minutes, Battle scored what turned out to be the winning goal. The ball was floated into the box, and the ball bounced off the keeper in his unconvincing attempt to claim the ball and behind for a corner, and unfortunately again the keeper couldn't claim the ball as it was floated in, and the ball was hooked into the net through a crowd of players by Lindsey to seal his hat-trick. Battle saw the game out fairly comfortably for a win which keeps them in the hunt to win the very open group and to reach the final of the competition.