Sussex Sunday League, Aford Awards Invitational Cup Final
Caburn Community Stadium, Ringmer
Admission including Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 100 (estimate)
Less than 24 hours after being at Wembley Stadium for a Euro 2020 Round of 16 match between Italy and Austria, today I decided to take in a game from the other end of the footballing spectrum, with this cup final between clubs plying their trade in the Sussex Sunday League
This fixture was to be played at the Caburn Communuty Ground, the relatively new home ground of Mid Sussex League Premier Division outfit Ringmer AFC, which was opened last September, after the village's former senior ground, The Caburn, was demolished to make way for housing. And a very impressive ground it is too, and looks ready to host Step 6 football if and when Ringmer AFC are ready to on the pitch. The ground is situated on the eastern side of the village, with a car park available close to the road and a lane passing by the buildings of Kings Academy, at the end of which admission was paid in exchange for a 8 page programme, before reaching the ground along one length, along which are all of the ground's facilities. An impressively designed and spacious clubhouse building straddles the half way line, with a wooden fascia and a black slanting roof. A very spacious bar area is available on the first floor, with excellent elevated views of the action available through the large windows along the front, whilst downstairs, a tea bar window is in operation. There are two metallic all-seater stands, one located either side of the clubhouse building. There is a narrow path behind one of the goals, but no access is available behind the other end, nor along the remaining length. The pitch is of the 3G variety, and the ground is caged, but it's see through nature allows pleasant views of the surrounding countryside.
With this competition taking place post lockdown, and open to clubs in the Sussex Sunday League Divisions One and Two, both finalist clubs had to negotiate two rounds to make today's final, with Tally Ho beating Peacehaven Athletic 3-2 and then AFC Romans 5-3, whilst B Town beat BUCA Juniors 7-3 and then Jesters 4-2. Their league seasons were completed, with Tally Ho finishing in tenth place in the 11 club Division One, after four wins and 16 defeats from their 20 league games, whilst B Town finished fifth in Division Two, after nine wins and two defeats from their 20 games.
On a grey and fairly muggy afternoon, with steady drizzle arriving in the second half, this was very much of a game half, with B Town having the upper hand in the first half, creating all of the early chances and then took the lead on 29 minutes when the ball was played down the left and was then crossed into the box, and then struck home powerfully past the keeper. But on 37 minutes, Tally Ho were awarded a penalty, after a shot on the run was parried by the keeper, and a Tally Ho player was fouled as he battled to retrieve the ball by the byline. The penalty was converted into the top right hand corner. B Town went back into the lead in first half added on time after the ball was laid off and then powered into the top left corner..
Into the second half and it did not take long for the tide to turn, Tally Ho equalising on 49 minutes when the ball was passed towards the edge of the box, and a fabulously deft touch set the striker through on goal before slotting the ball across the keeper and into the net. And they went into the lead for the first time in the match four minutes later with another lovely goal, this time flighted from just outside the area, over the keeper and into the net. Tally Ho scored their fourth on 59 minutes when the ball was struck low across the keeper and into the net and it seemed the game really was up for B Town on 65 minutes when Tally Ho scored their fifth to open up a three goal cushion. But in a see-sawing game, it felt that B Town were still not out of it, with 25 minutes left to play, and indeed they pulled a goal back within a minute following a lovely shot of the run into the top left hand corner. And their hopes were raised further when Tally Ho were reduced to ten men when one of their players was shown a red card. But although B Town pushed hard for the remainder of the game, creating some decent chances, they just couldn't find the back of the net, and so it was Tally Ho who would lift the cup on the pitch shortly after the final whistle.
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