Eastbourne Borough 2 v 1 Millwall U23

Tuesday 27th July 2021, Kick-off 19.15
Pre-season Friendly

Priory Lane, Eastbourne

Admission: £5.00

Programme: None

Attendance: 200 (estimate)

For this midweek's action, I decided to pay my first visit of the season to Priory Lane for this interesting looking fixture.

Unsurprisingly, there have been no alterations to the ground since last season, although some of the Covid restrictions and precautions have been lifted since my last visit to the ground last November . Tickets are now available to purchase online, with an option to pay by credit card at the turnstiles also available.

After nine seasons occupying the bottom half of the National League South, Eastbourne Borough were having a very decent season last season, and were in third place in the table after 19 league games when the season was abandoned, losing just four of those games. Their line-up would include two triallists, one in defence, the other as the main striker. Millwall U23's team featured four triallists in their starting eleven, with a further four on the bench.

This would be an enjoyable game to watch, with plenty of decent football played, and Eastbourne took the lead on 14 minutes when a ball forward bounced off the back of a Millwall player close to the half way line for a triallist to spin and run onto and clear of the defence, he bore down on goal before slotting the ball past the keeper. On 25 minutes, Eastbourne's Greg Luer drove from wide towards the penalty area, and his low shot was diverted just beyond the post by the keeper's fingertips. Millwall U23 equalised on 28 minutes when Jayden Davis drilled the ball low across the six yard box, and Nana Boateng tapped the ball home.

Perhaps inevitable, a raft of changes came at half time, but this did not interrupt the flow of a decent game. Eastbourne's triallist striker ran onto a throughball by James Beresford, and although he got a goalbound shot away and past the keeper, a covering defender cleared the ball. But on 57 minutes, Eastbourne scored their second, and again the striker on trial played a big part, receiving the ball just outside the area before helping it on to Joel Rollinson, and he struck the ball home, taking a deflection off a defender en route. They created further chances in the remaining minutes, as did the Millwall youngsters, but there was to be no further scoring, in what was surely a very worthwhile run out for both squads, played in good spirits and at a decent tempo, and was very watchable for those on the sidelines.

Line-ups: Eastbourne Borough

Millwall Under 23s: Wright, Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C, Tiensia, Trialist D, Moss, Allen, Boateng, Davis, O'Brien. Subs: Gillmore, Trialist E, Trialist F, Trialist G, Trialist H.

Cuxton 91 0 v 5 Sutton Athletic

Saturday 24th July 2021, Kick-off 14.30

Pre-season Friendly

Cuxton Community Ground, Cuxton

Admission: None

Programme: £1.00

Attendance: 35 (approximate)

I was rather limited in the range within which I could travel today, as I had a a wedding reception to attend in the evening. Initially, I had planned to revist a local ground, but eventually I chose the much more preferable option to take in this game to visit a new ground, having seen and heard some very good things about Cuxton 91 FC and the development of their new ground, as well as the promise of a printed programme.

The Cuxton Community Ground is located just to the west of the small village of Cuxton, and after Cuxton 91 previously playing their home fixtures over the road at the Cuxton Recreation Ground, the pitch outside the Cuxton Social Club was extensively redeveloped last year for Cuxton 91 to call their new home, and the results are most impressive. Spectators enter the ground in one corner, with the gate manned under a gazebo, where spectators were required to leave track and trace details and use hand sanitizer. A 20 page full colour programme was available for purchase, covering all of the club's scheduled pre-season friendlies and containing a welcome message, a report and photos from the club's cup final win in May, and presentations of the home club and each of the visiting clubs. A very decent publication, and certainly much appreciated. Behind the end closest to the entrance is the Social Club building, which is smart, modern and spacious inside, with a good range of drinks available, whilst outside there are plenty of picnic tables and benches on a paved area in front of two white container units housing the changing rooms. Further seating is also available under an awning, with bar tables placed on a paved area behind the goal for those who want to enjoy a drink whilst watching the game. There is wooden pitchside fencing behind this end, continuing up the corner and along the length above a steep grass bank. This area provides an excellent view of the action, and gravel has been laid along this length to provide hard standing. Permanent dug outs have been built on the half way line at the bottom of the bank. The remaining end and length are not intended to be accessed. As well as the excellent views available, and a very good looking pitch, the setting of the ground is really attractive and peaceful, with the ground closely lined by trees but there are also views looking out around the valley. Full credit to all those involved who have clearly put in a lot of hard work to create a very decent facility for the level the club currently play at, and it looks like there is scope to be further enhanced if required.

Cuxton 91 currently play at the notional Step 8 of the non-league pyramid, in the Kent County League Division One Central & East, and have been in mid table in each of the last three season (including the last two abandoned seasons). Sutton Athletic have been playing Step 6 football since 2011, generally finishing in the top half of the table, and are currently members of the Southern Counties East League Division One.

On a rather muggy and mostly overcast afternoon, Sutton opened the scoring in 18 minutes when a low shot from the edge of the area crept inside the post, but barely a minute later, Cuxton perhaps should have scored themselves, when a cross to the back post was headed just wide. On 23 and 29 minutes, Sutton saw headers hit the crossbar, while on 37 minutes, Cuxton had a player sent off for a bad tackle. It is questionable whether a red card was really necessary in a friendly game, surely an enforced substitution would have been much more preferable. And a minute later, Sutton scored their second when a poked shot crept in between the keeper and post. Just before half time, Sutton came close to a third following a ball forward, it was knocked to the side of the oncoming keeper before being struck towards goal, but the ball was cleared by a covering defender.

Into the second half and on 50 minutes, Sutton scored their third, with a delicate chip over the keeper. Cuxton had a decent chance on 53 minutes when a free kick was played in to the box and headed towards goal, with the keeper parrying the ball and the rebound was hooked over the bar. But a minute later, Sutton scored their fourth when the ball was played across goal and after the initial shot was parried, the ball fell kindly to the Sutton player, who side stepped the keeper before slotting into the empty net. Unfortunately, some of the Cuxton players then started to lose their discipline somewhat, and on 63 minutes, a Cuxton player protested why the referee overruled a linesman's decision and was sent to the sin bin, but the Cuxton player persisted with this protestations, until the referee showed him a red card. And five minutes later, Cuxton were reduced to eight men when they had their third player sent off, when he aimed his fist at the side of a Sutton player's head. Unsurpisingly, Sutton dominated possession for the remainder of the match, and that they didn't add several more goals to their tally was mainly due to their forwards overplaying in and around the box, passing the ball around rather than taking a shot on goal, but they did add a fifth on 78 minutes when, again looking to pass the ball around inside the penalty area, a shot was parried  by the keeper, and the loose ball was tapped home. To their credit, even with eight men, Cuxton did try to play some good football in the closing minutes and managed to get forward a couple of times, as their team thankfully regained their composure. The referee blew the final whistle with 83 minutes on the clock, bringing to an end an eventful game and a most enjoyable afternoon for me.

Westfield 0 v 10 Little Common

Tuesday 20th July 2021, Kick-off 19.00
Pre-season Friendly

Parish Field, Westfield

Admission and Programme: None

Attendance: 30 (approximate)

For my midweek action this week, I decided to pay a visit to the Parish Field, always a pleasant place to watch a game in warm evening sunshine, and with opportunities probably being very thin on the ground to visit once the season is underway.

There are two steps between the two clubs. Westfield play in the Mid Sussex League Premier Division, and have been in mid-table during each of the last two disrupted seasons, as have Little Common, in the Southern Combination League Premier Division. Both clubs have high hopes for the future, however, in terms of their home grounds. Westfield were forced into relegation to Step 7 football in 2015 as the Parish Field was deemed no longer suitable to host Step 6 football, however recently their plans to construct a new ground across the road were finally approved, after many years in the pipeline. Similarly, Little Common's traditional home in Peartree Lane no longer met minimum requirements to host senior football, and so to avoid a similar fate to Westfield, they have been sharing Eastbourne United's home ground The Oval, almost ten miles away from the village. However, plans to enclose the pitch at the Recreation Ground, and add some new stands, were finally approved in autumn 2020, and so a return of the club's first team fixtures back to the village should be not too far in the future.

On a gloriously warm and sunny evening, Little Common had most of the play and possession during the first half, but Westfield defended well and even managed to get forward and threaten occasionally. And after Little Common created some decent chances in the opening minutes, Westfield saw a shot from outside the area come back off the crossbar. Little Common finally did find a way through on 39 minutes following a cross in from the right and a looping header sent the ball high over the keeper and into the net. And with the last action of the half, Little Common were awarded a penalty for a foul tackle, which was dispatched low into the right side of the net.

The second half was where it all went wrong for Westfield, as they tired and at times Little Common found ways through the beleaguered Westfield defence with ease.The visitors scored their third on 56 minutes with a fine shot from just outside the area, bent with the outside of the boot around the keeper and inside the far corner, and their fourth followed two minutes later when a corner was headed home at the far post. On 66 minutes, Little Common were awarded their second penalty for another foul tackle, struck into the left side of the goal despite the keeper going the right way this time. Within a couple of minutes an emphatic volley from a corner made it 0-6, and a minute later, it was seven after the ball was played towards the edge of the area, the keeper came out but couldn't get there and the ball was eventually worked towards the centre of the penalty area, and the forward struck the ball home on the turn. On 71 minutes, a drilled shot forced an excellent reflex parry over the bar, but on 79 minutes, a Little Common player waltzed from the half way line through the defence for a one on one, which ended with a cool finish low inside the left hand post. On 84 minutes, Little Common had a goalbound shot blocked by a defender, but within a minute, Little Common scored their ninth with a drilled shot from outside the area, which unfortunately squirmed through the keeper's legs. And on 86 minutes, Little Common reached double figures when the Little Common player took a few touches in plenty of space, before shooting the ball emphatically into the net. That proved the final action of the game with the referee blowing the final whistle four minutes early, perhaps taking pity on the home side.