Sussex Senior Cup 3rd Round
Recreation Ground, Little Common
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 204
This was a game I was very much looking forward to. After Little Common, one of my local clubs, have had to play their home fixtures over 10 miles away at Eastbourne United's ground, The Oval, for the last four and a half seasons in order to preserve their status within the National League System, tonight was the night when football finally returned to their home village, after two previously scheduled games against cross town rivals Bexhill United had had to be postponed due to waterlogged pitches.
The main reason that Little Common had to leave the Recreation Ground back in 2017 was that the football ground was not permanently enclosed - rather unfortunate in my opinion, as I have visited other clubs on my travels more recently who have been using the same solution as Little Common used to, temporary fencing put into place on match days. And it has certainly been a struggle for permanent perimeter fencing to be erected around the main pitch, with reservations from local neighbours, the local district council and Sport England about a public right of way crossing the pitch, fencing off a section of council owned public playing fields, and encroaching onto the adjacent cricket field. Eventually, the club was given the all-clear to proceed in September 2020, and the ground is now fully enclosed by green mesh fencing, which matches the green pitchside railing, and the hard standing around the pitch has been relaid with tarmac. Entrance is gained through a gate behind one end, paying the admission fee and obtaining a decent 24 page printed programme at a wooden hut, next to which a team line-up board can be found. There are two modern metallic all-seater stands between the entrance and the goal, with a further similar stand but for standing room the other side of the goal. An inviting brick pavilion clubhouse is set back behind this stand. There is just hard standing behind the other end and along one of the lengths, and the remaining length is inaccessible to spectators. The upgrades have certainly enhanced the appearance of the ground and blend well into the leafy and spacious surroundings of the rural recreation ground, and hopefully the club can build on the foundations of having the first team play back in their home village.
Little Common's period in exile has coincided with the most successful period in their history on the pitch, during which they were promoted to Step 5 for the first time in their history at the end of their first season in Eastbourne, and have remained there fairly comfortably since. This season, they are currently in 11th place in the 20 club Southern Combination League Premier Division, following eight win and eight draws from their 24 league games so far, although they have not won in their last ten league games, drawing four of those. This evening's game promised to be a tricky, but winnable task in order to reach the quarter finals of the Sussex Senior Cup, with the visitors playing a step above Little Common, and are currently in 13th place in the Isthmian League South East Division, following five wins and nine draws from their 22 league games. To reach this stage, Little Common had beaten fellow SCFL Premier Division outfit Peacehaven & Telscombe at The Oval, before winning 1-3 at Worthing United of the SCFL Division One. Having had a bye in the first round, Three Bridges won 3-5 at SCFL Division One side Billingshurst in the last round.
On a damp evening with light misty drizzle falling throughout much of the match, the final score was not a completely fair reflection on how the game panned out, as Little Common put in a very decent performance, more than matching their opponents for long periods and creating some very good chances to score, but ultimately the higher ranked visitors proved much more clinical with their attacks. After Little Common came close to opening the scoring on three occasions in the opening 12 minutes, including a poked effort which came back off the post, the visitors saw an effort come back off the post themselves on 13 minutes, and then took the lead on 15 minutes. Noel Leighton went on a super run from the half way line, with the ball seeming to stick like a magnet to his feet as he slalomed past several Little Common players, before eventually running into the box, taking the ball around the keeper and passing it into the empty net. And Three Bridges doubled their lead on 21 minutes, again Leighton playing a crucial part, running down the right wing before crossing the ball, for Dan Perry to connect first time, to guide the ball in off the underside of the bar. Little Common created a couple of decent chances before half time, but with a two goal deficit, they certainly had it all to do to save the game after the break.
And at the start of the second half, Little Common continued to create some reasonable chances, but just couldn't find the back of the net. And on 57 minutes, Three Bridges were awarded a penalty for a handball, which Brannon O'Neill struck down the middle, to pretty much put the game out of sight for Little Common. And indeed, that third goal really did kill the game as, despite the hosts continuing to battle hard, Three Bridges saw the game out quite comfortably.
So a disappointing result for Little Common, to exit the Sussex Senior Cup, but they could certainly take great pride in an excellent performance against higher ranked opposition, and looking at the bigger picture, it remained an evening to celebrate their homecoming to the Recreation Ground and hopefully bright times ahead.
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