Bexhill Town 1 v 4 Crowhurst

Friday 29th April 2022, Kick-off 19.30

Hastings FA Intermediate Cup Final
The Pilot Field, Hastings
Admission including Programme: £4.00
Attendance: 150 (estimate)

This evening I paid my second visit to the Pilot Field in three days for a cup final between local clubs in the East Sussex League, this time in the Hastings FA Intermediate Cup.

Crowhurst, hailing from a small isolated village with less than 1,000 inhabitants just to the north of Hastings, have had one of the best seasons in their history, finishing as runners up in the East Sussex League Premier Division, following 14 wins and three draws from their 18 league games, four points adrift of champions Battle Town. Crowhurst Football Club would be looking to make a clean sweep of the Hastings FA Cups this season, after their reserve team lifted the Lower Divisions Cup earlier in the month, and they also won their league division. Bexhill Town finished in fifth place in the same division, following eight wins and five draws. In the league encounters between the two sides, Crowhurst won their home game 2-0 back in October, whilst the reverse fixture played in late March ended in a 1-1 draw. To reach this evening’s final, Bexhill Town won 1-0 at home against Robertsbridge United before beating Rock-a-Nore on penalties after a 4-4 draw, while Crowhurst won 6-2 at home to Punnetts Town, before winning 1-2 at Hawkhurst United in the semi-finals.

On an overcast and rather chilly evening, the first half was quite an efpven affair for the most part, with both sides playing some good football, and if anything Bexhill were looking the likelier to score, but on 33 minutes, it was Crowhurst who opened the scoring, when a scuffed shot by Dominic Clarke bobbled in off the left hand post.

Crowhurst looked a lot stronger after the break, and the doubled their lead on 62 minutes after an initial shot was well parried by the keeper, but the ball was retrieved out wide, chipped into the box and headed into the top right corner. And on 74 minutes, it looked like Crowhurst had done enough to lift the cup when they scored their third when a cross from the left was superbly taken down by the striker, and he swivelled before lashing the ball into the top right corner. The game seemed to be rather meandering towards its conclusion, with Crowhurst having further chances to extend their lead, but in the 89th minute, they scored what was probably a deserved consolation goal, when the ball was worked across the penalty area to a player free to the right of goal, and he slotted the ball home. But in the second minute of added on time, Crowhurst restored their three goal cushion when a good run through the middle by Wes Tate ended with the ball being laid off to a team mate, and he chipped the ball back into the middle for Tate to nod home. 

So it was Crowhurst who lifted the trophy on the pitch shortly after the final whistle to round off what has been a sparklingly successful season for Crowhurst. They deserved it on the night, although the rather emphatic scoreline was harsh on Bexhill, who did play well.