Saturday 24 September 2022

Bexhill United 3 v 1 Eastbourne Town

Wednesday 21st September 2022, Kick-off 19.30
Southern Combination League Premier Division
The Polegrove, Bexhill-on-Sea
Admission: £6.00
Programme: Sold out
Attendance: 301




With the cricket season having drawn to a close, Bexhill United can now host games at their home ground. And their first game back home would be a local derby against the always well supported team from a few miles along the coast.




Similar to last season. Bexhill have made a fairly slow start to their season away from the Polegrove, and came into this game in eleventh place in the table, following three wins and a draw from their opening six league games. Having had a change of manager and quite a turnover of players over the summer, Eastbourne Town have had a quiet start to their season too, and were in 13th place, following two wins and three draws from their seven league games.




On a fairly mild and dry evening, with a very decent crowd present, this game wasn't a great watch for long periods, with both sides resorting to long punts up field too readily, particularly the home side. Bexhill opened the scoring on 29 minutes when after an initial shot from close to the outer corner of the penalty area was blocked, debutant James Stone arrowed the ball across the keeper and into the top right corner of the net.





The game remained an even battle into the second half, but Bexhill doubled their lead on 69 minutes when an Eastbourne player was dispossessed at the edge of his own area, the ball was then passed to Evan Archibald, who slotted past the keeper. As it looked like Bexhill were crusing to victory, they conceded a penalty on 85 minutes for a blatant and unnecessary push in the area, which Anesy Sisimayi converted into the bottom left corner beyond the keeper's dive. But just a couple of minutes, Bexhill were awarded a penalty of their own when their player was tripped heading for the byline. Jack Shonk converted into the top right corner, sending the keeper the wrong way, to secure the three points for Bexhill which lifted them to eighth in the table.











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