Southern Combination League Premier Division
Little Common Recreation Ground , Little Common
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 134
Bexhill is proving to be providing rich pickings for my midweek action at the moment. This evening I would pay my second visit to the Little Common Recreation Ground in 3 weeks, and after visiting The Polegrove last Wednesday. tonight's match would be the first of a midweek double in Bexhill this week, with United as home tomorrow evening.
Little Common had gone through a bad spell since the start of December, losing every league game they played in, although that was only four league games due to various weather related postponements, before they returned to winning ways in some style, seeing off AFC Varndeanians, who were (and remain) 1 place above Little Common in the table. Little Common came into this game in 14th place, following eight wins and four draws from their 20 league games. With between two and five games in hand on all clubs above them, some good form from now on should see Little Common rise a few places up the table. Eastbourne Town were in sixth place, following twelve wins and six draws from their 24 league games. Their form has been outstanding in the last couple of months, winning seven of their last nine league games. When the two teams met back in late August, the match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Little Common equalising in the sixth minute of added on time, despite being down to ten men.
On a very chilly night, with a beautiful large moon shining brightly in the background and with a light frost developing in still conditions, the visitors spent most of the first half very much on the front foot, with Little Common not really posing much of a threat, but just as it was looking like the scoreline would remain deadlocked at the break, Eastbourne opened the scoring a couple of minutes before half time, when Leon Greig whipped in an inswinging corner which curled straight into the goal.
The second half saw Little Common carry much more of a threat, but they just couldn't find a way through despite some sustained pressure at times, as Eastbourne defended well when needed, and indeed they had some great chances to extend their lead. On 65 minutes, the Bexhill keeper came way out his area to clear the ball, but his pass went straight to an Eastbourne player, but from very long distance, a good floated effort dropped just wide of the left hand post. The closest Little Common came to equalising came on 81 minutes, when a low shot from outside the area took a sizeable deflection, and the Eastbourne just managed to scamble across his area to palm the ball away, while in the 88th minute, there was an amazing miss from an Eastbourne player, when the ball was crossed low from the right, and the Eastbourne player was all alone in front of goal and 8 yards out, but he couldn't connect with the ball and it bobbled away from goal. To be fair, the bobbly and undulating surface at the Recreation Ground often makes things like that more likely to happen. But in the end, it did not matter as Eastbourne held on for the narrow win to keep them in sixth place in the table, but brought them to within two points of cross town rivals Eastbourne United in fifth place, and within four points of third and fourth places. Little Common should be fine in mid table, but will need to improve their form.
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