Wednesday 15th February 2023, Kick-off 19.30
Sussex RUR Cup 3rd Round
The Polegrove, Bexhill-on-Sea
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 109
This midweek, I decided to pay my seventh, and possibly last visit of the season to The Polegrove, with no more midweek league fixtures scheduled there for the rest of this season, and depending on the result of this cup tie.
Tonight's encounter was a quick replay of the league fixture which took place at The Polegrove just over a month ago, which proved to be quite a close encounter before Bexhill eventually won 3-1. In the league, Bexhill are currently in 10th place, following 18 wins and two draws from their 31 league games played, and were in decent form, winning their last three league games, two of those away from home, although they did exit the Sussex Senior Cup following a 6-1 defeat at Isthmian League Premier Division outfit Bognor Regis Town a fortnight ago. Midhurst were in 15th place in the 20 club division, following nine wins and five draws from their 29 league games. With at least two games in hand on the the three clubs above and three clubs below them, they are heading for a comfortable finish away from the relegation zone following promotion last season, and this being their first season in the top flight since the 1992/93 season. They were not in good form though, winless in their last ten games, and picking up just three draws in that run. To reach this stage of the competition, Bexhill had beaten Montpelier Villa 3-0, whilst Midhurst beat Mile Oak on penalties after a goalless draw. The winners tonight would have the reward of an apparently very winnable tie in the next round, at home to Division One outfit Worthing United.
On a cool evening with steady drizzle and a fresh breeze, this was not a game that will last long in the memory in all honest, low on quality and becoming increasingly niggly, although the conditions and a bobbly pitch at The Polegrove is rarely conducive to good football. Chances were at a premium throughout, and the scoreline remained goalless at the break.
Midhurst had a great chance to open the scoring just a couple of minutes after the break, when the ball was struck wide from a good central position, but on 71 minutes, they were awarded a penalty following a handball. Will Essai converted low into the bottom left corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. Midhurst were then reduced to ten men two minutes later, when Marcus Bedford was shown a straight red card for kicking out. But although Bexhill did mount a couple of attacks in the remaining time, they never really got going, and in the end, rather limply bowed out of the competition this evening.
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