Catsfield 1 v 2 Crowhurst II

Tuesday 25th April 2023, Kick-off 19.45
Hastings & District FA Lower Divisions Cup Final
Pilot Field, Hastings
Admission including Programme: £4.00
Attendance: 150 (estimate)

This was not my intended destination, for I was very much looking forward to a visit to Tenterden Town, which would have been a new ground for me. However that game was postponed at lunchtime, and with little else appealing, I opted to take in my second Hastings FA cup final at the Pilot Field in less than a week, and my second time watching a team representing Crowhurst.

This game was between two clubs both in Division Three (the fourth tier) of the East Sussex League, with Catsfield in seventh place in the 12 club division, following eight wins and two draws from their 15 league games, while Crowhurst Reserves we’re up in fourth place, following ten wins and two draws from 14 league games. In the league fixture played at Catsfield back in October, Crowhurst Reserves won 1-5, with the reverse fixture to be played in a couple of weeks’ time. To reach tonight’s final, Catsfield have beaten clubs exclusively from the East Sussex League Division Four, and all games played at home - Robertsbridge United Reserves 8-1 at home, Welcroft Park Rangers Reserves 3-1, and then Hawkhurst United Reserves 3-2.

On a sunny evening which gave way to a chilly feel under the night sky, it was Catsfield who just about had the better of a tight first half, and they thought they had opened the scoring on 19 minutes, when a free kick was curled in, the keeper spilled it low down and the loose ball was tapped home, but the linesman raised his flag for offside. And they have another great chance on 39 minutes when a wayward pass was intercepted by the Catsfield player who ran forward for a one-on-one, but he overran the ball at the crucial moment, allowing the keeper to gather the ball. But on the stroke of half time, Crowhurst Reserves opened the scoring when a free kick was dinked into the box, was headed on, and Harley Millward stabbed the ball inside the left hand post. 

Catsfield got back on level terms in the 59th minute, following a run down the right which resulted in the ball being crossed into the box, and although the first shot was parried, Greg Potter tucked the rebound home. Crowhurst were having the better of the second half, and duly retook the lead on 83 minutes, when a lovely cross from the right was headed home at the far post by Ben Thorpe. It was Crowhurst who looked the likelier to score in the closing minutes, and that they did not score mattered little as they held their lead on the final whistle, and were awarded the trophy and medals on the pitch shortly after the final whistle.