Saturday 20th January 2024, Kick-off 14.00
Mid Sussex League Premier Division
Warden Park Academy, Cuckfield
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Attendance: 30 (rough head count)
For today's groundhopping, my options were very resticted by a combination of persistent freezing conditions in recent days ensuring pitch inspections at virtually any grounds with grass, and recovering from a lingering attack of gout meaning that a long distance journey by train including having to walk any distance from a station, combined with the possibility of my intended game being postponed en route, was unappealing. This meant that I decided to drive instead, choosing this game to double up with an attractive looking FA Inter-League Cup game at Dorking Wanderers, which would kick off at 6pm.
The Warden Park Academy is located on the south-eastern edge of the village of Cuckfield, and a couple of miles west of Haywards Heath, where the nearest train station is. As to be expected of a 3G pitch which belongs to an educational establishment, spectators facilities are very basic and there is not much of interest about the place. Located in a green mesh cage, spectators are only allowed down one length of the pitch, with no stands present. School buildings above a steep grass bank make up the background behind one corner, with rugby pitches behind the opposite length, and trees behind one end. Looking out over the cage from the steep bank, pleasant distant views of the South Downs can be enjoyed.
A glance at the league table suggested that this would be quite a close game between two mid-table clubs, with the home side possibly slight favourites. Cuckfield Rangers were in eighth place in the table, winning six and drawing and drawn two of their 14 league games, and were three points and three places ahead of today's visitors Battle Town, who had won four and drawn five of their 16 league games.
On a cold, mostly overcast but occasionally sunny afternoon, the first half certainly did not pan out as might have been expected, as the visitors racked up a seven goal lead at the break. On 9 minutes, the ball was struck from the edge of the area which rifled into the top right hard conrer, and they doubled their lead on 17 minutes, when a cross from the left was met with a header which sent the ball in off the underside of the bar. They made it three a minute later when a Cuckfield player was dispossessed in midfield, and some quick passing towards the area ended with the ball being caressed into the bottom right corner. Things started to turn ugly for the home side when Battle scored their fourth on 28 minutes when the ball was headed forward and fired low across the keeper and inside the far post, while on 35 minutes, they were awarded a penalty for a trip close to the edge of the box. Although the penalty was saved low to the keeper's left, but eventually the ball was drilled low through a crowd and beyond the keeper's dive into the bottom left corner. And as the game entered added on time, there was still time for Battle to add a couple more goals - first, the ball was pulled back from the byline for his team mate to take a touch before firing home, and two minutes into added on time, the ball was struck into the top right corner.
So, a devastating first half which certainly was enough to take the three points back to East Sussex, but perhaps unsurprisingly after such a dominant first half, the second half saw Battle lose much of their intensity, and it was Cuckfield who dominated long spells of the second half. They scored a consolation in 55 minutes when, following good quick distribution from the keeper, the move ended with a low cross and a low first time shot crept just inside the post. And the scored another on 72 minutes, a low corner was struck home emphatically at the near post. That was where the scoring ended, with this still emphatic win for Battle liftting them above Cuckfield into eighth place, and at least Cuckfield were able to restore some pride with a very decent second half performance, although that made their first half performance all the more baffling.
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