Bosham 0 v 2 Rottingdean Village

Saturday 24th March 2012
Sussex County League Division Three
Walton Lane, Bosham
Admission: None
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 50
Match Rating: 4

With glorious warm sunshine putting in an appearance today, I fancied a trip to the countryside for a grassroots game at a peaceful, village setting, and so I considered it an ideal opportunity to tick off one of the three remaining grounds I had yet to visit in the Sussex County League Division Three (and indeed, in the whole of the Sussex County League) with a trip to the western extremity of West Sussex.

Walton Lane is located about a twenty minute walk south from Bosham rail station, and facilities are basic, which will prevent the team from getting promoted back into senior football. Indeed, it has frustrated them recently, as they were Champions the season before last but were denied promotion, when apparently their facilities did not meet the criteria for the league they were in, let alone Division Two. The football pitch is part of a recreation ground, and one walks through a play area to get to the pitch - indeed, the play area comes up close to the pitch along one half of the length of the pitch. On the other length, tucked towards the corner, is the very old fashioned but extremely welcoming clubhouse and tea bar, with cover stretching from the clubhouse to the pitchside railing, providing the only cover at the ground.This is the only length of pitch that is railed, spectators are seemingly not intended to watch the game around the rest of the pitch, and there is no hard standing. There are also no floodlights here. The ground and the setting are not hugely memorable in all honesty, although a friendlier welcome and atmosphere would be very hard to find. Programmes were available from the tea bar, and was very good for the level of football, containing all the essentials to inform oneself of the background to the game ahead.

In truth, there is little left to play for both today's teams this season. Bosham went into today's game in twelth place in the sixteen team league, disappointing after their recent successful seasons, but are 14 points clear of a potential relegation place having place less games than the teams currently occupying those berths. Their recent form has not been good, having picked up just two points from their last four games, all at home, although before that run they did beat leaders Newhaven away. Rottingdean Vllage were in seventh place, but six points adrift of sixth placed Barnham and eighteen points behind leaders Newhaven (their lack of facilities also means promotion is not a consideration for them). Their recent results have also not been the best, winning one and losing three of their last four games. When the two teams met earlier in the season Rottingdean emphatically won 7-1 - after Bosham had taken the lead with less than a minute on the clock.

On a warm, sunny but hazy afternoon, the first half was an entertaining affair, with both sides doing plenty of attacking, first of all the Bosham keeper pulled off a couple of excellent point blank reflex saves to keep Rottingdean at bay, then Bosham had a couple of excellent chances, firstly when a forward drew the keeper wide of goal but his delicate lob hit the crossbar, then a one on one was saved by the keeper's legs. On 39 minutes, it was Rottingdean Village who took the lead when a low cross was played into the box and Michael Damario just beat the keeper to flick the ball home. Rottingdean kept their slender lead at the interval, which was deserved as their forward line looked dangerous throughout the first half with their pace often too much for the Bosham back line.

Bosham came out in the second half on the front foot, yet on 53 minutes, Rottingdean doubled their lead when a Bosham defender dallied on the ball and was dispossessed, and Rickie Mitchell strode forward before powering a shot across the keeper and into the net. Soon after, Bosham had a great chance to equalise when their forward broke clear for a one on one with the keeper but he blazed over the bar when he could have passed to his fellow forward. They had a couple of other reasonable chances to get back in the game, although with ten minutes left on the clock, Rottingdean hit the post. In the closing minutes, Bosham had a couple of fierce drives at goal saved by the keeper, but in the end, it was the away team who claimed a victory which they deserved for looking the more convincing and composed team, although the game really could have gone either way. Both teams remained where they were in the table.

Redhill 0 v 1 Lingfield

Tuesday 27th December 2011
Sussex County League Division 1
Kiln Brow, Redhill
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 100 (estimate)
Match Rating: 3

At the conclusion of my early afternoon game at Windsor, a double was made possible with several Sussex County League fixtures taking place in the evening. With logisitcs narrowing the choice down to matches at Redhill or Three Bridges, I settled for the Surrey derby between Redhill and Lingfield.

Kiln Brow is located about two miles south of Redhill town centre, alongside the A23 and within a stone's throw of East Surrey Hospital, and is about a half hour walk from Redhill rail station. Earlswood rail station is about half the distance, but is served much less frequently. The ground is not particularly pleasing on the eye, although improvements have been made in recent years since my last visits. After one enters the turnstiles, there used to be a real hotchpotch of red portakabins stretching along the length of the pitch, but these have now been replaced by a more permanent clubhouse, a building resembling a house for the changing rooms, and most recently an all-seater stand has been installed straddling the half way line. Obviously unable to resist temporary buildings, there are a couple of green prefab buildings housing the clubhouse and tea bar. There is a small stand for standing in the corner behind one of the goals, with just hard standing around the rest of the pitch. It is fair to say Kiln Brow would not gain many plaudits for aesthetic appeal, but facilities have certainly improved no end and there is quite a unique feel to the place which is always pleasing. Redhill were always renowned locally for producing excellent programmes. Unfortunately their standards appear to have dipped, although on this occasion it may have been due to the Christmas deadlines. It consisted of ten pages inside an advertising shell and was a double issue for this and Redhill's New Year's Eve fixtures and covered the basics and there are certainly worse programmes produced at this level.

Both of tonight's teams have had solid if unspectacular seasons so far. Redhill were in seventh place but with up to three games in hand on most teams above them. Lingfield were three places lower and two points worse off, having played a game more. Redhill have had two excellent results most recently, winning 6-1 at bottom of the table Chichester last time out, and comprehensively beating high-flying Lancing at home the week before. Things have not been so good for Lingfield recently, losing their last two games and suffering an 1-8 humiliation at Selsey in the RUR Cup. The two sides have already met this season at Kiln Brow in the Surrey Senior Cup, with Lingfield victorious by three goals to one. A surprise inclusion in the Lingfield team was Nicky Forster, the former Reading, Brighton, Brentford and Charlton striker, and current manager of Dover Athletic. It must be very rare indeed that a manager plays for another team.

A quarter of an hour ahead of kick off, the lights went out, although happily power was restored after about five minutes and the game went ahead on time. The first half was rather uneventful - competitive, but with neither side creating any real chances until four minutes before the interval when Lingfield had a shot cleared off the line.

The scoreline was goalless at half time, and it was one of those games where a nil-nil appeared to be written all over the game. However, six minutes into the second half and the deadlock was broken, albeit with a scruffy goal in keeping with the game. Forster drove towards the goalkeeper before crossing the ball in the air along the six yard line, and Lee Flavin bundled the ball in with his chest according to the officlals after the referee consulted with his linesman, but there was a strong suspicion of handball which the Redhill players protested vigorously for. The rest of the game continued in the same vein of being competitive but with precious few goalscoring opportunitoes, and in the closing minutes, Lingfield looked the more likely scorers, but one goal was all they needed for the three points which sees them leapfrog over Redhill and into eighth place.

East Grinstead Town 2 v 0 Crowborough Athletic

Monday 26th December 2011
Sussex County League Division
East Court, East Grinstead
Admission inc. programme: £6.00
Attendance: 133
Match Rating: 2

For my Boxing Day fare, I ventured to a ground I regularly visited many years ago prior to my groundhopping days, but had not for many years, for the north Sussex derby between East Grinstead Town and Crowborough Athletic, another team I regularly followed all those years ago.

East Court is about a twenty minute walk from the town's train station - although with no trains running today, I had to drive to the game today, with the ground located on the approach to the town along the A264 from Tunbridge Wells. I always considered East Court to be one of my favourite grounds at this level, and it was pleasing to discover that the necessary improvements have given the ground a very neat and attractive feel without detracting from its pleasant setting. The ground is located down a narrow access road, and on entering the ground, one walks up a bank to reach the main stand, which was standing room only the last time I visited, but now has seats installed. A small covered stand of terracing is now located between the main stand and the entrance, and around the rest of the ground is just hard standing. Changing rooms and the clubhouse are located behind one of the goals. There is a naturally enclosed feel with trees all around and the location is quiet. The ground is very well maintained with stands and buildings freshly and brightly painted in club colours, and it would certainly not look out of place in the Isthmian league. I recalled that East Grinstead always used to produce excellent programmes, and their standards certainly have not dropped. Included with admission, it is remarkably well produced with a very professional design, 20 pages in full colour, although half of those contain just advertising.

Today's match would be between two teams stuck firmly in mid-table, with East Grinstead in ninth place in the twenty team league, and Crowborough three places and two points behind them. After a tricky November, when they lost consecutive league games by 0-7, 0-5 and 2-4, East Grinstead then proceeded to win four of their last five league games. Crowborough have been very inconsistent this season, and since I witnessed a very limp display at out of form Selsey earlier in the month, they have gained a win and a draw in their two league games.

The first half of this match was rather dull, with the only event of note being the referee pulling up with an injury which required lengthy attention, and he would eventually be forced to admit defeat at half time and was replaced in the middle for the second half. It was no surprise that the scoreline was goalless at half time, with almost all of the action confined to the middle of the park with few attacks mounted by either side.

The second half threatened to continue in a similar vein, until the home side took the lead on 58 minutes, The keeper Mark Fox pumped the ball forward from a free kick, and the ball was then curled into the box from the left and Aaron Watson glanced his header past the keeper and into the net. Thirteen minutes later and East Grinstead doubled their lead, when a throughball was played which Tony Reid latched onto, before racing towards goal for a one-on-one with the keeper, and Reid stroked the ball calmly into the net under the keeper. The scoreline was a fair reflection on second half proceedings, where the home side certainly upped the ante, whilst the visitors huffed and puffed without ever being to able to carve out real chances on goal. As the game entered stoppage time, East Grinstead hit the post, and so East Grinstead claimed a comfortable derby victory and so rose two places in the league to seventh, whilst Crowborough remain in twelth.

Roffey 0 v 1 Barnham

Saturday 24th December 2011
Sussex County League Division 3
Bartholomew Way, Horsham
Admission: None
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 182
Match Rating: 3

With only a handful of games across the country taking place today, it was to my good fortune that almost all of these were taking place in my local league, the Sussex County League. And even more fortunate that the nearest ground I had not yet visited would be playing at home. It is fair to say the decision to play games on Christmas Eve was not universally popular amongst players and officials, as all clubs with floodlights moved today's fixture to another date. One really has to pity the Roffey players, who were faced with games on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, which really does border on the ridiculous!

Roffey's Bartholomew Way ground is located on the northern outskirts of Horsham, and is about a 15 minute walk from Littlehaven rail station, at the end of a very middle class housing estate. As Bartholomew Way ends, a large car parks stretches out, at the end of which is the clubhouse and bar, and to the right of which is the football pitch, neatly nestled with trees closely surrounding all four sides. Unsurprisingly for a club in their first season in the Sussex County League, facilities are minimal, with the pitch railed off but with no hard standing nor other spectator facilities apart from a tea bar hut located in one corner. The setting would surely be more attractive in early Autumn, when the trees would be laden with colourful leaves, and the constant roar from the adjacent busy dual carriageway also detracts from the pleasantness of the setting. With attendances hovering around the 50 mark this season - which is very decent in this league - today's attendance four times that figure certainly came as a surprise to the home team, swelled by a very large number of groundhoppers attracted by the opportunity to tick off a new ground with so few other games being played. The hosts coped very well with the unexpected turnout, with the tea bar doing a roaring trade throughout and the programmes originally produced being gobbled up half hour ahead of kick off. However, fresh copies were printed throughout the match to ensure that everyone who wanted a copy would not be disappointed. The club deserves enormous credit for that, and indeed, the overall impression of the club was very positive, of a very friendly, well-run club.

Clubs promoted to the Sussex County League tend to do well - today's visitors, Barnham, finished in third place last season in their debut season, and are in the top half of the table this season, in sixth place. Roffey have proved an exception to the rule of thumb though, as they have only won two of their opening sixteen games, losing all of the others, and prop up the table. They have shipped at least six goals on four occasions - including an 1-8 loss last time out at TD Shipley, and 7-1 at Barnham last month.

The game started off surprisingly evenly, with little to tell between the two sides, although Barnham perhaps shaded the amount of attacking intent. They took the lead on the half hour in rather bizarre circumstances, when a fine strike from outside the area cannoned off the crossbar, and the keeper seemed to completely lose concentration as he wandered around, talking to one of his defenders, and Ashley Harper took his time to stroke the ball into an unnecessarily empty net. Quite what the reasons were for the keeper to stop playing is an absolute mystery. The rest of the half continued in an even manner, and the scoreline remained one goal in Barnham's favour at half time.

Roffey began the second half on the front foot, mounting several attacks, the best of which came on 50 minutes when a low cross was met by a shot which stuck the post and bounced clear. The game remained in the balance throughout the second half, but there were few real golden chances to score until five minutes from time when Barnham really should have doubled their lead, when the ball was played back from the touchline to an unmarked forward but he shot wide of the goal from about 12 yards out. A couple of minutes later and Barnham came very close to scoring again, when the forward spotted the keeper slightly off his line, but the ball was tipped over the bar.

In the end, it was Barnham who predictably claimed the three points to move up one place in the league, however they were run very close by a Roffey side who, on the evidence of today, do not look a bottom of the table side who have lost 14 out of 16 games this season, and with only one team potentially being relegated and with only up to a four points behind the three clubs immediately above them, they still appear to have a good chance of escaping the drop. One hopes they do, as certainly off the pitch, the club is a credit to the Sussex County League.

Selsey 2 v 0 Crowborough Athletic

Saturday 3rd December 2011
Sussex County League Division 1
High Street Ground, Selsey
Admission: £5.00
Programme: 50p
Attendance: 84
Match Rating: 3

With my original plan of attending the Salisbury v Grimsby Town FA Cup match thwarted by failing to wake up in time - it turned out that this was not necessarily a bad thing, as that match ended goalless - I turned to my back-up plan of ticking off my last senior ground in the Sussex County League and a trip to what is something of an outpost on the south coast.

Having arrived at Chichester rail station, I then caught a bus from the adjacent bus station for the 40 minute bus journey to Selsey town centre, with the High Street Ground just couple of minutes walk from the bus stop, and located adjacent to Budgens supermarket. The ground has "bog standard county league ground" written all over it - does the job, but has very little character or endearing qualities. On one length of the pitch there is a stand with two rows of seating, with a row of standing to the rear. On the other side is the clubhouse and changing rooms, with a tea bar tacked on to one side closest to the entrance. Around most of the rest of the ground is just hard standing. Full compliments to Selsey for the programme though.In itself it is nothing special - although it covers the basics very well and is far better than some of this level - but very well priced at 50p, a far more realistic and justifiable price than what is usually charged at other County League grounds these days.

This match would be between two teams occupying the middle of the table, with Selsey in fourteenth place in the twenty team league - but have played less games than almost every other team, and Crowborough Athletic in eleventh place and seven points better off than Selsey, although they have played five games more and having already played 22 games are already well over half way through their fixtures. It would be fair to say Selsey have not been in the best of form of late, losing their last three league games as well as going out of the league cup to local rivals Pagham. As for Crowborough, recent games have been somewhat turbulent, winning last time out 4-0 at home to Worthing United, after losing 1-6 at home to Rye United in the league cup and before that picking up just one point from four games. The two sides have already met twice this season, both times at Crowborough - Crowborough winning 3-1 in the league, the same scoreline with which Selsey won in the Sussex Senior Cup. It was interesting to note that the manager of Selsey was Adam Hinshelwood, who played 100 games for Brighton but was forced to retire early from the game and is now aged just 27.

The first half was an even affair, with both sides having reasonable chances, although it was the home side who went into the lead on 26 minutes when a scramble in the penalty area - with various bodies on the ground - ended with the ball being poked over the line by Max Thoms. On 42 minutes, Selsey doubled their lead, when a well-played throughball was taken towards goal and slotted calmly under the keeper by Robert Wimble. The 2-0 scoreline was rather harsh on Crowborough who had some chances themselves to get on the scoresheet, most notably on the stroke of half time when a Selsey defender headed over his own goalkeeper and the ball only just dropped wide of the post and from the resulting corner, a thumping header by Dave Adams, Crowborough's player-manager, went wide, with the referee blowing the half-time whistle immediately afterwards.

The second half was rather disappointing, as Crowborough never threatened to mount a comeback, with sloppy passing and an apparent lack of ambition thwarting any hopes of mounting an attack, Selsey looked extremely comfortable and always looked far more the likely to score, but in the end 2-0 was how it remained.