Littlehampton United 1 v 5 Bexhill United

Sunday 1st September 2019
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
The Sportsfield, Littlehampton
Admission including Squad sheet: £5.00
Attendance: 70 (estimate)

 

After watching the earlier game here between Littlehampton Town, I then went into the town's Wetherspoons for dinner, before returning to The Sportsfield for this game with the most unusual Sunday evening at 7.45 kick off.

Littlehampton United, a club that changed its name from Clymping last season following their groundshare at The Sportsfield, would-be playing their first ever game in the FA Vase, and are probably one of the lowest ranked clubs in this year's competition, as a Step 7 club who finished in 13th place in the Southern Combination League Division Two. This game would be Littlehampton United's first home game of the season, which started with  a 1-7 win, then a draw, and most recently a defeat. Bexhill United finished in fourth place in the Southern Combination League Division One, but have picked up just one point from their opening three league games, all played away from home due to cricket taking priority at The Polegrove until September.

On a chilly evening with a clear sky allowing a beautiful sunset during the game, Bexhill started very much on the front foot, seeing along range shot tipped round the post on 5 minutes, before they took the lead on 9 minutes. A defender dallied with the ball in his own area and was dispossessed, and Jamie Bunn dribbled with the ball to find some space, before chipping the ball over the keeper from a very tight angle, with the ball dropping into the net. Bexhill scored their second on 15 minutes when Craig MacFarlane headed home a corner from close range. Littlehampton United did have a chance on 18 minute when a shot with the outside of the foot from the edge of the area went just over the bar, but that was a very rare foray forward by the hosts. On 37 minutes, a quickly taken free kick resulted in a shot tipped onto the post, but a minute later, Littlehampton United pulled a goal back when a corner was headed into the top left corner. And now the game was looking very different, as Littlehampton had settled and were holding their own, while Bexhill just couldn't seem to get their game going. But Bexhill did restore their lead just before half time, in quite fortunate circumstances. A Littlehampton player completely miskicked the ball in the attacking half, allowing Bexhill to gain possession and fire a diagonal ball for Jack Shonk to run onto and eventually stroke the ball past the keeper.

Despite being two goals behind, one felt that Littlehampton United still were in the game, even though Bexhill had the better chances to score, and it wasn't until the 86th minute that the game really went away from the hosts, when Bexhill saw a shot go wide of goal, but to general astonishment, a penalty was awarded. Shonk emphatically struck the ball into the top right corner. To compound their woes, Littlehampton had two players sent to the sinbin for dissent, one before the penalty was taken, the other in the aftermath. And in the first minute of added on time, Bexhill scored a fifth, Shonk claiming his hat-trick with a free kick fired into the top right corner.

So it was a poor day for the Littlehampton clubs, both bowing out of the FA Vase by four goal margins, as Bexhill progress to the next round, where they will travel to Combined Counties League Division One new boys Westside.

Littlehampton Town 0 v 4 Tunbridge Wells

Sunday 1st September 2019
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
The Sportsfield, Littlehampton
Admission : £6.00
Programme: £1.00, or online
Attendance: 130

 

I do not often watch games on Sundays, however today I was attracted by an unusual double of games in Littlehampton, both in the FA Vase, and starting with this interesting looking game between two clubs that have started their seasons strongly in their respective divisions. It also conjured up memories for me of a dramatic tie I watched between the clubs in an FA Cup tie at the Culverden Stadium back in 2005 when, after a 2-2 draw, 40 penalties were required to separate the two clubs, with Tunbridge Wells prevailing by 16-15.

I last visited The Sportsfield about 18 months ago, and not too much has changed since then, apart from the odd spruce-up. It remains a very pleasant and charming place to watch football at, although still the ground is shared with the cricket club, which is why this fixture had to take place on the Sunday. In terms of the programme, Littlehampton Town is currently "the best of all worlds", with an electronic version available to view a couple of days beforehand, whilst printed versions are also available to purchase for those that prefer a hard copy.

Littlehampton have had a great start to their season in the Step 6 Southern Combination Football League Division One, winning all four of their league games so far, conceding just one goal whilst scoring 11. Tunbridge Wells play a step higher, in the Step 5 Southern Counties League East Premier Division, and have also had a 100% record in the league so far this season, including an away win against their local rivals Crowborough Athletic on Bank Holiday Monday, a game I watched. It would be intriguing to see if home advantage could bridge the gap of the step difference, with both clubs in very good form.

In contrast to the bitterly cold, wintry day at the tail end of the "Beast from the East" I experienced on my last visit to The Sportsfield, conditions were mild today, with the sun shining through the clouds intermittently. The game started quite evenly, with Littlehampton probably having more of the ball without looking threatening with it. On 9 minutes, the visitors had a great chance to open the scoring, when the ball was fired in low across the six yard box, but just evaded several players for a tap in. Tunbridge Wells took the lead on 25 minutes, Danny Powell receiving the ball on the edge the area before setting himself to strike the ball into the top right corner. And the visitors doubled their lead on 34 minutes. The ball was threaded low into the path of Jack Hope, and he coolly slotted the ball home from a slight angle. And within a minute, they were awarded a penalty, when Euan Sahadow was fouled as he ran into the box, credit to the referee for still giving the penalty even though Sahadow stayed on his feet. Sahadow then struck the ball into the bottom right corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. That really gave Littlehampton a mountain to climb, and they really needed to pull a goal back before half time if they were to have any chance of getting back into the game, but Tunbridge Wells saw the half out quite comfortably.

Into the second half and on 55 minutes there was a sign it really wasn't going to be Littlehampton's day when they saw a goal bound shot from Ben Gray hit a team mate and the ball rebounded clear. For the most part, the pattern of the second half was Littlehampton battling to create openings, without much success, whilst Tunbridge Wells looked comfortable seeing the game out. And in the final minute of normal time, the visitors added gloss to the scoreline a ball played through the middle found Josh Froggatt, and although initially it looked like he might lob the keeper, instead he took a few touches before slotting the ball past the keeper.

So it was Tunbridge Wells who sealed progression to the next round where they will travel to Knaphill, of the Combined Counties League Premier Division, seeking revenge for a dismal 0-3 defeat they suffered on their last visit in the FA Vase in 2015.

The electronic version of the matchday programme can be viewed by clicking here.

Cove 0 v 1 Fleet Spurs

Saturday 31st August 2019
FA Vase 1st Round Qualifying
Oak Farm, Farnborough
Admission: £5.00
Programme: None
Attendance: 50 (estimate)

This weekend saw the opening fixtures in this season's FA Vase competition, and normally I like to choose games in FA competitions between clubs from different leagues. That was not the case with this game, as they both ply their trade in the Combined Counties League Division One, and today's fixture would be an exact repeat of last season's encounter at the same stage of the competition, with Fleet Spurs winning 0-2 on that occasion. Perhaps the clinching factor for me in choosing this game was the opportunity to complete the Combined Counties League.

Oak Farm is about a 25 minute walk westwards from Farnborough North train station, passing by Farnborough Main station about half way, and a narrow lane leads visitors to the ground's car park, and then the turnstile block, along one length. To the left of the entrance, the clubhouse is set some way back from the pitch, separated by gravel, and immediately in front of the clubhouse, which is bright with a modern decor inside, there is a patio area and some picnic tables. To one side of the clubhouse, there is a tea bar window selling a good range of hot and cold food and drinks. There is just hard standing along the rest of this length and behind both goals, whilst along the other length, a black modern metallic stand straddles the half way line, and either side there are more traditional and rustic stands covering flat standing areas. Unfortunately there was no programme - of the printed or electronic varieties - produced for this fixture.

It was initially announced by the FA that Cove would be relegated from the Combined Counties League to Step 7 football, after a bottom placed finish in Division One last season. However, they were eventually successful in their appeal and were reprieved.  They had a reasonable start to this season, drawing their first game and winning their second away from home, but then lost both games over the Bank Holiday weekend, including a 0-7 home defeat against Farnham Town. Fleet Spurs finished one place, but six points, above Cove last season, but they have had a very good start to this season, winning their opening three league games, and although they lost their last game to Jersey Bulls 4-0 away, the Channel Islanders will most likely be the dominant force in the division this season.

On a mainly overcast afternoon, with the odd sunny spell but with heavy drizzle falling around half time, this was not a game that will live very long in the memory in all honesty, particularly the first half. The visitors had two decent chances - on 25 minutes, the ball was fizzed in from he left but the forward couldn't quite make contact as he tried to acrobatically volley home, and on 38 minutes, a corner was headed towards goal, and although the keeper saved it, he juggled the ball but, fortunately for him, the ball stayed out. Then on 41 minutes, Cove were reduced to ten men, their number 9 shown a second yellow card, the first for a two footed lunge that could easily have been a straight red card, the second for retaliation after he was on the receiving end of a foul. Half time arrived with the scoreline still goalless, but Cove would now have to play the whole of the second half a man down.

And indeed, it was Fleet Spurs who would go on to dominate the second half, spending most of the time camped in the attacking half, but the final ball too often was not good enough, combined with some good defending by Cove, who seemed content to soak up pressure. The visitors did have a couple of decent chances, as though did Cove, but just as it looked certain that this tie would head into extra time, Fleet Spurs scored the winner in the 89th minute, when a corner was stabbed in at the far post by Naman Nasir, to seal their progress into the next round, where they will travel to play Milton Keynes Robins, of the Spartan South Midlands League Division One, and who received a bye in this round.

Video highlights of this match can be viewed by clicking here.