Eastbourne United Association 1 v 3 AFC Uckfield

Tuesday 3rd Match 2020
Peter Bentley League Cup Quarter Final
The Oval, Eastbourne
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 100 (estimate)

Remarkably, given the seemingly endless wet weather that has been plaguing local football in recent weeks, two sunny days in a row on the south coast meant that I wanted to take advantage of taking in a game this evening. A visit to Hailsham was tempting, but that would only be a Southern Combination League Division One fixture between two mid-table clubs, and I was later relieved not to have chosen that game, as it ended in a goalless draw.

There have been a few tweaks to The Oval since my last visit back in July. Rather bizarrely, the gateman now uses a form of cash register to record admission taken in his hut, and unfortunately Storm Ciara did have an impact a few weeks ago, when the roofs and some of the brickwork were dislodged, and as a temporary fix, scaffolding had been erected around and above what is left of the dugouts to provide cover. The pitch was in relatively good condition considering the recent weather. The 20 page programme was very good, attractively and colourfully laid out, with a good mix of interesting articles to read and the necessary stats and facts.

This cup tie would be between two clubs in the top half of the Premier Division of the Southern Combination League. Eastbourne United were in sixth place, following 12 wins and three draws from their 26 league games, but are 15 points adrift of fifth place. AFC Uckfield were in ninth place, following 11 wins and three draws from their 22 league games - tonight would be Uckfield's first of ten games currently scheduled in March, after playing just two in February, and tonight's game would be their first since 4th February - which co-incidentally was also at The Oval, when the played tenants Little Common. Tonight's fixture would be the fifth time the clubs have met this season. Eastbourne United claimed the league double, winning 1-2 away in August and 3-1 at home in January, while Uckfield triumphed in two cup games, 0-3 at The Oval in the Sussex Senior Cup in November, and 0-1 in the RUR Charity Cup in December, also at The Oval.

On a dry and chilly evening, although with no breeze, Uckfield started on the front foot, creating some good chances in the opening twenty minutes, before taking the lead on 23 minutes. A cross from the left bounced low in the area, the defenders couldn't deal with it, and Jack Samways struck the ball across the keeper and into the net. They doubled their lead three minutes later, again the Eastbourne defence couldn't deal with the ball inside the area, and Callum Smith retrieved the ball near the byline and managed to squeeze it home from a very tight angle. Eastbourne didn't really threaten to get a goal back before half time, indeed, their rather shaky defence looked more likely to concede.

After a half-time rollicking, Eastbourne were much improved after the break, playing at a higher tempo as they dominated the play. Despite creating a few chances, Uckfield looked quite comfortable, weathering the storm, until they put the tie to bed on 83 minutes. The ball was played beyond the back post, finding Smith all by himself out wide. Dribbling to a more central position, it looked like he would cross the ball but instead thumped the ball inside the far top corner of the woodwork. They could have scored a fourth, before Eastbourne claimed a consolation goal in the 89th minute, the ball was slipped through to Dominic Cole, who struck the ball low across the keeper from just inside the area. But it was AFC Uckfield who progressed to the semi-finals, where they will play Peacehaven & Telscombe.

St Panteleimon 2 v 1 Winslow United

Saturday 29th February 2020
Spartan South Midlands League Division
Rectory Park, Northolt
Admission: £5.00
Programme: Online only
Attendance: 32

I had planned and was very much looking forward to  a trip to Suffolk today. But the seemingly neverending waves of heavy rain and storms - it was Storm Jorge's turn to put in an appearance this weekend - meant that I did not fancy driving long distances today, and in any case, most matches to be played on grass were either postponed early on, or would be at great risk of a late postponement. And so my matchday search for grounds turned to previously unvisited grounds with plastic pitches, a search that presented me with two options in West London - either Kensington & Ealing Borough's first game at Club des Sports, in Acton, or this game further along the Central Line. In the end, I chose what appeared on paper to be the better quality game, with two clubs close to the top of the table. There would also be an interesting twist, with the home side formed by and for the Greek Orthodox community.

After starting their first ever season in senior football hosting home games at North Greenford United's Berkeley Fields, St Panteleimon have led something of a nomadic existence since December, playing their home fixtures at various grounds around north-west London, with Saturday fixtures, including this one, being played at Rectory Park, the headquarters of the Middlesex FA, which is about a half hour walk southwards from Northolt underground station. Opened in July 2018, access to the "community football centre" is gained through the complex building, with admission being paid for at a table just inside the reception area. The building has a clubhouse room, which has more of a cafeteria to it, and as well as changing rooms, there are also some executive/function rooms. Round picnic tables are placed on the tarmac area pitchside of the building,  beyond which are two 3G pitches, which are lined up side by side, and both are inside tall see-through metal cages, and with pitch markings reflecting their additional use for smaller sided games. The main pitch has two all-seater stands along one of the lengths, one either side of the half way line, accommodating 140 seats in total, and this length is the only area of the ground that is accessible to spectators. Although the ground is inevitably rather bland and soulless, not playing permanent host to a football club, it is a very functional, neat and tidy, and sensibly sized complex, and is more than adequate to host Step 6 football, but apparently there is little prospect that the ground would be deemed acceptable to host football any higher up the pyramid, partly due to it being a one-sided ground. The club no longer issue printed programmes, and the online version consists of six pages, with predicted team line-ups, introductions to both clubs and a colourful and attractive cover. Although it looked professional, it would have been nice had there been league fixture and table information, and a welcome message.

With four promotion spots available in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One this season, St Panteleimon look in great shape to earn promotion after their first season in senior football, following promotion as champions from the Middlesex County League. They came into this game top of the table, following 19 wins and five draws from their 25 league games, six points ahead of second place New Salamis, having played a game less, and ten points ahead of today's visitors, in third place, who had won 17 and drawn one of their 24 league games. Winslow were three points ahead of fifth place, having played two games less. Interestingly, St Panteleimon's only defeat this season came from the reverse fixture of today's game, which Winslow won 4-2.

The weather in the first half was changeable, to say the least, with bright sunshine at kick-off giving way to dark clouds, and then a hail storm about 20 minutes in, which sent spectators scurrying to the small stands for cover.  Bright sunshine returned and remained throughout the second half, albeit the one constant throughout the match was a cold, biting wind. The first half was a decent watch, with St Panteleimon creating most of the chances, good ones at that, but too often the final ball was not good enough. Winslow looked dangerous on the break though, and had two excellent chances themselves in quick succession about five minutes before half time.

The second half continued in a similar pattern, until the deadlock was broken on 62 minutes. The Winslow keeper took a short free kick close to the corner flag, and as the ball was worked forward, a Winslow player was dispossessed, and Brad Glimaney strode forward before unleashing a terrific shot from outside the area into the top left corner, brushing the keeper's fingers en route. Winslow had a great chance to equalise ten minutes later, when an inviting, curling cross from the right was met with a flying header, but the ball went just high and wide. But on 83 minutes, the hosts doubled their advantage. The ball was drilled in from the left, and parried by the keeper into the path of Noyan Tajbakhsh, who slotted the ball home. The visitors kept pushing to get back in the game, and were rewarded in the 89th minute, after the keeper came out but was rounded and the ball was then tapped into the empty net by Sean Coles. They did not threaten an equaliser in the small amount of time remaining though, and so with this result, St Panteleimon went nine points clear at the top of the table, and so promotion as champions looks assured. Winslow United remain in third, but are now just a point above fifth placed Stotfold. This was an entertaining game to watch, albeit the cold made me rather glad to march back to Northolt station and enjoy the warmth of the tube train back into central London.

The electronic programme can be viewed by clicking here.

Bexhill United 3 v 0 Mile Oak

Tuesday 25th February 2020
Southern Combination League Division One Cup Second Round
The Polegrove, Bexhill-on-Sea
Admission: £5.00
Programme: 50p
Attendance:

Ideally, I would have wanted to have seen the rematch of the RUR Cup Semi Final between Eastbourne Town and Lancing this evening, having been present when the original tie was abandoned on the hour mark. But not particularly impressed that spectators of the original tie were expected to pay full price again for the rematch, I decided to give that game a swerve, and pay a second visit to the Polegrove in less than a week, for an interesting looking cup tie.

A glance at the league table suggested that this would be a game between two evenly matched teams, who are both chasing down a top four spot in the league to take advantage of the additional promotion spots available this season. Bexhill were in fifth place, following 11 wins and six draws from their 23 league games, three points adrift of fourth placed Mile Oak, who had won 13 and drawn three of their 21 league games. In the league encounters between the two clubs, Bexhill triumphed 2-0 at home in October, whilst Mile Oak made home advantage count last month, with a 1-0 victory.

Once again this game had to survive a pitch inspection following heavy rain in recent days, but fortunately a spell of light rain late afternoon did not further threaten this match. Indeed, the pitch remained in remarkably good condition for a recreation ground, although it inevitably was tacky in places, with sand added in the small problem areas. Although it was dry throughout the match, it was certainly very cold, particularly when exposed to the wind, which made the stand an inviting place to seek shelter inside. In the end, this was a game that Bexhill pretty much controlled from start to finish, and they took the lead in 5 minutes with a fine strike from Jack McLean, drilling the shot from the edge of the area past the keeper's dive. They created several other really good chances, and had a strong looking appeal for a penalty turned down on 21 minutes, before they doubled their lead on 27 minutes, when a corner was deflected into his own net by the head of Stevens. Mile Oak had a great chance to pull a goal back virtually straight from kick off with a ball over the top, but the ball was struck over the bar. On 36 minutes, Bexhill had an even stronger shout for a penalty turned down, but they saw the half out relatively comfortably to hold a two goal advantage at the break.

Bexhil continued very much in the ascendancy after the break, continuing to create the majority of the goalscoring chances, and they thought they had scored a third on 57 minutes when a free kick from the right was headed home at the back post, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Mile Oak huffed and puffed without really threatening to pull a goal back, and on 87 minutes, Bexhill scored their third of the night, when Wes Tate took a touch on the edge of the area before picking his spot, firing the ball into the top right corner, to confirm Bexhill's passage to the next round, when a visit to Seaford Town awaits.