England Women 9 v 0 Montenegro Women

Saturday 5th April 2014
FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 Qualifiers UEFA Group Six
Brighton Community Stadium, Falmer
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 8,908
Match Rating: 4

It was a tough decision where to go today. On almost any other day, Eastbourne United's finely balanced FA Vase Semi-Final Second Leg match against Sholing would have won my vote. However, the opportunity to see the England women's team in action for the first time, in a competitive match at a local venue, was too alluring to resist, with still the possibility of catching the second half at Eastbourne following this game.

Only two stands were open for today's fixture, although I was able to sit in my fourth different stand, the East Stand, on my fourth visit to the Amex. As everywhere else in the stadium, it is difficult to fault the seating, which is cushioned, offers plenty of legroom and there is sufficient incline between rows for excellent views of the action. The programme was excellent value, with a glossy hardened cover and 52 pages with much of interest to read and more than enough stats to give a very good background to the fixture.

There's little doubt that England would be red hot favourites to win not only today's match, but also the group to qualify for the World Cup finals. They top the group with four wins from four matches, having scored twenty and conceded none in the process. Montenegro, whose women's team was only founded in December 2011, and having had to pre-qualify for this stage of qualifying, were bottom of the six team group, losing all four of their games, conceding 13 and scoring three goals. A draw today then would surely exceed their wildest dreams.

On a mild, overcast afternoon, any hopes the visitors might have had about clinging onto a draw were extinguished within a minute. Lianne Sanderson played the ball across the area to Toni Duggan, who fired the ball across goal and although it was fired straight at the keeper, she couldn't get enough on the ball to stop it going into the net. Within a minute, Montenegro had what turned out to be their only shot of the game when Armusa Kuc forced a smart low save from Siobhan Chamberlain at her near post. But England were otherwise completely camped in Montenegro half, and had what seemed a perfectly good goal disallowed on four minutes when Sanderson headed home a cross when the keeper flapped at the ball under minimal contact. However, Duggan made it two on 13 minutes when she tapped in from close range after the keeper failed to hold onto Fara Williams long range shot. It was somewhat of a surprise that the next goal didn't arrive until 37 minutes, when Eniola Aluko headed home Jill Scott's cross, and two minutes later place a lovely shot over the keeper from the edge of the box.

4-0 was a rather flattering scoreline for Montenegro, who battled gamely but were just hopelessly out of their depth against a hungry England team. The sight of half of the England team racing into opposition territory at the start of the second half showed they were far from happy to sit on their four goals, and within four minutes they scored their fifth, Karen Carney taking a touch before firing home, and on 55 minutes Sanderson rounded the goalkeeper and from a very tight angle, her shot was deflected into her own net by Jovana Mrkic. On 68 minutes it was seven, the ball falling at the feet of Demi Stokes, who took a touch before smashing the ball home for her first international goal. Two minutes later and it was eight with probably the best goal of the game, Duggan claiming her hat-trick was a delightful powerful flighted shot from the edge of the area. England seemed certain to reach double figures by now, although their next goal didn't arrive until 83 minutes, substitute Natasha Dowie thumping in a shot off the underside of the bar. The crowd then chanted "we want ten!" and although the England team tried hard to make it - perhaps a little too hard with long range and snatched shots - the tenth didn't arrive. This was a very entertaining game - England kept on playing with relentless desire and intensity, but it was impossible to not have sympathy with the Montengrans, who continued to battle hard throughout, never threw in the towel and showed plenty of pride for their nation - they were just completely outclassed in every respect.

Video highlights of this match can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26901726

Little Common 5 v 0 Saltdean United

Tuesday 1st April 2014
Sussex County League Division Two
Little Common Recreation Ground
Admission and Programme: £4.00
Attendance: 76
Match Rating: 4

For this week’s midweek action, I headed to the south coast for a game in the Sussex County League, to visit a club that has provoked a fair amount of controversy in recent weeks.

I last visited the Little Common Recreation Ground just under a year ago, and the venue has not seen any noticeable changes since then, so the temporary, flimsy sheeting perimeter fence lining one length and behind one goal still exists. This is what prevented the club from taking their place in Division One this season having finished in third place in Division Two and a promotion position last season, and when the club queried why Rye United were allowed to remain in Division One with a similar arrangement, the FA responded that Rye would be relegated on ground grading, a decision which contributed to Rye suddenly withdrawing from the Sussex League a couple of weeks ago.

 

On a mild evening, it was clear from early on that the hosts would dominate this game, and it was no surprise when they took the lead with nine minutes on the clock. The ball fell to Steve Morris deep inside the penalty area, and he swiveled before picking his shot to fire the ball across the keeper and into the net. Saltdean did have a great opportunity to equalise on 12 minutes when their striker latched onto a low throughball, but the eventual shot hit the keeper and bounced wide. It was to prove a very rare attack on goal by the visitors. Little Common doubled their advantage on 38 minutes when player manager Russell Eldridge took possession of the ball about 20 yards out, and fired in a vicious shot which the keeper got an arm to, but not firmly enough to prevent the ball hitting the back of the net. They almost scored a third on 43 minutes, when a shot from a corner was blocked on the line, but as the teams went in at half time, the result did not seem in any real doubt.

Indeed, Little Common had their best spell of the game when they played some really delightful football, and on 51 minutes James Vaughan scored their third goal with a free kick, curled in right footed from about 25 yards. Barely two minutes later and the hosts scored their fourth. A ball forward was hooked over the defence quite brilliantly, into the path of the onrushing Lewis Hole, who slotted the ball low past the keeper. On 66 minutes, the score became 5-0, Hole stealing possession in midfield before striding forward and eventually placing the ball past the advancing keeper. The game rather settled after that, as Saltdean belatedly showed some fight to keep the score remotely respectable, although Little Common certainly took their foot off the gas, and although they still had a couple of chances to extend their lead, a convincing five goal victory sees Little Common consolidate their position in fifth in the table, with fourth very much in their sights.

 

Ninfield United 3 v 3 Robertsbridge United

Saturday 29nd March 2014
East Sussex League Premier Division
Ninfield Recreation Ground, Ninfield
Admission and programme: None
Attendance: 31 (head count)
Match Rating: 4

At the conclusion of my earlier game at Hollington, I drove the quarter of an hour journey to Ninfield, arriving approximately five minutes after kick off.

The Ninfield Recreation Ground is a fairly typical venue in the East Sussex League, a village recreation which has no spectator facilities, but has plenty of rural charm about the place, with neat hedges and trees lining the venue, and an attractive clubhouse building located in one corner of the pitch. A cricket square is roped off adjacent to the football pitch, with play areas and a primary school present around the perimeter of the recreation ground.

Ninfield went into this game in seventh place in the nine team division, with thirteen points from their thirteen games, level on points with second bottom St Leonards Social but with two games in hand. Robertsbridge were in third place, with 20 points from their twelve games, and third place is probably the best they can hope for, being nine points behind leaders Iden but with two games in hand. When the two teams met in September, Robertsbridge won 2-1, and they also won 3-2 in December when they met in the Hastings Intermediate Cup.

With the wind largely having died down since my earlier game at Hollington, leaving a warm, sunny afternoon, Robertsbridge were awarded a penalty on 11 minutes for a push, and the ball was thumped down the middle by Guy Ballard to give the visitors the lead. Their lead was to last just five minutes though when a high diagonal ball found a Mark Freeman, whose shot across the keeper hit the far post and rolled into the net. On 37 minutes, the visitors went back into the lead. After an initial shot was blocked, the follow up shot was placed easily into the net by Adam Hardy, but again Ninfield were quickly back on level terms, this time within two minutes, as a long punt upfield was misjudged by the keeper as he indecisively came out of his area to claim the ball, but Ash Elphick got his head onto the ball first to nod it over the keeper and into the net.

2-2 was how it remained at half time, a fair reflection on a competitive and even half of football, as it continued after the break. On the hour mark, the home side went into the lead for the first time. The Robertsbridge keeper made a poor clearance from outside his area which fell to Elphick, who lofted the ball into the empty net from about 35 yards. It increasingly seemed that that would be sufficient for Ninfield to claim three crucial points in the battle against relegation as Robertsbridge didn't really threaten for the remainder of the game, apart from when, on 76 minutes, a curling shot from outside the area took a deflection off a defender and the ball came back off the post. However, in the last minute, the Robertsbridge keeper partially redeemed himself when he sent a free kick precisely into the penalty area and the ball was headed across goal by Dominic Whittaker and although a defender tried to acrobatically clear the ball off the line, it nestled inside the far post. Shortly afterwards the final whistle blew on a very entertaining game of football, with a point apiece probably being a fair result.

Hollington United 2 v 1 Rock a Nore

East Sussex League Premier Division
Gibbons Memorial Field, Hollington
Admission and programme: None
Attendance: 69 (head count)
Match Rating: 3

In an ideal world I would have wanted to have headed to Southampton today to take in the FA Vase Semi-Final between Sholing and Eastbourne United. However, being in the process of moving home, I decided to stay local and take in two matches in the East Sussex League, enabled with this game kicking off at 1.30 and another, at nearby Ninfield, kicking off at 3.30.

There have been no changes to the ground since my last visit almost a year ago, which is comfortably the best in the East Sussex League. Whilst every other venue in the division is not even roped off, here they pitch is railed off and there is a decent clubhouse for spectators with a good range of refreshments, with a barbecue outside selling hot food.

Traditionally one of the strongest teams in the East Sussex League, this season is proving no different for Hollington, currently in second place, just a point behind leaders Iden but with four games in hand, winning nine of their ten league games so far, with a 4-4 draw away at Ninfield in September being the only time they have dropped points. Fellow Hastings club Rock a Nore went into this game in fourth place in the nine team division, with eighteen points from thirteen games, winning five and drawing three. When the two teams met in early September, Hollington claimed a 1-3 away win.

On a bright and sunny day, but with a slightly chilly gusty wind present, the match started quite evenly, although Hollington had the first good chance on 6 minutes when a free kick was headed just over the bar. On 15 minutes they did take the lead, when a low cross from the right was struck first time low into the net by Reece Johnson. On 22 minutes, a long gentle ball forward by Rock a More was fumbled onto the post by the keeper and the lurking striker could not quite get to the ball to poke it home. Barely a minute later though and the visitors did get back on level terms. A high diagonal ball was played into the box, and Stuart Holden craned his neck excellently to head the ball over his shoulder, past the keeper and into the net. On 36 minutes, the Rock a Nore keeper came to the edge of his area to claim a long ball but he couldn't hold on to it and as the ball spilled away, the Hollington striker unable to gain possession of the ball. Amazement followed all round when the referee awarded a penalty which no-one appealed for but presumably was awarded for the keeper impeding the striker in attempting to regain possession. The penalty was converted into the bottom right corner by Glenn Woodhurst to put Hollington back into the lead, which they held onto at the interval.

Into the second half and on 51 minutes, a vicious shot on the turn forced a fabulous reflex tip over the bar from the visiting keeper, but four minutes later, he was powerless to stop Hollington opening up a two goal lead. A ball over the top sprung the offside trap and eventually the ball was crossed from the left and fell at the feet of the division's top scorer Shane Ryan at the edge of the area, and he took his time before placing his shot into the top right hand corner of the net. Rock a Nore's task was to get tougher on 57 minutes when they had a player sent off, yet another rather baffling decision by an increasingly erratic referee, apparently for kicking out at a Hollington player. With that the game was all but decided as the home team dominated the rest of the match, and on 83 minutes it appeared that they extended their lead further when a low long range free kick was juggled by the keeper and the ball spun back towards goal and the striker bundled the ball into the net from a yard or two, but the goal was ruled out, apparently for handball. It seemed another odd decision, but it didn't really matter as Hollington claimed the three points to remain red hot favourites to win the league.