Bexhill AAC 1 v 2 Sidley United

Wednesday 19th April 2023, Kick-off 18.30
East Sussex League Premier Division 
Sidley Recreation Ground, Bexhill-on-Sea
Admission: None
Programme: None
Attendance: 65 (rough head count)

For my opening game of "silly season" this year, I opted to take in my second Bexhill derby on consecutive nights, with a revisit to a ground that I visited whilst I was “walking my dog” as we were coming out of one of the Covid lockdowns in spring 2021.

Bexhill AAC came into this game in a lowly eighth position in the table out of 11 clubs, although that is probably something of a false position, as they have between three and seven games in hand on all clubs above them. They had won ten and drawn four of their 10 league games so far. For that reason, a top three finish is certainly not out of the question. Sidley United have led a nomadic existence since they were obliged to vacate their previous home at The Gullivers back in 2013, a move which also forced their demotion from the Sussex County League, back in 2013, and after spending three seasons in the Mid Sussex League, their ambitions to rejoin the senior divisions of what is now the Southern Combination League seem as distant as ever, with no sign of a home ground being built (and with The Gullivers laying shamefully abandoned), and they voluntarily moved back to the East Sussex League, with official promotion only leading back to the Mid Sussex League, or the intermediate level Southern Combination League Division Two. They came into this game in sixth place, following seven wins and a draw from their 17 league games.

On a sunny evening but with a stiff breeze blowing across this rather exposed ground, Bexhill opened the scoring on 32 minutes when a corner was met at the far post with a firm header by Ben Ferguson to send the ball into the back of the net. It seemed that Sidley had equalised just three minutes later, when an inswinging free kick from wide right seemed to go through a crowd of players and past the keeper into the net, but the linesman raised his flag for offside. But they did equalise on 39 minutes, when  a free kick was lifted into the box and Andy Atkin guided the ball home with a header. The half time whistle blew on 40 minutes, with a fairly quick turnaround for half time, in consideration of the fading light to come.

On 51 minutes, Sidley took the lead, when Logan Copley delivered an excellent free kick, and which Steve Mote met with a glancing header to divert the ball inside the far post. On 67 minutes, it was Bexhill's turn to have a goal disallowed, when a free kick was headed on and tapped home, but the linesman flagged for a push. Both sides had chances to score in the remaining minutes, but Sidley held on, relatively comfortably in the end, to consolidate their sixth place in the table.

Little Common 0 v 0 Bexhill United

Tuesday 18th April 2023, Kick-off 19.30
Southern Combination League Premier Division
Little Common Recreation Ground, Bexhill-on-Sea
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 202

For the start of what will be a busy week of groundhopping, I started off this evening with a cross-town derby, which was postponed from its originally scheduled date of Easter Monday due to heavy rain.

Both clubs have had decent seasons, with Little Common coming into this game in 11th place in the table, following 17 wins and six draws from their 36 league games. With just one game left to play after tonight's they are guaranteed to finish in 11th, but a top ten finish is still within their sights - they trailed Hassocks by three points, and had a four goal inferior goal difference, but had tonight's game in hand. Their recent form had been quite good, winning two and drawing two of their last five games. Bexhill are guaranteed to finish at least in ninth place, the position they occupied going into this game, following 21 wins and two draws from their 36 league games. But in a congested top half of the table, just two points separated them from fifth placed Eastbourne United, and five points from fourth placed Steyning Town. Their recent form has been good, winning three of their last four league games, but a defeat surprisingly came at home to bottom placed Roffey. But the end of the season is tinged with a little sadness for Bexhill, as it was recently announced that the management team of Ryan Light and John Masters will be leaving the club at the end of this season, following seven extremely successful years, taking the club from a team struggling in the second tier of the Southern Combination League to one competing strongly in the top flight, attracting much higher levels of support, and doing much to enhance the development of the club off the field.

On a sunny evening which became chilly on nightfall, the first half saw Little Common probably having the better of the play, and yet it was Bexhill who had the clearest chances to opening the scoring. But on 36 minutes, Little Common saw a shot come back off the bar, whilst on 41 minutes, an excellent run down the right ended with the ball being crossed into the area, but it was headed into the ground before bouncing just wide.

Little Common started the second half quite strongly, but Bexhill gained more and more control of the game as the half wore on, and looked the more likely to snatch the win as the game wore on, with the Little Common keeper making some decent saves while other shots drifted just wide. Little Common did threaten on the break, but in the end, the game finished goalless, which was not really an appropriate reflection on what was an entertaining and keenly fought local derby. 

Corby Town 4 v 0 St Neots Town

Saturday 15th April 2023, Kick-off 15.00
Northern Premier League Division One Midlands
Steel Park, Corby

Admission: £10.00

Programme: £2.00

Attendance: 665

With this being my last Saturday available for groundhopping during the regular season in the National League System, as Charlton are at home on each of the next two Saturdays, I decided to venture further beyond my usual radar today. And having chanced upon finding a relatively cheap Advance rail fare to Corby earlier in the week, and having always been quite intrigued to visit "Little Scotland", I booked my tickets and looked forward to a week without the indecisiveness which usually affects me in the lead up to a groundhopping Saturday.

Steel Park is about a 45 minute walk from north-westwards from Corby train station, located at the far outskirts of town, although en route I meandered through the town centre and a Wetherspoons five minutes walk from the ground for lunch. The football ground, which is surprisingly not signposted at all from the passing road, is accessed down a short lane, and is part of quite a large sporting complex, opposite a tennis club and nestled tightly between a rugby club and an athletics stadium, which is where Corby used to play before moving next door, and where Weldon United, of the Northants Combination League, still play - indeed, they were playing one of their fixtures there today. The ground itself is accessed via a dedicated turnstile block, with programmes and raffle tickets available just the other side. Opened in 2011, facilities are quite modern and impressive, if a little limited. Straddling the half way line on one side, there is quite a narrow all-seater stand, with a capacity of just over 500 across 12 rows, and features an interesting roof which curves upwards to the front. Behind the goal opposite the entrance is a large covered terrace stretching between corner flags, while there is standing room only along the remaining length and end. One of those lengths has the back of the athletics stand lining the perimeter, while behind the end is the large clubhouse building, which has a large but windowless bar area, with more of a nightclub feel to it - which is exactly what it is outside of football matchdays. Hot and cold food and drink is available from a pitch facing hatch in this building, and a separate tea bar is housed in a wooden hut positioned next to the all-seater stand.

Realistically, there was not much riding on this game, with just a week of the regular season left to play. Corby can mathematically still make the play-offs, but are six points and four places adrift with just three games left to play - which is one more than most clubs above them. Things were looking good for them to reach the play-offs, with a run of six wins between mid February and mid March, but that has since been followed by picking up just a point from three games, most latterly a 0-4 home defeat to fellow play off contenders Chasetown to all but extinguish their chances. Overall, Corby have won 16 and drawn ten of their 35 league games. St Neots look destined for a relegation play-off, coming into this game in 18th place in the 20 club division, assured of avoiding the automatic relegation spots aside from a mathematical miracle, but cannot reach assured safety, again save for implausible set of circumstances. When the two clubs met back in late November, St Neots won 2-0.

On a mild and mostly sunny afternoon, the game started off quite evenly, but gradually Corby gained control, posing an ever increasing threat on goal. On 16 minutes, Jordan O'Brien struck a powerful shot which came back off the crossbar, and four minutes later, Danny Gordon drilled a free kick low just oast thr right hand post. But within a minute, they did take the lead with a very good goal, a passing move from their own half ending with the ball being laid off for O'Brien to strike the ball home from 8 yards out. St Neots did create a chance on 38 minutes, when Trey Charles forced the keeper to parry the ball wide.

Only one goal behind at the break, St Neots started the second half quite well, forcing the keeper into another good save, and a shot from the resultant corner went just over. But the game turned decisively in the home side's favour around the hour mark with two quick fire goals. First, on 58 minutes, a corner was headed high upwards, and as the ball dropped, Danny Gordon volleyed the ball powerfully into the net from the edge of the area. And on 61 minutes, the home side opened up a three goal lead, when a free kick was deflected into the path of Michael Jacklin, who guided the ball past the keeper. To their credit, St Neots kept battling away, and Joe Rider forced another good save from the Corby keeper in the 70th minute. But in added on time, Corby added their fourth following a sprint from the half way line by O'Brien ended with the ball being drilled low into the bottom left corner. 

No doubt that Corby deserved the win, but the four goal margin seemed a little harsh on the visitors, who have one more league game left before a relegation play-off tie against a Step 5 club, as they are guaranteed an 18th place finish. Today's result keeps Corby's faint hopes of making the play-offs - they remain in ninth place, but if they win their game in hand against already relegated Daventry Town in midweek, they will head into the final day of the regular season next Saturday two points adrift of the play-offs, and as well as needing to win their game against Boldmere St Michaels, will also need to hope that Coleshill Town, Harborough Town and Chasetown all lose. Mention should be made of an excellent attendance today, after a chastening defeat in the last home game and realistically little left to play for this season, and a very good atmosphere was generated. 

Corby Town:   Bukowski, Thomas (K), Gordon, Slinn, Milne, Jacklin, Fury, Thompson, Hilliard, O’Brien, Collins

Subs: Florian (for Collins 56 mins), Thomas (H), Alexander, Miller, and Arthur. 

Yellow Cards: Gordon  (74 mins), Thompson  (87 mins)

Goals: O’Brien 2 (22 & 90 mins), Gordon (58 mins), Jacklin (61 mins)

St Neots Town: Gill, Duncliffe, Tarpey, Boxer (P), Lewis, Dickens, Barton, Hook, Charles, Rider, Adu

Subs:  Mason (for Rider 73 mins), Osei (for Adu 73 mins), Smith (for Boxer (P) 79 mins), Boxer (T), and Anderson.

Cards:   Hook (Y – 40 mins), Boxer (P) (Y – 79 mins)

Attendance: 665

Referee: Thomas Durno (Solihull)

Video highlights of this game can be viewed by clicking here