This week we took the short trip to Bexhill and The Polegrove to face Bexhill Town in a league encounter. With other teams in Cup action we knew a win would put us top of the table. Bexhill Town came into the match bottom of the table having lost all of their matches so far but we couldn’t take the form guide for granted!

Several changes were made to rotate the team after last week’s disappointing draw away to Punnetts Town. Ash Kidman led the line, with Stephen Greenfield dropping into centre back and Tom Frazer-bates coming in at left back and Jack Fletcher at left midfield.
We started the brighter of the two sides and quickly got into our passing game, which was helped with the size of the pitch. The surface was slightly bobbly but we adjusted well to the conditions. Ash Kidman was looking lively up top from the off and straight away a handful for the Bexhill back line. Jan Bailey, playing further up field in a number 10 role was causing chaos in between the lines while both full backs Tom Frazer-bates and Terry Davies were pushing high up the pitch and pinning Bexhill into their own half. It wasn’t long until we opened the scoring. On 10 minutes, Jack Harman, playing on the right of midfield, picked out a near perfect cross spotting the run of Tom Frazer-bates who slotted home at the back post. 1-0.

We were now playing with real authority and Bexhill were only getting scraps and long balls which were dealt with comfortably by the defence. We soon doubled our lead when tenacious work from Ash Kidman got its just deserves. Charging down the goalkeeper, he blocked the kick and walked the ball (literally) into the net for 2-0. Things were soon to get even better when Tom Frazer Bates doubled his tally. Good work on the right from Jan Bailey led to a perfect fizzed cross which was duly converted at the back post for 3-0.
As expected, we began to see a bit of a Bexhill fight back but the majority of the 50/50s were still being won by us. Great work from Chris Ford and Aaron Davies to not only break up any possible counter attacks but quickly turning defence into attack for us. Bexhill had one main route back into the game, set pieces. After winning 3 or 4 free kicks around the box Bexhill did take one of their limited chances. A deep free kick was headed back across goal to their unmarked number 10 who simply had to tap the ball into an empty net. 3-1.

A frustrating way to concede but we felt there were still more goals in the game for us and before half time we were to add to our tally again. Jan Bailey under pressure from a Bexhill Defender was able to force the ball over the line from another decent cross. 4-1, half time.
A comfortably score line, but we couldn’t let up and just needed to keep doing the same things we had been doing so well in the first half. After 55 minutes, Jack Harman was replaced by Sean Lennard who almost immediately made an impact when his near post effort just went the wrong side of the post. With Bexhill suffering a few injuries the game began to get a bit bitty, but we continued to play our passing game. Al McMinigal replaced Jack Fletcher and straight away began to terrorise the Bexhill backline.

Although dominating possession we were still to make a breakthrough in the second half until Al McMinigal unleashed a beauty from 20 yards which nestled in the top corner for 5-1. Jordan Slater replaced Tom Frazer-bates and would have made it 2 goals in two games had it not been for a great save from the Bexhill keeper.

So the game ended 5-1 and those 3 points see us go to the top of the league. Although it is early in the season and teams around us with games in hand, its still a nice statement to put out there for our revamped side.
Everyone put in a great shift and some of the football played was brilliant but man of the match was Chris Ford who had a ‘blinder’ in the middle of the park.

Next week we head to Hawkhurst United looking to pick up another 3 points!