It’s heaven not hell in the hail as Ringmer keep Crawley Devils at bay

The Blues had to weather difficult conditions at Warden Park 3G pitch in Cuckfield, with rain, hail and strong winds threatening to disrupt the action but ultimately giving way to a sunny finish as Ringmer cantered to victory.

Having faced the Devils just four weeks earlier in a narrow 2-1 win, Tommy Haddon’s side knew they had to be on top form in the return fixture against a physically imposing side.

In that respect, a brilliant 2-1 win at Eastbourne United Association Reserves the previous week did wonders to increase confidence and Ringmer only made two enforced changes for this contest.

Owen Brown’s unavailability meant Dan Fox made just his second start since suffering a serious knee injury back in early September, while a late second change saw captain Charlie Northeast pull out after straining a hamstring in the warm-up and George Maybury called upon to start.

Despite the entire right side of Ringmer’s defence being changed, there was no worry early on as the Blues bossed possession and made themselves at home.

Maybury saw plenty of the ball at centre-back, while temporary captain Ellis Webster and midfield partner Jamie Blackford covered almost every blade of artificial grass as they proved too energetic for the hosts.

With Ringmer’s dominance with the ball proving frustrating, it did not take long for Crawley’s discipline to fray, and midfielder Jamie Samels was handed an early sin-bin for swearing at referee Stephen Ellis.

This resulted almost immediately in Ringmer going ahead, as in the 15th minute, Blackford struck a fierce free-kick low and hard from 20 yards out, and George Coleman followed up from point-blank range to poke in.

Though the Devils were soon restored to 11 men, this did nothing to help their cause as Ringmer were pinging the ball with consummate ease and Blackford, in particular, was bossing the show with some effortless pass-and-move play.

Ed Easton got a great chance from a corner but sent a free header over the bar, while Jake Barber also got space in the box but drove just wide as the chances flowed. Ultimately, it took the misfortune of a second sin bin to spark another goal, with Devils’ Grant Smoker suffering the same fate as Samels, similarly sent to the sidelines for swearing.

It was at this point that the hail truly took hold too, with horrible conditions for the players, officials and management as they were bombarded whilst trying to keep their composure. Ringmer stuck to their task, and in the 38th minute, a beautiful pass from Fox – who bossed the right flank all afternoon – set Barber away for an ice-cold finish through the goalkeeper’s legs to make it 2-0.

Neither side found it much fun in the unseasonal conditions for the remaining moments of the first half, and while they did not bother to make the trek back to the dressing rooms, they were at least grateful for a chance to huddle up with the half-time whistle.

As the hail eased and gave way to ever-diminishing rain, the second half began with much more urgency from the hosts, who had been guilty of being too passive to that point. They returned with added impetus as passes found striker Henry Taylor and their wingers got involved, but none of their moves forced Ringmer ‘keeper Xhemal Bako into action.

Ringmer continued to have joy out wide as Fox and Coleman’s partnership proved just as effective as the well-established link between Jacob Ashwood and Rhys Taylor, and when play went infield, Easton went close again as a shot cannoned back off the crossbar.

All too easily, though, Ringmer soon swooped in to make it 3-0. In the 59th minute, Taylor was cynically hauled down in the box after cutting inside, and stepping up to take the penalty himself, he dispatched an effort into the bottom left corner.

It was not long before Taylor quickly doubled his delight, and in the 70th minute, a perfectly weighted free-kick out from the back by Bako skimmed over Luke Colwell and set up Taylor to finish with aplomb at the near post.

Debates raged over whether Colwell or Bako got the assist, but given the defiance from the Albanian ‘keeper, there was nobody who could take that honour off him. With bright sunshine returning, the game then became a matter of Taylor vs Crawley Devils, as the Ringmer man hunted down his hat trick and was constantly teed up by his teammates.

A comical double miss in the goalmouth took the sheen off Taylor’s second half, and he was unlucky with a couple of other chances to shoot in the box, but his contribution was already decisive. In the 90th minute, Crawley finally got a goal back as a corner was floated in and found James Cullen to stab home, and though Barber was shifted to centre-back to cover for an injured Maybury in added time, Ringmer still held on for victory.

The three points were crucial, but it was more so the performance that would fill Ringmer with pride after this contest.

The Blues are unbeaten inside 90 minutes in their last eight outings now, and with three straight league wins for the first time in 2024, they are hitting form at the ideal moment.

Sitting second in the MSFL Premier Division with 42 points after 21 matches, they trail leaders Reigate Priory by five points with a game in hand.

Third-placed Balcombe (41 points, 21 games) and fourth-placed Westfield (37 points, 20 games) remain the most immediate challengers, while a lack of league action for Eastbourne United Association (16 games played), Oxted & District (13 games) and Lindfield (14 games) sees them all face a tall order to maintain momentum throughout a long April.

Ringmer have just five matches left by comparison and begin their run-in with a trip to Holland Sports this Saturday.

Kick-off will be at 2pm at Mill Lane Recreation Ground, Hurst Green, RH8 9DG.

Ringmer AFC: Bako, Fox, Ashwood, Wilton, Maybury, Webster (C), Coleman, Blackford, Easton, Barber, Taylor. Subs used: Balameh, Colwell