Bexhill promotion bid stalled

BEXHILL United are in danger of seeing their promotion dreams go up in smoke after throwing away victory against closest rivals Lingfield.

Bill Trivett's team seemed on course for the points but two goals in a devastating three-minute spell after the hour mark means that coveted second place in Sussex Division Three is very much up for grabs.

Despite the 2-1 defeat Bexhill still retain a four-point lead and a vastly superior goal difference but have played two more games than Lingfield.

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Bexhill will be kicking themselves because victory at the Polegrove on Saturday would have all but secured their return to senior football. "If we had won, it would have finished Lingfield off," admitted Trivett.

Instead, they failed to build on a ninth minute lead by conspiring to throw away chance after chance.

The one they did convert came from a Dave Carey corner which was met by skipper Mark Funnell whose powerful header cut out the goalkeeper and Barry Leete had the simple task of nodding home from virtually on the goalline.

Soon after Ian Rise went on a dashing run which forced a good save and Carey, who chipped over from a decent position inside the opening 30 seconds, shot into the side netting from a tight angle after rounding the keeper.

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Bexhill were forced into a change midway through the first half when the aftereffects of flu forced off Funnell who was replaced by the returning Sam Thompson.

Despite the change Bexhill still looked in control with their best spell coming after half time when Carey and Wes Tate were both denied by smart stops. Soon after Tate should have done better after being put clear by Carey's sublime dummy.

Lingfield, who had threatened only occasionally, almost equalised when Jason Spiteri volleyed over an empty net from eight yards. Bexhill failed to heed the warning and within four minutes they found themselves chasing the game.

Spiteri got away from his marker on the right hand edge of the Bexhill box and rifled in a low shot which Mark Carey could only parry, allowing Steve Reynolds to tuck home.

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A couple of minutes later Bexhill went to sleep at a corner and Louis Perkins rose unchallenged to direct a header into the top of the net.

Lingfield had to play the final quarter of the match with only 10 men following the sending off of substitute Marlow Bacchus for dissent, but managed to hold on as Dave Carey, Leete and Steve Mote all went close.

"It was very frustrating," said Trivett. "I don't think we played to our full potential but still felt that with a little bit of luck we could have won the game comfortably. The players were quite down for a while afterwards. It would have been easier to take if we had played badly but I felt we were the better side on the day."