Bexhill boss content with point - Little Common have plenty to build on

On their longest trip of the season to face the newly promoted side, the Pirates led but ended up having to settle for a point. Light said: “It was great to get going properly - I’m not someone who enjoys pre-season.

"Midhurst isn’t an easy place to go and we’ve never really done well down there; however I thought we were very good. We kept possession of the ball well, switched the angle of attack consistently but unfortunately lacked that cutting edge in the opponents’ box.

“Midhurst are a physically strong side who are well drilled and they can play a bit too so I expect them to go well this season. We would have obviously have liked to have brought home all three points, but it’s important to get something on the league table in the first game and we did that.”

Bexhill looked comfortable in possession shooting up the slope in the first half, but Midhurst used their physical presence and forced debutant Bexhill keeper Gregor Shaw into a stunning point-blank save.

Bexhill went ahead when striker Evan Archibald was on hand to beat Midhurst keeper Tom Bird from eight yards. In the second half Bexhill upped their tempo and started to find space but Midhurst matched the Pirates.

Midhurst levelled in the 59th minute when a swift counter attack ended with a shot across goal from the left which was palmed out by Shaw only for the rebound to fall to Robbie Tambling, who reacted quickest to score. Bexhill’s best chance to win it fell to midfielder Joe Summerbell who with the goal at his mercy lifted the ball over the bar.

Tomorrow is FA Cup extra preliminary round day and Bexhill host North Greenford at Eastbourne Borough (3pm). Light said: “We don’t know too much about them, only that they score a lot of goals. We’ve got a good squad and playing the game at Eastbourne we know we’ll have a good surface to play on so going into the tie in a positive mood.”

Little Common kicked off the new SCFL premier division season with a narrow defeat to Broadbridge Heath.

A goal ten minutes from time condemned Little Common to an opening day defeat at the hands of the early pacesetters.

Missing four unavailable players, the Commoners welcomed back Louis Walker at right-back and had an otherwise familiar looking line-up.

It was the visitors who began the game on the front foot and were rewarded in the fifth minute when Lewis Parsons was harshly penalised for a well-timed tackle to give Heath a spot kick. Justice prevailed when Common keeper Matt Cruttwell guessed the correct way to save comfortably.

Cruttwell dealt well with two long-range efforts and Parsons and Russell Eldridge blocked goal-bound efforts. Paul Feakins saw an effort saved by the Heath keeper before the visitors went close.

Common enjoyed a better start to the second period but were unable to capitalise on a number of free-kicks. Freddie Warren had Common’s best chance when played through on goal but his effort fell the wrong side of the post – though he was deemed offside.

In the 80th minute a fortunate bounce in the area saw the ball fall to Ben Cooksley to prod home.

Boss Russell Eldridge said: “It’s disappointing to start with a defeat as we worked hard and showed good endeavour in competing with a team that will be up there come the end of the season.

"We lacked the quality we needed when searching for the end product in the final third whether that be a pass, cross or shot. We had better territory and control in the second half but fell to a goal that on another day would have been avoided.

"With four or five players missing from the group we applied ourselves but we need to expect more of ourselves on the ball."

Little Common host Chatham in the FA Cup on Sunday.