Bexhill boss: Parks teams would beat us & Common

Common scored three goals in the last 20 minutes to win 3-1 at home to Bexhill in a wind-affected Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division One derby.

Munday said: “To be honest I think it was two poor sides playing a poor game of football in bad conditions. Was that good enough for a Bexhill derby and the people who came to watch? I don’t think so.

“We were by far short on what we would like (availability-wise), but I won’t moan about any of our players - they worked hard and tried hard. We weren’t good enough, but I don’t think they (Common) were great either.

“I look round at what else went on, and I think all three of Peche Hill (Select), Old Hastonians and Sidley (United) would beat the pair of those sides that played in a county league derby. I feel there’s better players in those sides than both squads that were out on the pitch in our derby.

“It’s sad why people would rather play an East Sussex League match than something that was always a fantastic day and a fantastic footballing event.”

The East Sussex League teams Munday mentions all contain players with county league experience, and Bexhill’s manager believes there’s a growing trend for people choosing to play two or three levels lower in local football and thereby having little travelling.

“The whole thing seems to be changing,” he continued. “I probably don’t blame the East Sussex League footballers because they’re all playing with their mates and playing locally. I think it’s the way the football’s going.

“Are they not getting looked after well enough in this league? Can they not be bothered to travel to Sidlesham and Selsey? It just seems to be getting harder and harder. No-one wants to be playing as high as they can.”

Munday has also been frustrated by late withdrawals in both of Bexhill’s games over Easter, with players dropping out less than two hours before Saturday’s 1-0 loss at home to Sidlesham and 45 minutes before the Common game.

“Three or four let me down on Monday morning and it’s a hard thing to take,” he went on. “It’s disheartening and I’m gutted about it all at the moment.”

Munday was sent-off for what the referee considered a stamp on Common substitute Dan Estherby in the 80th minute, but he felt he was unlucky to be shown a straight red card.

“I tackled the bloke and I’ve got to land somewhere,” Munday added. “I didn’t try overly hard to not land on him, but I wouldn’t class it as a stamp. Because people scream and kick up, you get people sent-off. To be honest I probably do it four times a game.

“I felt I should’ve been booked. I felt we might’ve held on if I was still on the pitch, but when things aren’t going your way, everything seems to run against you.”

Having lost their last three matches and scored just the one goal, Bexhill are down to 11th in the table with five matches remaining.

Their next two fixtures are their final two home games - against fifth-placed Oakwood tomorrow (Saturday) and second-placed Crawley Down Gatwick next weekend.

“I want to win all five of them, but it’s going to be hard to get a point out of any of them, especially this Saturday,” Munday said. “I’m not a quitter and I know the XI are going to work hard. If that’s going to be good enough we’ll have to see.”

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