Eastbourne Town and Hassocks enjoy winning week - Shoreham FC are TEN points clear

Town won at home to Crawley Down Gatwick last Saturday and away to Little Common in midweek.

Against CDG, who arrived in top spot, Town were dealt a pre-match blow when right-back Freddie Legg was recalled by parent club Hastings United. Leon Greig filled in, with Anesu Sisimayi making the starting line-up for the first time in 2023.

The game kicked off after a minute’s silence for former long-standing chairman of The Saffrons, David Lockyer.

Chris Winterton parried an early cross, a set-piece was blazed over the bar and a Town cross was caught by Down keeper Alex Bellingham.

Crawley Down blazed another one over the bar before Oliver Davies led an Eastbourne counter-attack and shot before the flag went up.

After a header from a set play was glanced over the bar by Harvey Enticknap and a 37th-minute booking for Sisimayi for a challenge on a Crawley Down man, Town picked up a free kick in a dangerous position. It was sent in low and there was a handball appeal but the referee was uninterested.

A moment of magic broke the deadlock in the 44th minute when Leon Greig sent a corner into the box. The ball curled magnificently into the far corner not touching anyone en route and leaving Crawley Down defenders bewildered.

Crawley Down Gatwick came out at the second half looking desperate to get back in it.

For Town, James Waters came on for Tyler Capon.

Town began to show what their attack can do. James Hull, dually signed from Hastings United, beat three defenders but his cross was cut out.

Eastbourne charged forward again and Davies rounded the keeper, passing to Hull, but he couldn’t shoot with enough powere.

Town saw a dangerous free kick by Waters go just wide.

The home side had more chances but couldn’t quite find a second.

Winterton had to be on his toes to claim a couple of late CDG crosses.

- MACKENZIE WHITEHOUSE

Roffey 1 Hassocks 2

SCFL premier

A few minutes. That was all that stood between Roffey and a first Southern Combination League win of the season at the 26th attempt.

The Boars led 1-0 through Kelvin Lucas’ first half opener and had dug in doggedly to frustrate Hassocks whilst playing with 10 men following a controversial 47th minute red card for Morgan Prill.

It looked like the Bartholomew Way crowd were going to finally be rewarded for their loyalty in what has proven to be an incredibly difficult debut season in the Premier Season.

But then Phil Johnson came to the party. Two goals in the space of seven minutes from the Robins’ top scorer turned the game on its head, leaving Roffey shellshocked as the visitors snatched a 2-1 victory from the jaws of defeat.

Neutrals and kinder hearted Hassocks fans would have found it hard not to feel sorry for the home support.

James Westlake and his players however had little sympathy, largely because of the timewasting and gamesmanship Roffey had deployed in their desperate search for that elusive maiden victory.

It took a long while for proceedings to heat up on a freezing cold night. The opening five minutes resembled the animal football match in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, where the two goalkeepers just send the ball from one end to the other over the heads of every outfield player.

James Shaw would kick down to opposite number Jasper Sheik who would send back to Shaw who would… well, you get the picture.

Some actual passing eventually broke out on 11 minutes when Mike Williamson and tall striker Jamie Wilkes worked a chance for Jack Troak which was dragged wide.

A rare Roffey foray forward saw Shaw make a smart double save before the offside flag went up.

Hassocks were forced into a change on the half hour when Joe Bull was withdrawn after taking a whack in a late challenge. Troak took over from Bull at left back with Leon Turner entering proceedings out wide.

Seven minutes later and Roffey took the lead. The goal came when a Hassocks corner went awry and the Boars were able to break forward at speed.

Ricardo Fernandes hit a through ball perfectly weighted for Lucas to just collect ahead of Shaw, who was by that point a good 25 yards off his line.

Lucas nipped around the Hassocks goalkeeper and advanced to roll into the empty net. In fairness to Shaw, he did well not to bring Lucas down and avoid the certain red card which would have come with it.

Hassocks responded to falling behind with their best spell of the first half.

Josh Bradley blazed a good chance to equalise over the bar 60 seconds after Lucas struck and Turner placed an effort too close to Sheik two minutes before the break.

Prill clattered into Bradley two minutes after the restart and although the collision was nasty, it appeared as though Prill had slipped on a surface becoming frosty rather than it being a malicious tackle.

It therefore came as a surprise when referee Harry Wood opted to send Prill for an early bath.

Roffey now had 43 minutes to negotiate with only 10 men. Sitting in two deep banks of four, they were well organised and it looked for the most part like Hassocks were going to fail to break them down.

The Robins had to wait half an hour from the red card until their first real chance of the second half.

When Johnson fired that over from a good position eight yards out and Bradley Tighe could only find the side netting when attacking a ball in at the far post, it began to feel like it was going to be one of those nights for the Hassocks.

That was until the 87th minute. Troak found himself attacking the by-line and pulling a low cross into the box.

Substitute Pat Harding collected and showed all his experience, holding the ball up and drawing a foul which led Mr Wood to award a penalty.

Sheik did his best to put Johnson off by standing on the spot, rearranging his socks and speaking a fair amount of claptrap.

Johnson was nonplussed by it all and after a bit of a delay in taking the penalty, he smashed the ball into the very top corner to level things up.

By his normal standards, Johnson had endured a quiet game up to that point. Sheik though had now poked the bear with his antics and that spelt bad news for Roffey.

There were 94 minutes on the clock when Turner collected inside his own half and ran 70 yards forward before slipping the ball through to Johnson.

The angle initially appeared too tight but that did not matter to Johnson, who drilled a brilliant effort across Sheik and into the far corner.

Roffey appealed for offside and although it looked tight, there was no flag forthcoming. Harsh on the hosts, but credit Hassocks for finding a way to win.

Hassocks: Shaw; Blake, B Tighe, Bygraves, Bull; J Bradley, Williamson, Wilkes, Troak; Johnson, Gault. Subs: L Turner (Bull 30), J Westlake (Wilkes 66), Harding (Gault 72), Loversidge (Bradley 72), Broomfield (unused).

SCOTT McCARTHY

SHOREHAM FC

Shoreham are TEN points clear at the top of the SCFL division one following a last-gasp win at Worthing United by completing a double over Wick.

At Lyons Way, Danny Jones fired in a 96th minute winner for Michael Death’s side after goals by Marcus Richmond and Tom Shelley had put them 1-0 then pulled it back to 2-2, either side of Dan Hills and Joe Kinsman netting for the Mavericks. See Stephen Goodger’s picture special here.

Worthing are ninth but the Musselmen are looking good for promotion to the premier division.

Shoreham strengthened their position with a 3-0 home win over Wick on Tuesday night. Harry Heath – who scored five in a recent 6-2 win at Wick – scored a first-half hat-trick.

Musselmen boss Death said of the win at Worthing: “We were not good. We did not play well. We were not aggressive enough. We did not do what we usually do. But, we did win. And what a way to win it.

"It’s a good trait to have if you can have an off-day collectively and still grind out the victory. This is a unique group, in a great moment and they deserved it in the end, despite the overall performance.“Danny Jones looked like someone who’d won a contest to get some minutes for us when he came on, but popped up with the important moment in the 96th minute - brilliant.

"Tom Shelley’s volley was outstanding, he’s hitting diags and controlling the ball really well, what a player he’s been for us so far this season.”

Co-Chairman Stuart Slaney said: “Michael Death has done a sterling job so far this season, given it is his first managerial appointment.

"He has brought a very exciting group of players together with a real team comradery which has not been at the club for a long time. Along with near perfect results, this has brought larger crowds home and away.”

Shoreham 3 Wick 0

SCFL Division 1

Harry Heath scored twice in eight first-half minutes as Division One leaders Shoreham put a dent in Wick’s promotion chances at Middle Road.

Marcus Richmond was also on target before the break for the Musselmen but it was Heath who once again tormented the Dragons.

The striker scored five times in a 6-2 victory at Crabtree Park last month and clinically tucked away chances in the seventh minute and on quarter hour to maintain Shoreham’s unbeaten league record.

Wick have now taken just one point from their last four games with the two defeats to Shoreham, a 4-3 loss at Billingshurst and a 1-1 draw at Selsey.