Little piece of Sussex FA Cup history is made - but it ends in heartache.

A historic afternoon saw Common host their first ever FA Cup match at Little Common Rec and it was the first time that a FA Cup fixture had been played in Bexhill for many years.

Common manager Russell Eldridge was forced into two changes with JJ Walker and Ollie Weeks replacing the unavailable Jamie Bunn and Jamie Crone.

It was the visitors who started on the front foot and Common were behind with just three minutes on the clock when a delivery from the right was headed back across Matt Cruttwell and nestled into the net.

The visitors enjoyed long spells of possession although failed to really threaten the Common goal and as the half wore on the hosts grew into the game. Lewis Hole was unable to connect with a cross into the area and Adam Smith saw an effort blocked.

Common started a lot more brightly in the second half and the equaliser arrived in the 61st minute when a low driven free kick from Eldridge found the bottom corner of the net and left the Chatham keeper rooted to the spot.

An entertaining encounter saw action switch from one end to the other as both teams went in search of a winner. Town came closest to regaining the lead when a deflected effort was well saved by Cruttwell.

It was the Isthmian league visitors who grabbed the winner a minute from time when a low ball across the area was guided in from the six yard line to cause heart break for the Commoners.

Common manager Eldridge commented: “It was great to have FA Cup football back in the town again and the way we acquitted ourselves I felt we could have got something out of the game.

"We had a plan and stuck to it and despite conceding early we kept ourselves in the game and had a couple of half chances in the first half. We knew the opportunities would come in the second half and was able to convert one of them but unfortunately couldn’t find the second.

"It was heart-breaking to concede so late in the game as the group gave everything, we worked extremely hard and used the ball well at times. We will continue to work hard and strive to make improvements ahead of the game this weekend.”

The Commoners entertain Loxwood on Saturday at Little Common Rec with a slightly earlier kick-off time of 2pm.