Mid Sussex League leaders Sidley smash eight past Balcombe

Sidley United crushed Balcombe 8-0 to strengthen their place at the top of the Mid Sussex Premier Division.
Sidley UnitedSidley United
Sidley United

With the Little Common ground still unavailable, the Blues returned to Hooe Rec for this match, sponsored by Hastings Direct, and began at a terrific tempo. A neat one-two with Paul Rogers sprang Nathan Crabb away down the right and he finished powerfully at the near post to put the Blues in front on 13 minutes.

Sidley doubled the lead when Zac McEniry headed home a corner on 22 minutes before Lee Carey finished with a low drive from the edge of the area on 33 minutes to leave Balcombe stunned. The Blues went in at the break five goals to the good as the impressive Danny Ellis beat the offside trap with a run from deep, cut inside his man and finished on 41 minutes before Crabb almost replicated that two minutes later, cutting in from the right hand side to round the goalkeeper and slot home.

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The challenge in the second half was maintaining the same intensity but Sidley showed no sign of slowing up as they won a penalty when Chris Cumming-Bart was brought down on 50 minutes and Paul Rogers calmly slotted the ball home low to the goalkeepers' left from the resulting spot kick.

Crabb completed his hat-trick when Ellis brilliantly beat a final defender and sat the goalkeeper down before rolling the ball across the line for Crabb to tap home on 67 minutes and Rogers completed the scoring when he was bundled over to win another penalty, picking himself up to convert in the same corner as the first to make it 8 - 0 on 71 minutes.

Balcombe created one chance late on which goalkeeper Dan Hutchins did well to repel but they could never really lay a glove on the Blues who put in probably their most complete performance of the season to remain top of the Mid Sussex table. The Man of the Match was hat-trick hero Nathan Crabb.

Next week the Blues face Cuckfield Rangers.

Sidley: Hutchins, Featherstone, McEniry, Walker, Elliott-Noye, Ellis, Carey, McCue, Cumming-Bart, N Crabb, Rogers. Subs: Cornford, Foster, Thompson.

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