Rivals set for derby tussle

Local bragging rights and three Macron Store Sussex County Football League Division Two points will be at stake as Westfield entertain Little Common today (Saturday). Kick-off at The Parish Field is 2pm.

Speaking after the narrow midweek Sussex Principal RUR Charity Cup quarter-final defeat away to higher grade Crowborough Athletic, Westfield manager Jethro Warren said: “We’ve given a good account of ourselves and we’ve got to carry it into Little Common on Saturday.”

Westfield are fourth-from-bottom of the table - five places and nine points worse off than Common having played two fewer matches. August’s reverse fixture ended in a 1-1 draw and Common were 2-1 winners in a Peter Bentley Challenge Cup tie on home soil the following month.

“It’s going to be a very tough game,” said Common player-manager Russell Eldridge. “It always is very tough at Westfield. We know we’ll have to be on top of our game if we want to get something out of it.”

Westfield will be without the unavailable Steve Ringwood, but they are hopeful that David Pugh and Gordon Cuddington will recover from the injuries which forced them off against Crowborough.

Zack McEniry and Jason Fregene are available again for Common after suspension, Jerome Smith should be fit, and Jared Lusted will come back into the squad. On the flip side, Eldridge is banned, and Steve Morris and Steve Mote are away.

Bexhill United, meanwhile, are back at The Polegrove today against bottom half side Midhurst & Easebourne in the first of three home games scheduled for this month. Kick-off is 3pm.

Pirates manager Marc Munday said: “We want to go on a winning run. We’ve done this unbeaten run for a while, but we don’t seem to be close enough to the top boys.

“Three points is massive. One point week in, week out is as good as a loss at times. We’ve got to start winning games. I expect to win and I want to win. Whatever way we have to do it, I want to go on a winning run through December.”

Scott McDonald is expected to return and captain Jack Aston is hopeful of recovering from the ankle problem which forced him to miss the Westfield game, but Yankuba Camara is still away.

ALL TODAY’S FOOTBALL FIXTURES

(Kick-off 3pm unless stated)

Ryman League, Division 1 South: Hastings Utd v Redhill.

Macron Store Sussex County League, Division 2: Bexhill Utd v Midhurst & Easebourne; Westfield v Little Common 2.

Reserve Section (East): Hailsham Town v Westfield; Little Common v Lancing; Seaford Town v Bexhill Utd.

National Christian Cup, 2nd round (1.30): Beacon Church Camberley v Battle Baptists.

Sussex Bluefin Junior Cup, 3rd round (1.30): Crowhurst v Ifield II; Herstmonceux v Crawley Devils; Little Common III v Rustington Park Seniors; Predators II v Old Hastonians; Racing Palmeira v AFC Hastings; Ticehurst v Broadwater Athletic.

Macron East Sussex League (2), Premier Division: Iden v Hollington Utd; Ninfield Utd v St Leonards Social; Ore Athletic v Robertsbridge Utd; Sedlescombe Rangers v Peche Hill Select.

Division 1: Hollington Utd II v Wadhurst Utd; Little Chelsea v Sandhurst; Mountfield Utd v Icklesham Casuals; Sidley Utd v Bexhill AAC.

Division 2: JC Tackleway v Catsfield.

Division 3: Eastbourne Athletic v Bexhill-On-Sea; Hastings Rangers v Herstmonceux II; Peche Hill Select II v Visick; Sovereign Saints v Ninfield Utd II.

Division 4: Bexhill AAC II v Conquest Utd; Burwash v St Leonards Social II; Peasmarsh Utd v Bexhill Utd III; West Hill Utd v Westfield III.

Division 5: Battle Baptists II v Sedlescombe Rangers II; Grasshoppers Old Boys v AFC St Leonards; Parkfield v Ticehurst II; Wittersham II v JC Tackleway II.

Division 6: Icklesham Casuals II v Hampden Park Utd; Sandhurst II v Punnetts Town II; Sedlescombe Rangers III v Hawkhurst Utd II.

Eastbourne Coach Finishers Challenge Cup quarter-final (1.30): Battle Baptists III v Orington.

Robertsbridge Junior Cup, 2nd round (1.30): Hawkhurst Utd v Magham Down; Pebsham Sibex v Northiam 75; Robertsbridge Utd II v Hooe Sports.

Weald of Kent Cup, 2nd round (1.30): AFC Ashford Athletic v Wittersham.