Rye hit perfect 10 against nine-man rivals

Four second half goals from Richard ‘Alfie’ Weller and hat-tricks by Charlie Stevens and Chris Gould gave Rye a 10-1 victory away to an Ore Athletic side which had two players sent-off.

The result kept third-placed Rye level on points with second-placed Hollington United in the Macron East Sussex League Premier Division, albeit having played three more matches.

Rye actually conceded the game’s opening goal in only the third minute. A free kick into the box got caught on the wind, drifted over Rye goalkeeper Joe Ramsden as he came to claim it and went straight into the net.

Ramsden had little else to do all afternoon as Rye, who played with a back four instead of their usual three-man defence, proceeded to dominate and three goals in less than five minutes just before the half-hour mark put the game firmly in their favour.

Stevens delivered some fantastic balls from the right and it was he who got the equaliser with a cross-shot into the far corner of the net.

The same player put Rye 2-1 up with a penalty after Gould had been brought down in the box.

Gould then opened his account with a superb first time volley into the bottom corner having been picked out by a diagonal ball from Stevens.

Ore’s cause wasn’t helped by having their right-back sent-off for a second bookable offence.

Rye ought to have had a fourth goal before half time, but Weller contrived to lift Stevens’ cross over the crossbar from barely a yard.

Gould did make it 4-1 in the 52nd minute, slaloming through the Ore defence and slotting under the goalkeeper with his right foot.

Weller joined the party with number five, rounding-off a fine team move which started all the way back in defence with a tap in. He then made it 6-1 just a minute later.

Ore went down to nine men in the 67th minute when one of their players was shown a straight red card for swiping out Rye midfielder Ollie Skinner, injuring his ankle in the process.

Gould completed his hat-trick two minutes later. One Rye attacker was in an offside position and everyone seemed to stop in anticipation of a free kick, but the onside Gould ran through and poked the ball home.

Weller grabbed his third and Rye’s eighth in the 72nd minute, calmly poking the ball over the goalkeeper as he came rushing out.

Stevens became Rye’s third hat-trick hero five minutes later. After a Luke Willis shot was saved, Stevens rounded a defender and smashed the ball home.

Weller took Rye’s tally into double figures with the final goal in the 84th minute. Following a cross from the right, Weller allowed the ball to go past him, spun and back-heeled it into the net.

Stevens was the Pikes Cleaning man of the match and the game was sponsored by Morfeys Removals Ltd.

Rye: Ramsden; Osborne, Cruttenden, Fraser, Richardson; Foulkes (Willis), Skinner, Brain; Stevens, Weller, Gould (Pierce).

Weather permitting, Rye will continue their defence of the Robertsbridge Charity Intermediate Cup with a quarter-final away to Bexhill Town this coming Saturday. Kick-off in a game sponsored by Pikes Laundry Services Ltd is 2.30pm.

Skinner is injured, while Martin Brain will be coaching in the United States for the rest of the season.