Steyning Town boss on story behind title triumph – Worthing can’t halt AFC Wimbeldon

The promotion, which is set to see them join a host of other Sussex clubs in the step four Isthmian south east division next season, is the latest stage in a recent resurgence for the club.

Back in 2010 the club languished at the bottom of the SCFL Division 1 – only avoiding relegation via a reprieve.

The club was more than £30,000 in debt, running just three sides, the ground was in a poor state of disrepair and the club was spiralling rapidly into oblivion.

However a takeover with a new committee in 2011 breathed new life into the club, and a merger with local youth side Steyning Strikers soon followed.

In 2016 the 3G pitch was installed at the Shooting Field and today the club is a solvent and stable operation offering football to 30 teams with around 400 players every week, with more than 100 female players.

There is still alot of work to be done to bring the ground up to scratch with new changing rooms, a new medical and committee room, new fencing, a new turnstile hut and additional toilet block, but that’s all part of the short to medium term vision.

T hese all take time and the club say they will continue to invest in facilities as and when they can afford to.

As for the on-the-field triumph, we quizzed first team boss Kevin Green on the successful season.

What was the aim at the start of the season? Did you feel with the squad you had you could go for top spot, or were play-offs more in your minds?

Our aim was always to try to gain promotion. With the squad we had, we knew we had a chance of winning the league but we also knew it was a long season and we were playing in a very competitive division with some very good teams so couldn’t take anything for granted.

How soon did you realise it was going to be a special season?

We knew we had a good group early in the season. I think we won our first 10 games and that’s when we started to think we had a chance. We had a sticky patch just before Christmas but I think that was a direct result of the number of cup games we’d played – we were looking a bit tired.

In September we played nine games, with only one of them a league game! But the boys recovered from that and put together another outstanding run just after christmas.

A team/squad effort has got you where you are, but are there perhaps a few key men you'd want to pick out as vital to the success?

Everybody has played their part on and off the pitch. The players have shared the workload over the 60-odd games that we have played and they have all performed consistently. The fact we have five players who have scored over 16 goals this season is a good example of how the whole team have contributed.

My coaching team has been phenomenal with the work they have done throughout the season and they’re another example of why we’ve been successful.

You've done well in cups - FA Cup, Sussex Senior etc - but did you find the league form just carried into the cup games, where some managers would have found those cup runs a distraction?

We did a presentation to the players early in the season mapping out how we were going to try to be successful in every competition we entered. We showed them how we were going to use everyone in the squad and the importance of their roles in helping us become successful.

We treated every game the same by way of going for a win and we respected every competition. That led us to having great runs in the FA Cup and the Sussex Senior Cup.

We’re also in the semi-final of the Peter Bentley Cup so we hope to have some more success to come in that competition. The only slight regret is I would have liked to have gone further in the Vase but that’s just me being a bit picky!

What was the feeling like when you knew you were champions, albeit while not playing yourselves?

Very happy and very proud of everyone involved. But especially happy for the players who gave us everything this year and the chairman and the board who work tirelessly at the club to make it better.

Do you think most or all of the 2023-24 squad will stay together?

The players I have spoken with directly have all indicated they would like to stay. It’s a good group and we would like to keep them together if we can.

WORTHING UNITED

It was a fantastic week for Worthing United.

On Tuesday night the first team secured their place in the SCFL Division 1 play-offs with a 4-3 win at Billingshurst courtesy of goals from Brad Hunt, Liam Appleton and two from skipper Dean Sherwood.

This was followed with a hard fought 1-1 draw with Montpelier Villa on Saturday with Sherwood again scoring.

On Thursday the under-23s provided an impressive response to a hammering at Chichester by seeing off Storrington 3-0 at Lyons Way.

To top things off, on Sunday morning the U18s beat Pagham 3-0 to take the West Division title- they’re unbeaten in the league with just one game to play.

The first team host Banstead on Saturday; the 18s (pictured ith their trophy) host Ferring on Sunday.

Wick 1 Banstead 3

SCFL Division 1

It was a case of unlucky 13 as Wick’s unbeaten home league run came to a halt.

The Dragons had not lost on home soil since September 23 but could not maintain that form in the penultimate home game of the campaign.

“It was our worst performance of the season and we looked like we were running on empty, we were dead on our feet,” said dismayed boss Lee Baldwin.

“I’m not that surprised it happened because we haven’t been at our best for a few games but we’ve been able to win and it’s been papering over the cracks.

“Hopefully we will finish on a high note in our last game of the season at home to Billingshurst on Saturday.”

Wick have already reached the play-offs and Baldwin added: “It’s been another good year for us and we have had a lot of fun while making progress on and off the pitch.”

Banstead led through Ricky Johnson but Wick equalised on the hour when Dave Crouch scored his 25th the season. Emeka Okakpu and Kenny Patrick won it for Banstead.

Yapton 2 Ferring Res 2

West Sussex Div 2S

This was an excellent point for Yapton against the league leaders.

Ferring scored early but before Yapton levelled through Aaron Tague's penalty when Josh Dean was fouled. Ferring regained their lead but Sam Beadle clinched the draw.

In midweek, Yapton twos won 4-2 away to Fernhurst Res in 3S. Frazer Beaunont, Josh Dean, Tom Legge and Ben Hathershall scored

Worthing Women 3 AFC Wimbledon Women 3

National League Division 1SE

by Gareth Nicholas

For the second season running, the league title was decided in the final game at Worthing – but Wimbledon were made to really work for their crown.

Worthing were unchanged from the side that battled to claim a point from a three-all thriller at home to Ashford Town last Sunday and, with the visitors only requiring the same to seal promotion and the championship with it, an intriguing tussle was eagerly anticipated seven days further on.

Although AFC Wimbledon dominated the early exchanges, it was the hosts who carved out the game’s first real opportunity. Sophie Humphrey latched on to a crossfield pass, only to be denied by a superbly timed tackle in the box by Hannah Mackenzie.

The game soon swung back the Don’s way though when Emma Blakely came across to block Breon Grant’s shot, with former Reds’ trialist Skye Bacon coming within inches of converting a second opening at the far post.

We’d still played little more than a quarter of an hour by the time Steph Mann released the aforementioned Bacon through the inside right channel. An eventual delivery into Sandra Soares Martins ended courtesy of Lauren Dolbear’s low tip around the upright.

Dolbear had her wits about her again moments later; clearing off the line before the pressure on the home team started to ease a tad via ‘Loz’s’ opposite number.

A wayward ball led to Georgia Tibble narrowly avoiding punishment of Lauren Allen’s unintentional gift.

However, Allen made amends, after Tibble had robbed Ashleigh Goddard and lifted the ball into Sammy Quayle, by coming out smartly to the edge of her penalty area to snuff out the danger and ensure the game remained goalless.

Worthing’s midfield lynchpin then continued her one-woman crusade on a dazed Don’s defence with a brilliant switch of play, spreading the action from right to left and allowing Humphrey to surge into the eighteen yard box, where she whistled one a whisker away from the top corner.

Despite the positive response, the league leaders seized the initiative once Soares Martins had made it to the byline and picked out Bacon at the back stick. Proving that (the) Skye really was the limit.

Although, four minutes before the break it was “game on” again.

More good work on the left from Humphrey saw her find Quayle within range. Captain Hannah Billingham got in front of Sammy’s shot but the ever-alert Shannon Albuery showed a true striker’s instinct by burying the rebound to send the sides in level.

Wimbledon changed ‘keepers during the interval, as former Brighton & Hove Albion and Lewes custodian Faye Baker donned the gloves and the guests were also first to threaten following the change of ends. Fans’ favourite Rosie Russell ran along the right before passing the baton onto Soares Martins to head down at Dolbear. The homesters’ last line of defence pouncing and holding on.

Less than sixty seconds later, excellent hold up play by Quayle gave Worthing’s own half-time introduction Emily Linscer a sniff of the target, only for Billingham to block once again.

There was no denying the next attempt on goal though, even with Dolbear going full-length, as Billingham stepped up to beat both the wall and its protector and put the champions-elect back in the ascendency. LD got two hands on the FK but the travelling Skipper’s near twenty-five yard set-piece nestled in the side of the net.

Undeterred, midway through the second period Lincser caused more problems for the AFC rearguard; seeing a close-range effort kept out via a blue shirt but Chloe Winchester possessed the wherewithal to tee-up Quayle, who emphatically fired into the roof of the apparatus.

Twenty minutes from the end of a match that the high-flying Reds had dominated after the turnaround, Tibble teased the scoreboard when she flicked-cum-looped a header tantalisingly close; turning up the tension for the slightly nervous-looking South Londoners another notch in the process.

Hearts were really in visiting mouths shortly afterwards, as Quayle got the better of not only the away side’s offside trap but their netminder too. Baker and Sammy meeting in a fifty-fifty on the periphery of the penalty box, following a long pass over the top and the ball making it’s own way towards the target. Fortunately however for AFC Wimbledon Kelly Highman gave chase and managed to curtail the danger on the line.

A lengthy spell of stoppage time almost brought reward in the ninety-sixth minute. Substitute Molly Childerhouse shooting, way out on the right flank but only able to land her tight-angled effort on top of the net.

Not that it mattered in the grand scheme of things; the referee's whistle finally signalling a mass exodus of the away dugout, amid scenes of celebration amongst players, coaches and fans alike, as Wimbledon were decreed worthy National League Division One South East Champions and with it, elevated to the Tier Three Prem.