Peacehaven & Telscombe

As we progress through the second half of the season, we complete our matches against teams such as Peacehaven & Telscombe having hosted them back in the warm days of August. It was one of those games we should have won but drew 1-1. Arriving on the South Coast having had a good midweek we faced a home side that had played their last two games away and lost. Hopes were high of coming away with something and so we did with a repeat 1-1 scoreline.

Fair to say the lads were slow to start while the home side were quick out of the blocks. In the opening minute Peacehaven should really have had the ball in the net but failed to even hit the target. A very clear offside was missed by the linesman so just as well the shot was well wide. Six minutes in and Peacehaven had the first of two corners with the first one being deflected onto the bar and then over for another corner. This corner was delivered into the box and was kept out by Louis Gates on the line. A third corner of the half was cleared and finally we started to get into the game. On 12mins Haydn Dickinson had a speculative shot from distance that drifted wide and two minutes later Tyrone Magala-Bryan had a good strike from left midfield that was on a good line but went over.

Having weathered the early storm, on 17mins Richie Wetton had the ball on the left wing, played it on to Gates for him to cross to Jay Simpson in the centre. The delivery was good but Simpson could not set himself for a shot on target that we would have expected to bulge the net and it sliced wide of the left post. On 20mins Josh McArthur Nolan had the ball wide right, drove towards the box and centred it. The ball was cleared back to the right and when crossed again one of the lads was caught offside. Just past the halfway mark, Simpson had the ball around the D and made a cheeky attempt to catch the keeper out with a lob but it was too soft to trouble him.

The ball was spending a lot of time in the air and chances were hard to come by. On 31mins a free kick was awarded about six yards out from the box on the right and Wetton and David Heaton stood over the ball to offer the options of a shot or a cross. Did Wetton watch Ivan Toney’s recent free kick as he bent his shot around the end of the wall and into the bottom corner to put The Lingers into the lead. Peacehaven created an opening on 39mins from a good run down the left but the finish was way over the bar. As we approached the end of normal time, with an amount to be added for an injury to a Peacehaven player, Jason Stripp delivered a corner from the left that found the head of Magala-Bryan but he could not keep it down. A minute later it was Heaton floating in a corner from the right that was cleared long by Peacehaven. A mix up between Stephen Hodge and Jack Glassborrow coming out to meet it gave a clear chance to Peacehaven but once again the shot was wide. In the second added minute we had a counterattack led by Simpson who played it on the Gates charging down the right but he was stopped by a good tackle. A minute later Dickinson had the ball from a throw in but although his shot was on target it lacked the power to trouble the keeper. The final action in the sixth added minute was yet another Peacehaven shot that flew over the bar and so the lads went in with a one goal lead.

After a shaky start it had been a comfortable half for the lads so who would have the best halftime team talk? Peacehaven it would seem as they made a rapid start and it needed a good block by Magala-Bryan on the right edge of the box to stop their progress. The resulting corner was delivered to the back post and was headed in for the equaliser with just a minute or so played. With his long throw being as good as a corner kick, Wetton delivered the ball into their box for George Branton to get his head on with the ball deflecting off a Peacehaven head for a corner. Heaton’s corner was cleared with 50mins played. Having equalised with a corner, Peacehaven won a corner from the right and delivered it to the back post where it was put behind for another corner. This one was cleared but they were causing a bit of concern to our defence. Wetton had another long throw from the left on 55mins that was cleared out to Heaton, who controlled and passed it through for Wetton to chase but the keeper was quicker. A minute later a free kick down the right played in Wetton for a shot that hit the side netting. On 59mins an attack down the right was put behind for another Peacehaven corner from the left that was headed behind for a goal kick.

Just past the hour mark, Gates received a throw in from the left and set up a chance for Simpson but the shot was wide. On 65mins Peacehaven were fortuitous to get a free kick on the right after a collision involving Magala-Bryan. The kick was wasted as it passed through the left side of the box and behind for a goal kick. We won a corner from a sliced clearance as the last twenty minutes approached but a short routine from Simpson to Stripp did not come off. Getting the ball back a couple of minutes later, McArthur Nolan had the ball on the left, made it to the corner with two for company but it was no problem as he skinned them both along the bye line to get his cross in that was then cleared. On 72mins Magala-Bryan was again blocking Peacehaven on the right edge of the box but at the expense of a corner. This one was overhit and harmlessly behind. It was a sign of increasing pressure as Peacehaven searched for an equaliser as a minute later it required the combined efforts of Hodge, Magala-Bryan and Glassborrow to thwart them. It was closer next time as a clearance from the Peacehaven box came straight down the centre of the pitch and their forward eluded challenges from Magala-Bryan and an advancing Glassborrow to then miss the goal on the right.

Shooting was proving Peacehaven’s Achilles heel as on 74mins they had another glaring miss that clipped a Linger for a corner. Their corner delivery had been good but this one was slightly too long and put behind. The delivery of this next one was poor and the chance wasted. On 80mins Peacehaven had a shot centrally from outside the box but straight at Glassborrow. Time for some fresh legs to see out the game as Luke Richardson replaced Dickinson and Tom Green came on for Stripp – both defenders but with excellent ball skills. Save of the match on 86mins as a cross from the left into the six yard box was met in the centre with a fine header and then a brilliant reaction save from Glassborrow. Another corner to defend that was put behind by Magala-Bryan. Heaton headed the next one behind and finally the pressure eased as this corner was overhit. Still some work to do to keep our point as Hodge was alert to a long ball in the second minute of added time to head it back to Glassborrow. Time was nearly up as we pressured the Peacehaven box and from a delivery into the box Branton ran through and was taken down. Penalty surely but the referee opted for a stress free final whistle and it ended 1-1.

Awarding the penalty would have outraged the home fans – not a particularly hard task – but the wayward shooting by their players throughout the game is what cost them three points as our lads battled well for a valuable point. I wonder what TNT Sports pundit Mr Ferdinand – watching his son in goal – would have made of the game. The point sees us remain in tenth place and still four points behind Midhurst & Easebourne who got a point from their game. We gain a point on Crawley Down thanks to Newhaven’s 4-1 win while they still have two games in hand. Next up we have the visit of an Eastbourne Town side that have won their last five games since a 1-2 loss at home to Loxwood. One of our standout games was the 2-0 midweek win at The Saffrons in December and a repeat performance would be nice ahead of matches against Shoreham, Loxwood and Uckfield Town.

Man of the Match was our goal scorer Richie Wetton who as well as his good free kick provides a holding presence up front, long throws, and some nice link up play. Our Player of the Month for January Louis Gates received his award prior to kick-off and we shall find out more about him shortly.