Little Common FC

A goal at the death, having fought back to parity, saw us return with nothing from our visit to Little Common. They went into that match on a dismal run of form whereas this time it was us looking to end a losing streak and regain some of the places lost in the table that included Little Common going above us. With quite a list of players not available it looked like it might be a tough afternoon in the sunshine. It all looked good with an early two goal lead but failing to clear our box saw the sides level at the break. An early goal and a solid determined second half performance gave us a much needed 3-2 victory.

The first chance of the game fell to Little Common in the second minute as they chased a ball into our box but an alert Jack Webb-Olley was quickly out to gather at the feet of their forward. The lads responded by setting up Jay Simpson for a shot from a central position that drifted wise of the right post. Little Common had the first corner of the match on 4mins but it curled behind having flown across the box and beyond the far post. A quick ball forward on 6mins found Conor Wilford in space and he tucked the ball home. Sadly, the space was there because he was offside so no goal but the practice at putting the ball in the net might come in useful. On 8mins a Little Common free kick threatened our box as they tried to use the height of their players but a solid punch from Webb-Olley cleared the ball and a follow up shot was blocked by Luke Richardson. Tom Green played a good long ball out from the back to find Josh McArthur Nolan out on the wing and his cross into the box was put behind for a corner. Nothing came of the corner but on 14mins with Little Common trying to play their way out of defence, Rhyan Ramsay closed them down to win the ball and feed it on to Jimmy Williams. Williams took it into the box, rounded the keeper, dodged a defender, and put the ball in the net for the first goal.

Taking the ball neatly on his chest on 17mins, Wilford passed it on the Simpson to take it forward and then play in Louis Gates on the right wing. He broke forward and fired in a shot that was saved and then cleared. On 21mins a ball forward from Green found Simpson to then lay it off to Wilford. Quick thinking by Wilford saw the keeper well forward and so he lobbed the ball over him into the net for 2-0. It was going well as another Wilford shot rebounded out to Gates and his shot was deflected behind. Nothing came from the corner but on 25mins a nice passing move between Wilford, Ramsay and Gates created a shooting chance for Simpson that required a save from their keeper. A determined challenge and fight for possession by McArthur Nolan on the left wing saw Wilford trying to collect a through ball into the box but the keeper won the race to the ball. The pressure was all on Little Common as Williams was played through by a ball from Richardson only to have gone too early and see the flag raised.

On the half hour the game changed as having won a throw on the right, Little Common delivered a cross into our box that saw a shot blocked but the ball not cleared and it fell to one of their players to lash it home for 2-1. What had looked comfortable now was much less so and two minutes later a cross from the left by Little Common went through the box and behind. The goal lifted Little Common as they were pressing forward with long balls more and Webb-Olley was alert to claim a ball on the edge of the box on 34mins. The lads created an opening a minute later as a good take by McArthur Nolan was passed to Simpson. A little flick on by him put McArthur Nolan clear in the box but the ball ran out behind. Webb-Olley was in action to tip a shot over the bar on 38mins for a Little Common corner. The corner was not cleared, the ball fell to a Little Common player, and it was 2-2 with just six minutes to the break. The Lingers had the last two chances of the half with a driving run forward from defence by Green playing in Gates for a cross that just drifted behind on 42mins. Then a minute later Simpson fed Williams for a shot that was blocked back to him to then play in Gates for a shot from the right of the box that flew over the bar. Who would emerge the better for the half time team talks?

Making my way back pitch side from the boardroom I arrived just in time to see a corner from the left by McArthur Nolan headed home by Richardson on 48mins for a 3-2 lead. It looked like a good half time break for us as spurred on by the goal we kept up the pressure on Little Common. Gates had a shot and then Simpson sets up Wilford for a shot that hits the top of the cross bar. On 54mins Webb-Olley plays the ball out to McArthur Nolan on the left so he can drive forward. He is challenged but Stephen Hodge is backing up well and takes the ball forward. His cross finds Gates on the right but he cannot keep his shot down. A minute later Chace Hanmer receives the ball on the touchline and looks to have clearly been pushed off the ball as Little Common drive forward into our box on the right. Swift action by Webb-Olley averted the danger when it looked like Little Common had a man over. However, the referee went to his linesman and then awarded the foul against Hanmer so it would not have counted but a bit too close for comfort.

On 61mins McArthur Nolan was in full flow down the left and cutting in towards the box he was taken down. Simpson tried a short free kick routine with McArthur Nolan but it ended up with us conceding a corner. From the corner a header on target was cleared off the line by Gates. The follow up corner was headed clear by Green and the danger over. On 66mins Williams was driving forward into the box and went down as the keeper came to claim the ball. Penalty? Was that a rueful smile from Williams as his reward was a yellow card? Time for some changes on 68mins as Ramsay was replaced by Dennis Asante and Williams by Richie Wetton.

After the changes, a long ball out from Green was once again nicely taken by McArthur Nolan but he was tackled as he pressed forward. Two minutes later another laser ball from Green was nicely taken on his chest by Asante, setting up Gates for a cross that was well claimed by their keeper. With 77mins played Simpson was replaced by Tyrone Magala-Bryan. Little Common applied some pressure winning a corner that was blocked by Green at the expense of another corner. This corner came in low and worryingly pinged around in the box a bit before being put behind for a goal kick. Jake Riddington replaced McArthur Nolan on 83mins and was into the action on the left receiving the ball from Wetton and delivering a cross into the six yard box just beyond Asante. A Little Common corner on 85mins was blocked by Wilford and then two minutes later he was replaced by Omari Bartlett.

With a couple of minutes of normal time to play, Hanmer found Wetton breaking forward into the box. Cutting back to shoot he was closed down and tackled. Into added time as we looked to hold on for a much needed win and it was almost sealed as Riddington set up Wetton and his powerful shot was stopped on the line by the keeper’s outstretched leg. Thankfully, it did not matter as soon after came the final whistle and it was a 3-2 win for The Lingers.

What does this mean for the league table? Our recent run saw a finish in the top half of the table move out of our reach but we have moved back up to eleventh place and ensured that at worst we will be no lower than thirteenth, a place higher than last season. Tuesday evening will bring us a bit more clarity as we visit the now relegated AFC Uckfield while Little Common host Eastbourne United. A point would mean a worst case finish of twelfth but five points from our last three games will guarantee us a creditable eleventh place.

Congratulations to Chace Hanmer for being awarded Man of the Match. He may not have had many mentions in the match report but his drive and energy in midfield to win the ball back, keep possession and link up play was an important part of our win.