Eastbourne Town

Sharing the worst five match form in the division with bottom club Saltdean United was not where we hoped to be come December so this uplifting win away at The Saffrons is just what we needed ahead of a busy month. Wins over Eastbourne Town have been rare recently and although they sat seventh in the table their form has been middling with two wins, two defeats and a draw. Our recent performances have not been getting their just reward and we were lifted for this game by the return to action of our club captain David Heaton.

Worryingly, the opening five minutes were all Eastbourne Town. Two free kicks, one that needed heading off the line, and a resulting corner that was headed onto the bar before being cleared and put out for a goal kick. Jack Webb-Olley was called on to make a good save on 4mins and then again a minute later. Eastbourne had a shot from the left that Webb-Olley parried and then had to react before a forward could get to the ball. Eastbourne worked the ball in from the left and put the ball in the net but the linesman flagged for offside. Compared to the FA Vase game, this was all action. Jay Simpson had our first effort on goal after 7mins with a run forward on the left but his shot was saved. Five minutes later Simpson had a shot from the edge of the box that flew over the bar. On 21mins Josh MacArthur-Nolan playing as a wing back did a great job in holding up an Eastbourne attack so that cover could get back. Webb-Olley had to get down smartly at the foot of the post to gather the ball from the resulting shot.

Simpson was having our best chances so far and after having possession on the left, he made space for a shot but could not keep it on target. As the game ebbed and flowed, Eastbourne had a free kick from the left into the box on 25mins which ended with them shooting wide. It was our chance from a free kick next from a position outside the box on the left. Richie Wetton lined up the shot and hit it well but just shaving the bar. It was good to have Luke Richardson back from suspension in a back three alongside Stephen Hodge and fellow returnee George Branton as he made a crunching tackle on the left wing to stop Eastbourne getting to the bye line for a cross. As the half hour ticked past it was time for some pressure from The Lingers as Eastbourne scrambled a corner away. On 33mins a pass out from Wetton to Jimmy Williams on the right saw him deliver a good cross under their bar forcing another corner.

It required a good tackle from Branton on 35mins to keep it goalless and put the ball behind for a corner. The resulting corner needed a Webb-Olley save on the line. It was Simpson dribbling down the left and then centring the ball for Haydn Dickinson on 37mins that allowed him to hit a glorious shot into the net for the opening goal. A good time to score as the first half was coming to an end but with just two minutes of normal time to play, Simpson was clear down the right, Wetton was running into space in the centre and a second goal looked in the offing. Sadly, Simpson could not get the ball past the cover to Wetton to deliver the final touch. It could have been worse had Webb-Olley not saved a header from a cross from the left in the second minute of added time. Advantage Lingfield at halftime in an entertaining game.

It was almost the best start possible to the second half as Dickinson forced his way through a challenge and advanced down the left to the bye line, forcing his way into the box with the ball finding Wetton for a shot that was nearly spilled out by the keeper. On 52mins Eastbourne put a free kick over the bar and then had a corner that came to nothing. On the hour, Simpson was dribbling into the box but was unable to make enough space for a shot. The second half was not matching the energy of the first half and on 64mins it was time for a change as Dennis Asante was replaced by Toby Hill. Not long after Simpson felt a twinge and as a caution was replaced by Louis Gates, who was making his first appearance after injury. He soon made an impact with his pace getting him free down the left to slide the ball into a centrally place Hill. He fed the ball out to Williams on the right who forced a corner.

What a corner it was too as our returning captain David Heaton floated a glorious ball onto the head of Richardson and it was 2-0. A bit of breathing space with fifteen minutes of normal time remaining. Having got an assist and made a great contribution to keeping us in control of the game, on 77mins Heaton was replaced by Jamal Robinson-Davis. Perhaps the second goal had deflated Eastbourne Town and their attacking efforts were subsiding. Wetton was replaced by Lewis Kelly and Sam Addison came on for MacArthur-Nolan as the game drifted towards the final whistle. Five minutes of added time was played and the lads were determined to keep a clean sheet. The final action was an Eastbourne throw from the left side level with the box that was cleared behind to give us a 2-0 win.

A fine win to send us up to 13th in the table ahead of the trip to 18th placed AFC Varndeanians on Saturday. It was good team performance helped by having both Branton and Richardson returning to our defence in the absence of the injured Tom Green. The Man of Match performance though was from David Heaton returning from injury to our midfield for just a second appearance of the season.