A good opening spell was not converted into early goals and as the hosts pulled themselves together they rattled in two rather easy goals in four minutes. A third soft goal as the first half drew to a close was offset by Jeff Duah-Kessie winning and scoring a penalty. Conceding a fourth in two minutes was a bad start to the second half and ended our chances of taking anything from the game. A fifth came from a well taken free kick and a consolation goal in the half eluded us. Fate sends us back for another evening game there next month in the Peter Bentley Cup so see if after four more games we can do better.

For our first game under lights Gus Ward dropped to the bench and Jack McDonnell was not available so stepping up from the bench for their first starts were Carl Brown and Bailey Neil-Gray. A fast start this time for The Lingers saw Neil-Gray link up down the right wing with Kobi Asante and a corner in the first minute. Jason Stripp's corner from the right ended with a free kick for Peacehaven. Two minutes later a free kick delivered into the box from the right by Stripp found Jeff Duah-Kessie's head but he could not keep it down and on target. In the next minute Duah-Kessie held the ball up well and laid it off to Brown. There was a chance for him to shoot but he returned the ball to Duah-Kessie whose shot went over the bar. With still only six minutes played Neil-Gray was down the line to cross to Duah-Kessie who set up Kobi Asante for a shot that was wide. With barely a pause for breath Duah-Kessie was in another physical tussle and came off best with a free kick.

After a delay for treatment to the Peacehaven player who bounced off Duah-Kessie, on the ten minute mark Stripp took the free kick from the left and it was cleared out of the box with Stephen Hodge picking up the loose ball. He lifted the ball back in and Conor Wilford was in to challenge the keeper but he claimed it well. And still we were not done as Stripp found Brown in the box to cut the ball back to Asante and Duah-Kessie. They were in the same space and it was Duah-Kessie who had a shot over the bar. That was quite a first eleven minutes but unfortunately with nothing on the scoreboard. On the quarter hour Peacehaven stirred themselves and were through into the box only for a good save by Webb-Olley to keep them out followed by Tyrone Magala Bryan clearing the loose ball. It was only a delay as the home side were playing much better and it looked ominous as they moved the ball around the edge of our box. They were breaking through our tackles and we could not get the ball clear so when they found a player in space on the left corner of the box he drilled it across goal into the right corner for 1-0 with 23mins played. Four minutes later from a goal kick Peacehaven were able to break down the right without a challenge and the cross to the left of the box was headed home for 2-0.

After a free kick that was cleared on the half hour, Duah-Kessie controlled the ball and was then fouled on the edge of the Dee. The free kick was taken on 35mins by Wilford but he could not repeat the magic from Saturday and the ball went over the bar. Inside the final five minutes of the half, the ball ran loose on the left and Peacehaven raced away to fire home across Webb-Olley for a third goal. A swift response saw Duah-Kessie fouled inside the box and calmly took the kick himself to make it 3-1. It remained that way after three added minutes.

Two changes for the second half saw Magala Bryan and Asante replaced by Gus Ward and Darren Caesar. We were looking to break forward and Brown was kicked in a challenge for an obvious free kick but Peacehaven were allowed to keep possession and press forward. Hodge was covering outside the box and got his header back to Webb-Olley badly wrong allowing Peacehaven in. They were blocked but the ball ran to the left of the box and was tucked home for 4-1 and game over two minutes into the half and with our subs not having a chance to get going. The lads tried to get back into the game and Brown was able to beat his man and get into the box but got under the ball so his shot was over the bar on 56mins. After not getting any reward for his efforts, Brown finally won a free kick and just short a quarter hour played Stripp sent the free kick into the box where there was a scramble for the ball. A free kick for the home side gave them a break.

In disputing a decision on 62mins the Peacehaven No. 11 was sent to the bench for ten minutes. Soon after Ward drove forward down the left and into the box for shot deflected behind for a corner on the left. Stripp put the ball into the six yard box and it was headed out for another corner. Delivered in under the bar again and put out for another corner. Put in from the right once again by Stripp it came back out to him and he slid the ball into the box for Darren Caesar to have shot that went high. On 70mins Peacehaven were down our end and won a corner that they headed behind for a goal kick. Another change saw Brown replaced by Joseph Forson. Fifteen minutes left and from a turnover of possession Matt Cheeseman was forced into a tackle on the Dee that had the home side squealing for a red card. In the crowd scene that followed one of their players flopped comically to the ground. In the end it was a yellow for Cheeseman as well as for Wilford. The well taken kick made it 5-1 on 78mins. Cheeseman made way to a reception from his former home crowd as Ollie Powers came on.

A final change on 83mins saw Prince Aderogba replaced by John Cave. With five minutes to go one of many soft free kicks for Peacehaven ended with a shot wide. Into the final minute and Cave did well to win ball in midfield and lay it off to Neil-Gray. He slid the ball down the right for Joseph Forson to chase into the box but the keeper claimed the ball. Cave was also on hand to defend the box on the left and put the ball behind for a corner that was hit straight behind. Into added time and Duah-Kessie won a corner on the right that was cleared. A free kick in the second added minute from Stripp on the left corner of the box went behind and after five added minutes it was game over.

A tough first game on the road as we are still blending together as a team. The start was far better that against Varndeanians but once the home side got their game together they won too easily. Next up is a double header against the newly promoted Seaford Town with a league match on the coast on Tuesday followed by the opening round of the FA Vase on the Bank Holiday weekend at our home in Steyning. Seaford Town won by a single goal at home against Sutton Athletic in the FA Cup and will be in action on Saturday as they host AFC Whyteleafe. With Guernsey having been thrown out for playing an ineligible player, just five other SCFL teams remain with four up against Step 4 sides. Lancing host the conquerors of Peacehaven & Telscombe following a replay, Harefield United of the CCL.

We travel to Seaford with them having lost the league games at Haywards Heath and then at home to Guernsey. Also yet to post a point this season going into the FA Cup are Lancing and Eastbourne United. Good luck to them all in their attempts to reach the next round.