A first visit to Seaford Town for most of us and a game dominated by a strong wind blowing down and slightly across the pitch, and some bizarre decisions. Playing with the wind is not necessarily easier as we found in the match at our 'home' in Steyning and it was rather scrappy but just short of the half hour Gus Ward gave us the lead. The hosts might even train on windy days and were trying to use it throughout the second half but it was a scrappy goal that brought a last minute equaliser. However there were nine minutes of added time to come and a from an obvious foul a speculative shot from distance flew in to put the home side ahead. Great credit to the lads for not giving up and Hussein Mohammed equalised from a mix up in the six yard box.

Two changes brought a first start in defence for John Cave and a first appearance for club captain David Heaton on his return from honeymoon. From the kick off it was clear the wind was going to be a factor and a string of decisions from the referee did not help. A first good opening for us came on 12mins when Jeff Duah-Kessie took the ball well and played it out to Gus Ward on the left making a run into space only for him to be wrongly given offside. Another odd decision involving Duah-Kessie came a minute later as Jason Stripp played to ball out to the left where Ward did well to take it down in the wind. He played it into the box for Duah-Kessie who went down under challenge only to be carded for diving. Seaford Town looked at their most lively when their No. 11 was involved as he had the pace to trouble even Stephen Hodge. Hodge was there to close him down on the left just past the quarter hour but had back up from John Cave to win a goal kick.

It never takes too long for Jack McDonnell to become involved and on 18mins a driving run down the right saw him set the ball up for Matt Cheeseman to have a shot but Seaford got the block in. He was also tussling for the ball on the touchline and winning a throw when the home team manager threw the ball away. The referee came over, there was a chat with the linesman and then having spoken to the manager he produced the red card, presumably for something he said and with over an hour of the game still to go. On 28mins it got worse for the home side as some good work by Bailey Neil-Gray down the left ended with a nice ball into the six yard box for Gus Ward to head home. Then on the half hour Neil-Gray was working hard on the left again and worked his way along the byline. It looked like he was going to score and if not McDonnell was coming in but somehow Seaford got it clear. A quick second goal might have made all the difference.

A corner from the right on 32mins from David Heaton fell to Ward for a shot deflected behind. The second corner eventually came out to McDonnell for a shot that went wide on the wind. Seaford hit a ball long for their No. 11 to chase that was blocked by Hodge and Cave and then when the ball spilled out to the left McDonnell was charging back to win the ball on the byline. Inside the last ten minutes of the half and from losing the ball on the left of the box Seaford were able to ride a couple of tackles and have a shot that was well saved by Jack Webb-Olley. Duah-Kessie was back in the action on 38mins as he controlled the ball and drove towards the box only to be taken down outside by the last man with the nearest other player being Ward in space on his right. The referee somehow saw something different and it was just a free kick. With no Conor Wilford it was Ward to have the shot at goal but he could not keep it down once over the wall.

Into the last few minutes of the half and the referee was duped by an exaggerated fall into giving a free kick that went too easily through our box but behind to safety. Into an added four minutes and in the second minute the referee penalised Cave in what looked an even fight for the ball. The wind held the free kick up and Webb-Olley made an easy catch just as a brief shower arrived for half time.

A busy start to the second half with Ward and McDonnell combining in the first minute only to have Seaford clear the ball. Ever industrious, McDonnell was battling with two players on the right in the second minute for a throw. Playing against the wind meant that judging the bounce of the ball was awkward but Andrew Harris did well defending in the corner on 48mins. There was danger from the right on 50mins as Seaford broke clear on the right and into the box. The ball ran through the six yard box and was cleared by Hodge. It came back in and Cave cleared once again before finally Webb-Olley was able to claim the ball. It was looking to be a testing half for Webb-Olley as not only were Seaford using the wind to shoot from distance but it was making his goal kicks difficult by holding them up or drifting them into touch. He was in action on 55mins to clear a long ball to Heaton who was having a great game in midfield. A couple of minutes later he was down to save at his left post.

It was a period of Seaford domination, pushing for the equaliser. The wind was not always Seaford's friend as around the hour mark a corner drifted out behind and a shot was easily caught by Webb-Olley. Cave was having a good game in defence blocking and tackling to keep our lead. A slack pass in the midfield was swept up by McDonnell on 65mins and passed to Duah-Kessie to advance into the box. When tackled the ball ran to Cheeseman only to be penalised allowing Seaford to clear. On 67mins a first change saw Duah-Kessie replaced by Kobi Asante. A relief to the Seaford pressure came on 72mins when Jason Stripp put a free kick from the left in under the bar that was dealt with well by the keeper without be too pressurised. With fifteen minutes to go, Ward was chasing a loose ball and then go driving forward to create an opening for Asante but the shot was blocked. A minute later and Ward was replaced by Hussein Mohammed for his debut.

Into the last five minutes and we were holding on to our lead. Heaton was replaced by Darren Caesar. Mohammed closed down their keeper with three minutes of normal time to go but could not get in a clear shot and the resulting corner was cleared. Into the last minute and Seaford put a throw from the right into the box which was not cleared and through a crowd of players they scored the equaliser. At that point we did not know there would still be another nine minutes to play. Carl Brown came on to replace Cheeseman as we moved into the added time. In the second minute a tussle for the ball looked to have been a foul on one of our two players involved but with nothing given the ball came to a Seaford player for a shot from inside our half that the wind took over Webb-Olley to give them the lead. Credit to the lads for digging deep in the light of this turnaround, and now Seaford were sitting back to defend their lead. In the fifth added minute Neil-Gray and Mohammed were battling inside the box with the defenders and Mohammed got the chance to drive the ball home for the equaliser. A point apiece from a game played in difficult conditions on a hard dry pitch and the teams go again on Saturday in the FA Vase at Steyning. On his first game of the season, David Heaton led by example to be Man of the Match.

Three games into the league season and we are in thirteenth and behind Crawley Down Gatwick on goal difference. Four teams are at the top with three wins out of three and includes our opponents for Bank Holiday Monday, Forest Row. At the other end Wick, Little Common and Lancing – still in the FA Cup with a tie against Steyning – have yet to get a point. This FA Cup tie has relevance to us as it is the same day we were due to be the away side at Steyning so our game on 30 August is postponed.