Having last played a full match against the unbeaten league leaders three weeks ago, a fixture against the team in second place, and currently on a run of eleven wins in the league to at least keep Haywards Heath Town honest, would not be your first choice. Our hosts – well actually visitors given this was our 'home' game – had played their league games and a county cup tie in that period. In our away match at Steyning, we gave them a good game and only appalling officiating denied us the chance to grab a deserved equaliser from the penalty spot.

Honestly, this was not a match to live long in the memory, possibly due to a gusty wind blowing along the back of the South Downs. It was a slow start with the hosts not looking sharp while we were quite rusty unsurprisingly. Five minutes in Steyning sent in a corner from the right that went through our box untouched. They recycled it and Jack McDonnell headed it behind for another corner that we cleared. Guyni Nganga was back in the side following injury and was quick to cover a long ball down the wing and hold off challenges to see it out for a goal kick. On 12mins Jeff Duah-Kessie had the ball on the right of the box and slipped it to Deven Reid-Solanki for a shot that screwed just wide of the right post. After holding onto the ball well and moving it around the edge of their box, Matt Cheeseman put in a full blooded tackle to win the ball on the left wing. This drew an immediate yellow card when strangely – or sadly often not in our case – a similar challenge on our player earlier on had not warranted the same result.

Just past the halfway mark and Steyning were in on goal but Jack Webb-Olley was out sharply to make a great save and keep the game goalless. In response Reid-Solanki had a break into the box and a shot across the goal. On 33mins Steyning sent a cross in from the right across our goal that was deflected out for a corner that was cleared. We were attacking their box and Reid-Solanki had the ball looking to work an opening on 35mins. From a tackle and sending the loose ball forward, Steyning were on the attack down the left and fired a shot across Webb-Olley into the far corner for 1-0. Reid-Solanki was carrying our main threat up front and with a couple of minutes to half time he worked space on the right of the box for a shot through the box. Into added time and when it looked like not a bad half for us, a sharp break down the right and cross into the box provided a soft second goal for Steyning. In a second added minute Duah-Kessie held the ball up well and played in Reid-Solanki to attack the box but he was soon surrounded by three defenders to snuff out the chance.

A change at half time saw Armani Morris replaced by Marlon Campbell who had shown promise in his first appearance at Haywards Heath Town. Five minutes into the second half and Jack McDonnell was away down the right and sliding the ball through for Reid-Solanki to break into the box. He crossed to the left for Campbell but he could not take the ball cleanly and Steyning cleared - a promising start. A couple of minutes later Reid-Solanki had the ball on the edge of the D with McDonnell in space on his right when the referee called play back for a foul. It was still within Conor Wilford distance but while he had the aim correct he could not keep his shot down. On 54mins Nganga and Campbell were combining well down the left to give Campbell the chance to break forward, ride a couple of tackles and find Reid-Solanki on the right only to see a free kick awarded to Steyning. Five minutes later McDonnell broke out of defence and delivered a cross to find Campbell on the left for a shot that was deflected behind for a corner.

Our corner routine did not come off and Steyning were able to clear. Having another good game, McDonnell was on another driving run out of defence just past the hour when he was clattered in the centre circle for a free kick. With 68mins played Cheeseman was replaced by Matthias Rose who like Campbell had made a brief appearance against Haywards Heath. On 70mins Steyning sent in a corner under the bar that in the goal line scramble that followed we somehow kept out of the net and cleared. Reid-Solanki from a central midfield position swept a lovely ball out to the left wing for Campbell to drive towards the box. His cross found Jaiden Chang in the D for a shot that sliced off his boot and wide of the right post. On 74mins McDonnell was on a forward run and clearly fouled but in a rare piece of good refereeing advantage was played as Reid-Solanki now had the ball on the right of their box. He danced his way into the box and fired the ball home to make it 2-1 and game on.
A few minutes later McDonnell headed the ball out of defence, Jason Stripp took it nicely and flicked it on to Reid-Solanki, who played a nice ball long to Nganga whose cross won a corner. The ball was delivered into the six yard box and forced Steyning to head it behind. The second corner came in under the bar and forced the keeper to flap it away, only for it to be crossed in again and headed behind for another corner. This time the wind caught the ball and it drifted out of play. With just over five minutes to play, Stephen Hodge came on for Nganga. Good link up play between Rose and Campbell produced a ball for Duah-Kessie to chase but not catch up to. Two minutes to go and a Steyning attack was blocked and the ball cleared. With four added minutes to play we could not deliver any good balls into their box and they sat back to see the game out for a 2-1 win.

Given our results from the last season we played with Steyning Town – three heavy defeats – this season is an improvement with two defeats by a single goal but in both cases we played well enough to have earnt draws. Even the host committee admitted the first half had been even and not worthy of a two goal lead so we should have some confidence going forward to Saturday. There was a reduced fixture programme this weekend due to the FA Vase and the last round saw lots of postponements so the net result is that we are still in seventeenth in the table, two points behind Midhurst & Easebourne.

Below us, Lancing are now level on points having beaten fellow strugglers AFC Varndeanians and taken a point from hosting Seaford Town. Shoreham are two points behind and AFC Varndeanians a further point behind but now both sides have played two games more than us while Lancing have played one more. Given that we play the three teams below us in the last three games of the season, every other fixture will be against a team above us starting with seventh placed Forest Row. However, their fortunes have changed recently and, when it comes to the form table, Forest Row are only above us on goal difference having, like us, just one win and three points from six games.