Our last match was a very disappointing five goal drubbing by Peacehaven & Telscombe coming after two encouraging displays. The best thing is to get back on the horse and go again but the English weather and a sad incident involving local young players meant a three week break from matches other than a friendly. The weather played a part too as our visit to Roffey became an evening game in the familiar surroundings of Steyning Town's ground given saturated ground and freezing conditions making it not possible to play at Roffey's 'Theatre of Trees'.

A new face between the sticks in George Barnes, the return of a familiar face in Jimmy Williams, and with Jordan Bartley promoted from the U23s to the bench. Roffey came into the match having won the local derby with play off chasing Horsham YMCA after Christmas and a midweek county cup win over Oakwood played at Steyning. This showed in the first half as they were the better side in a half of honest endeavour but not a lot of excitement. Inside the first ten minutes, Conor Wilford sent a lovely ball into the box for Yusuf McGregor to chase but in vain. A couple of minutes later a ball down the left touchline from Stephen Hodge was taken on by McGregor and sent into the box for Jeff Duah-Kessie to battle for and win a corner – nothing came from the corner.

On 23mins with possession around the Roffey box, McGregor had two shots blocked and then Roffey were on the charge towards our goal but found George Barnes in place to make a great block. A few minutes later Barnes had a comfortable pick up of a ball into the box. Roffey had another break soon after but the ball into the box was shepherded behind for a goal kick. Just after the half hour Jack McDonnell rolled his right ankle and, although he tried, he could not carry on, so Jordan Bartley made his First Team debut. A minute later, Roffey sent a dangerous ball into the box from the right that Barnes had got something but the ball looked to be heading over the goal line when Wilford got it away. With five minutes of normal time remaining but some added time to come, pressing forward two challenges went unpunished but playing on the ball went into the box on the left and McGregor was racing with an advancing keeper. The keeper made a hash of it but McGregor could not turn the loose ball home. Good team play worked the ball out to the left for Matt Cheeseman to have a shot that flew wide. With the half drawing to a close, the lads were beginning to put their game together and were working the ball around outside their box. It came back to Hodge who unleashed a drive that flew into the net on 43mins for the lead. Into added time and looking to go in ahead at half time, saw Deven Reid-Solanki working an opening for a shot but in the end setting it up for McGregor to shoot at the keeper.

Roffey were keen to get back on level terms from the whistle and a ball into the box from the right needed a good block by Barnes, who suffered a whack in the process. After some treatment he was fine to carry on. The defence held strong to keep Roffey at bay from another attack and as the ball rebounded it was hit over the bar. Ten minutes into the second half and on receipt of the ball on the left touchline, Duah-Kessie battled against two players to retain the ball and try to break forward. The referee called it back for a foul and Jason Stripp sent a lovely free kick into the centre of their box where Wilford, their keeper and a centre back all challenged for the ball. It came off somebody and bounced forwards into the net for a second goal on 56mins. On 62mins an incident on the left of their box saw the referee produce a second yellow card for the Roffey No. 2 and a free kick for us. Stripp could not repeat the chaos of his previous free kick but the keeper looked a bit uncertain as he punched the ball clear.

On 68mins the youth of McGregor was replaced by the wise head of club captain David Heaton to see the game out. Two minutes later it should have been 3-0 as his pass put Duah-Kessie in on goal for a nice finish but in response to the linesman flagging the referee had already blown the whistle. Cheeseman was up alongside Duah-Kessie and was barged into by a defender trying to get to Duah-Kessie but the officials ruled that Cheeseman was at fault even though when it happened right in front of him, the referee was uninterested. Jordan Bartley was doing well on his debut and, with fifteen minutes to play, had a break down the right and a cross into the box that went through and out for a throw. Cheeseman was working hard in midfield but was also tracking back on the left wing to block a Roffey break and shield the ball so Barnes could collect.

Duah-Kessie was on the receiving end of a hard challenge and could not continue so Harry Rowland came off the bench to replace him, putting in a shift to keep the pressure up on the Roffey backline. Rowland won the ball well on 84mins and set Cheeseman free to send the ball out to Reid-Solanki on the left. He won a corner but nothing came from it. Desperate to keep a clean sheet and not give Roffey any encouragement to seek an equaliser we were sometimes sitting too deep. On 87mins Roffey made a break down the left and Barnes had to make a good save with the loose ball being cleared. Into added time and trying to keep the ball to run the clock down, finally the whistle came and we not only had a fourth win of the season, we also had a first clean sheet.

Having not been able to play our last three scheduled fixtures, we kicked off the match in nineteenth place, as having put a run of draws together, AFC Varndeanians won the match between the bottom two to move clear of Shoreham and above us. With this being a rest weekend, the only other team in our bottom six battle to play was Crawley Down Gatwick who picked up a point at Pagham. The three points moves us up to sixteenth place level on points, and games, with Crawley Down Gatwick but behind on goal difference. Also level on points are Lancing who have a worse goal difference and have played two games more. Midhurst sit in eighteenth two points behind us but with a game in hand, and the only side we have yet to play this season. Level on points with them are AFC Varndeanians with Shoreham four points behind them. We have three games in hand over both sides.

The Lingers have a flyaway round with a trip to Guernsey who are currently the form team in the league over the last eight games including putting eight goals past Roffey but they were beaten 6-2 at Forest Row for the only blemish in that run. Of the teams in our little league, Shoreham, Midhurst and Crawley Down Gatwick are the ones struggling for form and the latter has the distraction of the FA Vase with the next round on Saturday. Also distracted by the FA Vase are table toppers Haywards Heath Town who still lead despite losing their winning streak. Steyning Town are keeping them honest in second and looking likely to make the play offs. Guernsey have games in hand and their run of form has taken them up to third. Behind these three teams there are six sides battling for the last two play off places but there are still between fifteen and seventeen games to go.