The weather conditions made it difficult to play good football but for The Lingers getting something out of the game was the most important target for this game. The lads led at half time thanks to a late goal. A dubious penalty early in the second half allowed Bexhill United to equalise and a second contentious penalty gave them a chance to lead that they wasted. A red card as part of the second penalty decision left us with over ten minutes to play down to ten men. They held out to earn us a much needed point with a 1-1 draw.

A sharp start saw us have a chance in the first minute as Jack Porter played the ball down the right wing for Keanan Allassani to drive forward and into the box. His final ball from the byline was hit too long though. The start of the first half saw the worst of the weather with rain and wind which affected the quality of the football from two teams not in the best of form. On 12mins Allassani was onto a ball in the box but a covering defender got his tackle in. A minute late Haydn Dickinson made a great tackle in the centre circle and sensing their keeper well off his line tried to catch him out with a lob but it drifted wide. Bexhill United thought they had taken the lead with a good header but the flag was raised. In the twenty-second minute a combination of Ben Bayoko and Elliot Cannon created a half chance that was cleared. Stephen Hodge followed this up with a driving run down the left but the defence cleared the ball.

Just before the half hour, a slip by Tyrone Magala-Bryan in the centre circle created an opening for Bexhill but Tom Marshall was quick off his line to claim he loose ball. Our best move of the half came on 37mins with some calm possession that worked the ball across the pitch from left to right with Jimmy Williams then sending Bayoko down the right for a cross. He could not get himself set for the cross and he was not able to deliver a good ball. Bayoko then held off a number of challenges to set Cannon through but he had two defenders for company and could not produce a powerful finish. Into the last five minutes and persistence by Williams in chasing a ball into their box on the right was rewarded with him winning the ball. His centre to Allassani allowed him to slot the ball home and it was 1-0 on 41mins. There was scare two minutes later when a long ball forward by Bexhill was cleared but the loose ball was picked up by Bexhill. The shot was saved by Marshall but the slippery ball came out of his hands and looked to be spinning behind him and into the goal. A sigh of relief as he gathered up again. The last action of the half was a corner for us that was cleared and it was 1-0 to us at the break.

In the opening minute of the second half, Cannon had a shot saved and from that Bexhill were on the break and allowed to go too far without a decent challenge but Marshall saved the final shot. Bexhill as you would expect were more fired up in the second half and on 51mins Magala-Bryan needed to be strong in the challenge to head a cross clear. On 54mins a ball into our box was there to be claimed by Marshall but in a mix up Conor Wilford attempted a clearance that skied up and behind for a corner. Thankfully nothing came of it. An early change due to an injury to Cannon brought Hamza Abubakari into the game. Just after ten minutes of the half, Magala-Bryan was quick to close down on the left as their keeper came a long way out of his area for the ball. He won the ball but there was nobody near to pass to for an attempt at the empty goal.

On 57mins Bexhill were attacking our box but being harried by our defence and in a final challenge their forward looked to have stumbled over the ball and fell inside the box. The referee pointed to the spot for a penalty to general disbelief unless you were a home supporter. The kick was down the centre and it was 1-1. On 59mins it was time for a change as Bayoko was replaced by Dennis Asante. Just past the hour and it was Magala-Bryan diving in to make a block to a goal bound shot. A poor throw out by Marshall was pounced on by Bexhill and Porter had to cover at the expense of a corner. On 66mins Williams crossed from the right, Dickenson won the ball and headed it back to Hodge but Bexhill put the ball out for a throw.

The big moment of the second half came on 78mins as under pressure from Bexhill, Porter was guarding the goal-line and blocked a shot. Cue home shouts for a penalty but the referee waved play on and we were soon on the edge of their box. However, the referee then halted play to go and consult the linesman who was flagging for a penalty. Despite being in a better position than the linesman to see that the ball hit the chest and then the arm, he signalled a penalty and that also meant a red card for Porter. There was justice when Marshall saved the penalty but he could not hold onto the ball or gather the rebound. The penalty taker was first to the ball and hit it way over the bar to compound his miss from the spot. Into the final ten minutes and Asante was onto a long ball and battling with the defender on the edge of the box. They both went to ground and Asante was quickest getting to his feet to go after the ball and be clear on goal when he was pulled back to the ground. A penalty and red card looked the correct decision but the referee thought otherwise and in this case there was no assistance from the linesman.

In a coming together in our box, Wilford took a blow in the face and on his nose and required some treatment so by the time the game restarted we were in added time. In the first added minute it looked like Asante and Abubakari were going to create an opening but in clearing the ball Bexhill were away on a break down the left and fired a shot in that hit the post. A final change in the fourth added minute brought on Connor Summerfield for Allassani. The final whistle came in the eleventh added minute and a share of the points was a fair outcome.

We have dropped a place in the table to eighteenth as Eastbourne United – our hosts for next Tuesday – have found some form with a second win in a row to go above us by a point. Also above us by a point are Pagham and Saltdean United so a good result at home to newly promoted Wick on Saturday could move us up a few places. Wick sit in twelfth in the table and picked up a point at nineteenth placed Shoreham in the midweek round.