A first home league match of the season and a chance to put our FA Cup replay behind us against another of the teams with just a point so far from two matches. In the second minute Reon Donkor won the ball and passed to Gabriel Odunaike in the centre. Kwesi Ntim was on the left wing and on receiving the ball attacked the box but was tackled before shooting. Just three minutes into the match and a ball down the left by Guyni Nganga to Ntim and then laid off to Gabriel Odunaike was slid through to Iker Noguera Leon who drove into the box and was bundled down for a penalty. Ntim stepped up and despatched the kick for 1-0. Ntim was holding up the ball well and trying to work an opening across the edge of their box but was eventually tackled. With twelve minutes on the clock, Nganga was attacking down the left wing, pushing into the box he delivered a cross that was blocked by a hand for a second penalty. Up stepped Ntim again and it was 2-0. On the quarter hour William English battled well to win the ball and find Donkor for a shot that lacked power and went wide of the left post. The visitors woke up and had a break into the box on the right that needed a good tackle by Stephen Hodge to stop. On 20mins Billingshurst were in on the left this time and first Sang Baek saved it and then Nicolas Bostan cleared it.

A minute later we were celebrating as a drive into the box and shot by Reon Donkor drew a save and Odunaike followed up to tuck the loose ball home. Only for offside to be called that looked very borderline especially after Wednesday evening. Billingshurst from a free kick on the right drew a save at the foot of the post by Baek. On the left wing they had a shot that Bostan blocked and from there Donkor played the ball out to Noguera Leon to take it forward to find Odunaike on the left edge of the box. He battled well to hold onto the ball and keep it in play but it eventually rolled behind. Just past the half hour and Billingshurst had the ball in our box trying to get a clear shot only to have Baek gather the ball and take a late challenge. Inside the last ten minutes and Nganga drove into the centre of the box to try to get a shot off. He passed to Noguera Leon who fired a shot at the keeper. A couple of minutes later Noguera Leon had another shot on goal from the right of the box that curled over bar. In added time Hodge won the ball and pushed forward and required their keeper to tip the ball around the post. A comfortable 2-0 lead that still felt it needed more after being pegged back in the replay.

A change at the break as Jason Stripp replaced Noguera Leon. Once again the half was barely underway and Donkor worked well to keep the ball and provide an opening for Ntim to complete his hattrick. Billingshurst had to repel a couple more attacks and then a third saw William English challenge their keeper on the edge of the box. The loose ball came to Ntim to have a shot at the open goal but it was just too high. Billingshurst were putting pressure on as they looked to get a shot in but Jimmy Williams put his boot through the ball to clear. On 57mins English was replaced by Yusuf McGregor. While thinking another goal would clear our goal difference, a goal keeper / defender mix-up allowed Billingshurst to put the ball just inside the right post for 3-1 on the hour. A couple of minutes later an excellent passing move from Jason Stripp in the centre to found Ntim on the left. He laid it back to Odunaike who passed to Donkor where he returned it to Ntim moving into space and he added goal No 4 to his tally.

It could have been another when Yusuf McGregor was set loose on the right to drive into the box but rather than shoot himself he cut the ball back with nobody in position and the chance went. On 68mins a Stripp free kick from the right went through their box untouched and just beyond Ntim on the far side. A minute later a central free kick was dummied by Stripp for Alex Kpakpe to shoot just wide of the left post. Billingshurst slipped loose in midfield and were advancing on goal with Hodge chasing back hard to put the forward off his shot. His shouts for a penalty were waved away. Looking to add another goal, Ntim had a shot from the left. The rebound came to Donkor and then Nganga for a cross that won a corner. A short corner gave McGregor the chance to work his way into the box but the defence cleared the ball. On 76min Odunaike was replaced by Raphael Barbosa. Billingshurst got in a tangle with their keeper coming outside the area and being tackled by Donkor, who brought the ball away to make it 5-1.

Keep that score and our goal difference would be levelled, but inside the last ten minutes a long ball beat Hodge and the visitors pulled it back to 5-2. Our rhythm seemed to be broken by substitutions as we failed to clear our lines properly as they stole the ball and made it 5-3. It became a bit edgy as Billingshurst had their tails up. Ntim combined with Raphael Barbosa to create a chance for McGregor to shoot from the right but it skimmed across the front of the goal. Inside the final five minutes and Nganga took the ball down the left wing and set up Donkor to cut into the box and shoot but the shot was blocked. Our nerves were settled as the final whistle came after five added minutes and we had our first win of the season.

That first win takes us up the table into ninth place, bottom of four teams on four points, but with it being the FA Vase there were only three other fixtures in this round of games. The three remaining teams with a 100% record did not play but will be in action tomorrow while we have a second home game on Wednesday against Lancing who are in nineteenth place have yet to get a point or score a goal. I would say more of the same but while scoring five more would be good, keeping a clean sheet to go with them would be nice as we only had four last season with the first not until January.