Southern Combination Football League Premier Division
Dave Read brings us his final report from his Sussex based weekend:
The fifth game of a hectic Easter weekend took me to the Oval Arena for an 11am kick-off to take in the Eastbourne United match against local rivals Saltdean United. It was a pleasant half an hour walk along the seafront from my hotel so thankfully no train or bus timetable woes to worry about for this game!
I arrived just before ten o’clock and took some time to explore this recently redeveloped stadium and what an impressive set-up they now have here. A walkway all around the ground giving plenty of standing room, two seated areas, one behind the goal as you enter through the turnstiles, the other on the right as you walk in. They also have a hospitality area, a small bar near the turnstiles and a couple of areas which have pub style seating. The pitch has an excellent 3G surface and just the other side of the fence is a large bar area. The redevelopment is top notch and it really is a fantastic arena for football.
Going in to the match the hosts were sitting third in the table behind champions Hassocks and Crowborough Athletic so they are a club heading in the right direction in all respects. Saltdean have had a troubled season and sit bottom and adrift of safety, winning just 21 points from their 37 games.
Entry was £8 for adults with a printed programme available for £2. All the volunteers from the people looking after the parking to everyone inside the ground were very friendly and welcoming and I took my place in the stand ready for the start of the game.
From the first whistle the hosts signalled their intentions by attacking from the off. We nearly had a very early opener when James Hull whipped in a great ball across the six yard box, Nathan Crabb got a touch but it went just the wrong side of the post.
The waves of attacks kept flowing as United pressed for an early breakthrough. An Ollie Hull shot forced keeper Archie Whatman into action, Arthur Grout made a good run down the wing and pulled the ball back to the edge of the box which Charlie Ball knocked on to Hull but his effort was just off target.
A punt forward from Saltdean saw Eastbourne keeper James Broadbent outside of his area trying to head clear. Billy Oliver picked up his clearance and tried to lift it over Broadbent as he retreated only for it to come off his back and fall to Fraser Middleton. He sent the ball goalwards only for Koby Farrell to slide across and clear.
The visitors had another chance moments later as Oliver made a great run down the left and towards the byline clipped a shot over the advancing Broadbent only to see it hit the top of the bar and bounce away.
Back at the other end Ball made a run into the box and fired a ball across. A defender slid in to try to block and his touch took it over his keeper and clipped the top of the bar as it flew over.
In the 13th minute an Arthur Grout corner picked out the unmarked Ollie Hyland and he buried his header into the net to give the hosts the lead. 1-0
Another Grout corner caused problems for the Saltdean defence but they did get a touch only for it to fall to Hull who flashed his effort over the bar. Back came the visitors in this end to end first twenty minutes, Middleton got in behind the home defence and his shot was blocked by Broadbent, Kacper Ziolkowski retrieved the loose ball but he appeared to be cleaned out by the goalkeeper leaving him on the floor with the referee waving away Saltdean’s appeals.
Still the visitors looked for a leveller and from a good Charlie Yeates cross on the right Broadbent punched the ball away. Middleton tried to get on the end of it but put his effort wide. Back came the home side with Hull hitting a snapshot from the edge of the box which hit the post and bounced to safety.
A lovely move down the right involving Grout and Ball ended with the former squaring the ball to the edge of the box where Sam Scott ran onto the ball and hit a first time effort that flashed wide of the post.
A Grout corner from the right was floated into the middle of the goal where it was headed away by Joe Boland, Ball picked up the loose ball but was crowded out with the ball ricocheting around in the box until Grout hit a shot from 8 yards out only to see Whatman to save smartly low to his left.
Grout was involved again moments later when he played a beautiful pass inside the full back for Ball to run onto. He slid the ball across the six yard box where a defender got a touch and the ball rebounding onto Crabb’s leg and looping over the bar.
As half time approached the chances kept coming, a Hull cross found Ball in the box but he blazed the ball over the bar. At the other end a long through from the right was cleared to Alfie Edmeads who beat his man and lifted a cross to the far post where Boland sent a header goalwards with Broadbent saving well.
Right on the stroke of half time, the hosts won a free kick just inside the Saltdean half. It was flicked on to Rhyle Ovenden who ran towards the box unchallenged before hitting a shot from 30 yards out which flew just over the bar.
H-T: Eastbourne United 1 Saltdean United 0
Quite how the hell that half ended with just the one goal I’ll never know! Once the people in the crowd had managed to get their breath back after the frantic first half, we were away again with the hosts beginning to take control of the game.
James Hull raced clear on the left and ran into the box before trying to beat Whatman from a narrow angle, the keeper managed to parry away from danger. Yeates made a good run down the right for the visitors, taking the ball into the area before squaring it back to Oliver on the edge of the area. Under pressure Oliver mis-hit his shot and it went wide of the target.
Four minutes into the second period the home side were awarded a penalty after Nathan Crabb was felled by the Saltdean keeper. Hull stepped up and fired the ball past Whatman and into the bottom right hand corner with the keeper guessing the right way. 2-0
Still the hosts forged forward, Charlie Ball played a dangerous cross into the box which appeared to hit the far post, ricochet off Hull to Crabb who, leaning back, put his effort over the bar. Next a ball over the top set Hull free but Whatman had his angles right and saved well low to his right.
The pressure from the hosts was now relentless as they tried to put the game beyond the visitors reach. Ten minutes into the second half it was three. Hull twisted and turned on the edge of the box before firing past Whatman and into the left corner of the next. 3-0
Sam Scott made a run forward from left back, passing to Ball who played it on to Hull but he was off balance and could only fire over the bar. Saltdean then pulled one back just after the hour, A nice ball from Thai Beebee allowed Oliver to beat the offside trap and he lifted a lovely effort over the top of the advancing Broadbent and into the net. 3-1
This sparked an instant response from the hosts, T’yano Wilson made a great run before some poor defending allowed Crabb to find Hull and he made no mistake to complete his hat-trick. 4-1
The hosts still weren’t done, after the visitors were reduced to ten with one of the substitutes sin-binned, Whatman saved well from Ball, Brett Patton saw a crack from distance whistle past the post and Jack Samways fired over from the edge of the box.
With 8 minutes remaining the home side increased their lead once more, Samways smashing a shot past Whatman from 25 yards. 5-1
An Arthur Grout free kick from central outside the box called Whatman into action again before Wilson made it six with the last kick of the game. 6-1
F-T: Eastbourne United 6 Saltdean 1
It was a great way to finish off my Eastbourne weekend away and I’d like to thank everyone at Eastbourne United for their hospitality.
Best of luck to both clubs in the future.