A battling performance from Bexhill Utd on Wednesday evening, under the Polegrove lights for the first time this season, saw them secure a win on penalties against local rivals Eastbourne Utd in the Sussex FA Royal Ulster Rifles Cup.

After a race to the get the ground ready following the end of the cricket season at the weekend, everything was in place for a feisty clash between the two sides who know each other well.

The game settled into a lively pace and Bexhill had a couple of good chances. A good opportunity went wide on 14 minutes and a decent save from Alex Hobden in the United goal kept things level on 25 minutes.

The play immediately shifted to the other end of the park and Eastbourne opened the scoring, Steve Smith breaking through and squaring a cross to Josh Thomas who slotted the ball home.

It remained one nil to the visitors at the break as the weather closed in, with the wind swirling around the old Polegrove main grandstand, the clearest sign autumn is almost upon us and summer is done.

It was Bexhill who came out swinging in the second half and on 50 minutes Theo Coombs rifled an equaliser into the bottom corner. No one could question the value of entertainment on offer as both sides sought the win with chances at both ends before Eastbourne re-established their lead when some chaos in the Bexhill box on 66 minutes saw an attempted clearance balloon into the net.

The match still swinging from end to end, Bexhill popped up with another equaliser, Kyle Holden running towards the box setting up Jack Shonk to drill the ball under the keeper and level the scores once again.

With Dale Penn sin-binned at a crucial part of the game the Pirates had to dig deep to stay in the match and had a bit of luck when an Eastbourne header slammed the crossbar, the final chance of the game and into penalties.

There was more drama in the shoot-out as Hobden saved from Shonk first up but it was Stef Akras who turned the tie around with two saves on the bounce.

In the end it was down to Ryan Moir to blast home the winning spot kick and send Bexhill into the next round.

Courtesy of Geoff Martin