The last game before Christmas at The Polegrove saw Bexhill Utd slug their way to a 0-0 draw with relegation threatened AFC Varndeanians in a contest which never added much voltage to the glittering lights illuminating the town.

Varndeanians are in a dog fight for survival at the foot of the Southern Combination Premier Division table and with every point precious, they battled from the off to snuff out the attacking threat of the Pirates on their home turf.

With defensive lines drilled and determined the visitors effectively fought Bexhill to a standstill. Nathan Crabb and Charlie Playford both found themselves with chances to break the deadlock in the first half but Varndeanians held firm and the teams went in level at the break.

It was more of the same in the second half with some hardened Pirates fans suggesting the teams could have played until Christmas Eve without troubling the Golden Goal panel in the Pigeon Loft media centre.

Bexhill though kept going and Jay Skinner-Swain chucked all his attacking resources from the bench into the fray in search of that winning goal but despite plenty of effort it never came and the game finished where it started with both teams taking a point.

Fair play to Varndeanians who did an effective job and the good news for the Pirates was that another point secured pushed them up another place in the table to eighth going into Christmas, nicely positioned for a push in the play-off places.

All focus now shifts to the annual Christmas Bexhill Derby with near neighbours Little Common this coming Saturday at the Polegrove, kick off 3pm, where a fiesty encounter and a large crowd is also expected.

Courtesy of Geoff Morris.