United Hit the Summit as Lancing Break Their Duck
By Dougie, Dugout AI round-up reporter
Southern Combination Premier Division round-up · Saturday 22 August 2026
The FA Cup may have ripped the Southern Combination Premier Division fixture list apart on Saturday, but the four league matches that survived certainly did not disappoint.
There were 18 goals across just four games, two remarkable comebacks, a first league victory of the season for Lancing and another huge result for a Guernsey side beginning to look increasingly serious.
The biggest winners, though, were Eastbourne United.
United had to do it the hard way at Billingshurst, falling 2-1 behind early in the second half before responding with three unanswered goals to win 4-2. The result took them onto 10 points and, on the latest available table, to the top of the Premier Division on goal difference.
Guernsey joined them on 10 points after Charlton Gauvain’s early strike delivered a superb 1-0 victory at Roffey, while Haywards Heath Town — not in league action because of their FA Cup commitments — also sit on 10.
Crawley Down Gatwick produced perhaps the comeback of the afternoon, somehow turning a 2-0 deficit against Forest Row into a 4-2 victory.
And at Gorings Mead, Lancing finally got their season moving by beating Horsham YM 3-1.
Only four games.
Plenty to talk about.
EASTBOURNE UNITED TURN IT AROUND
BILLINGSHURST 2 EASTBOURNE UNITED 4
If Eastbourne United end up being involved at the sharp end of the table next spring, Saturday afternoon at Jubilee Fields might be one of those results people eventually look back upon.
Winning comfortably when everything is going your way is one thing.
Winning when you have fallen behind away from home and suddenly find yourself in a proper fight is something different.
Eastbourne took the lead after 37 minutes, appearing to have put themselves in control of a potentially tricky away fixture.
Billingshurst had other ideas.
The home side levelled just before the break in the 44th minute and then completed the turnaround only three minutes into the second half.
Suddenly it was Billingshurst 2-1 Eastbourne United.
This was the point where United were tested.
They could have panicked. They could have begun forcing things. Instead, they responded.
The equaliser arrived from the penalty spot after 62 minutes before Eastbourne struck again in the 73rd minute to reclaim the advantage.
Two minutes later came another.
From 2-1 down to 4-2 ahead in the space of 13 second-half minutes.
Job done.
That sort of burst says plenty about the attacking threat Eastbourne possess.
United now have 15 goals from five league matches, and their record stands at three victories, one draw and one defeat. Saturday’s win moved them onto 10 points with a goal difference of plus eight.
There are still questions, of course.
Eastbourne have conceded seven times and Billingshurst demonstrated that they can be got at.
The top sides later in the campaign will undoubtedly punish lapses.
But there is also a great deal to like.
Fifteen goals in five games is three per match. At Step Five, if you possess that level of attacking threat, you are going to win a lot of football matches.
And when a side can go away from home, surrender a lead, fall behind and still produce three goals in 13 minutes, there is character to go alongside the quality.
BILLINGSHURST — ENTERTAINING, BUT EDDIE WILL WANT THE DOOR SHUT
For Billingshurst, the frustration will be enormous because once again there was plenty of attacking evidence that they can hurt sides at this level.
The problem is what is happening at the other end.
Their recent matches have become ridiculous entertainment for neutrals.
They were beaten 5-3 at Lingfield, then lost an extraordinary 5-4 game at Pagham on Tuesday night before Saturday’s 4-2 defeat against Eastbourne United.
That is three matches producing 23 goals.
Nobody watching Billingshurst recently can complain about being bored.
Manager Eddie French was already lamenting his side’s defensive problems after the Pagham game, where Billingshurst scored four away from home and somehow still came away empty-handed.
Saturday must have felt painfully familiar.
Having fought back from 1-0 down to lead one of the division’s strongest-looking sides 2-1, there was a real opportunity available.
But the game escaped them again.
There is an important distinction here: Billingshurst do not look toothless.
Far from it.
They are creating chances. They are scoring goals. They are capable of causing good teams problems.
That is far easier to fix than a side which creates absolutely nothing.
But conceding four and five on a regular basis will make collecting points almost impossible, regardless of how dangerous you are going forward.
The formula for French therefore looks fairly obvious.
Don’t remove the bravery.
Don’t remove the attacking intent.
Just find a way of making Billingshurst a little more horrible to play through.
If they can do that, there is enough going forward to climb the table.
CRAWLEY DOWN PRODUCE A STUNNING TURNAROUND
CRAWLEY DOWN GATWICK 4 FOREST ROW 2
At 57 minutes, Forest Row must have thought their afternoon was going beautifully.
At 83 minutes, they were probably wondering what on earth had just happened.
Forest Row took the lead after only seven minutes at the Haven and reached half-time 1-0 ahead.
Twelve minutes after the restart they struck again.
CRAWLEY DOWN 0 FOREST ROW 2
Twenty-four minutes later?
CRAWLEY DOWN 4 FOREST ROW 2
That is not a typo.
The comeback began almost immediately after Forest Row’s second goal, with Crawley Down reducing the deficit in the 59th minute.
Six minutes later it was 2-2.
The hosts completed the turnaround after 75 minutes and Forest Row were then reduced to ten men three minutes later.
Crawley Down added the fourth in the 83rd minute to complete an extraordinary second-half transformation.
Four goals between the 59th and 83rd minutes.
That is some response.
Crawley Down’s start to the campaign has been intriguing. There has been the odd setback, but they have also demonstrated repeatedly that they can compete with the stronger sides in this division.
Saturday’s victory moved them onto eight points from five matches, placing them fourth in the latest table behind the three clubs sitting on 10.
The character displayed is perhaps more important than the position.
At 2-0 down, plenty of sides mentally start thinking about the next fixture.
Crawley Down did the opposite.
They scored within two minutes of conceding the second.
That goal changed everything.
Suddenly Forest Row were protecting something rather than chasing something, the home crowd had reason to believe and momentum shifted completely.
By the time the third went in, the game had effectively been turned on its head.
Crawley Down will know they cannot continually give teams two-goal starts, but there is something impressive developing at the Haven.
Eight points from five represents a very healthy opening.
FOREST ROW LET A HUGE OPPORTUNITY ESCAPE
The other dressing room will have been considerably quieter.
Forest Row were minutes away from putting themselves into a brilliant position.
Two goals ahead away from home with little more than half an hour remaining should produce points.
Instead, they left with nothing.
The worrying part was the speed with which everything collapsed.
Once Crawley Down scored their first, Forest Row were unable to slow the contest down.
Six minutes later the advantage had disappeared.
Ten minutes after that they were losing.
The red card after 78 minutes obviously made recovering even more difficult, but crucially Crawley Down had already completed their comeback before Forest Row were reduced to ten men.
That distinction matters.
The dismissal contributed to the fourth goal and killed any realistic chance of another twist, but it was not the reason Forest Row surrendered the lead.
They now find themselves down in 19th in the current standings.
Nobody should be talking about relegation battles in August, but early points matter precisely because they remove that conversation.
Forest Row have shown enough attacking ability to suggest they can hurt opponents.
The next stage is learning how to manage matches when they get themselves in front.
Saturday represented a massive missed opportunity.
GAUVAIN STRIKES AGAIN AS GUERNSEY WIN AT ROFFEY
ROFFEY 0 GUERNSEY 1
Forget the travel.
Forget the logistics.
Forget any suggestion that Guernsey might need time to reacclimatise to Southern Combination football.
The Green Lions are here to compete.
Their latest statement came at Roffey, where Charlton Gauvain struck after only seven minutes and Guernsey defended that advantage for the remaining 83 plus stoppage time to secure another impressive away victory.
It was Gauvain doing the damage again after also scoring the winner in Guernsey’s FA Vase victory at Newhaven a week earlier.
This time there was no second goal required.
One was enough.
Roffey certainly had opportunities.
Charlie Gibson tested Guernsey goalkeeper Josh Addison towards the end of the opening half, while Jordan Mase went close after the break when a deflected effort looped narrowly over.
Mase also headed just wide around the hour mark as the Boars increased the pressure.
Guernsey had chances to make the afternoon considerably more comfortable themselves.
Gauvain headed wide after good work from Dylan Graham, while substitute George Goubert was denied by Roffey goalkeeper Charlie Burton in stoppage time.
But the most remarkable moment may have involved Addison.
The Guernsey goalkeeper dislocated a finger while making a save. With the referee reportedly a trained paramedic, the finger was put back into place and Addison somehow continued to complete the match and the clean sheet.
Non-league football, ladies and gentlemen.
Guernsey’s numbers now deserve attention.
Four league matches. Three wins. One draw. Seven goals scored. Two conceded. Ten points. Unbeaten.
They sit second in the latest table, level on points with Eastbourne United and Haywards Heath Town.
Perhaps the most impressive number is the two goals conceded.
Everyone notices sides scoring four and five every week.
Championship contenders often distinguish themselves at the other end.
Guernsey are becoming difficult to score against, difficult to beat and clearly comfortable travelling.
That combination makes them dangerous.
ROFFEY’S FLYING START HITS ANOTHER TEST
Roffey themselves should not suddenly be written off.
They announced their intentions rather loudly on opening day by demolishing Little Common 8-0, then followed it by winning 3-2 at Crawley Down Gatwick.
Eleven goals across the opening two league matches made everybody take notice.
Saturday was a different sort of test.
Guernsey got ahead, closed spaces and forced Roffey to find a way through.
They couldn’t.
That will frustrate the Boars, but it may ultimately be a useful lesson.
You are not going to score eight every week.
Promotion-chasing sides occasionally have to win 1-0 on an ugly afternoon, and Roffey have now experienced exactly what that looks like from the other side.
There is still plenty of quality in this side and plenty of football ahead.
The explosive opening has simply encountered some resistance.
LANCING ARE OFF AND RUNNING
HORSHAM YM 1 LANCING 3
This might be the result that matters most psychologically.
Lancing went to Gorings Mead looking for their first league victory of the season.
They came away with it — and did so emphatically.
HORSHAM YM 1 LANCING 3
The result is confirmed in Guernsey’s official round-up of Saturday’s Premier Division games and represents a much-needed breakthrough for the Lancers.
Their opening weeks had been difficult.
Lancing started the league season with a 1-0 home defeat against Seaford Town before suffering a brutal 6-0 FA Cup loss against SE Dons.
When results go against you that early, the danger is not the league table itself.
Nobody is relegated in August.
The danger is confidence.
Players start snatching at chances. Every mistake feels bigger. Going a goal behind becomes a crisis instead of simply part of a football match.
That is why an away victory like this can change the atmosphere completely.
Three goals.
Three points.
A win on the road.
Suddenly the season looks different.
And it came against a Horsham YM side who had themselves enjoyed a morale-boosting victory against Forest Row in midweek.
Lancing should take enormous belief from this.
One result does not solve everything, but sometimes one result is exactly what starts solving everything.
A SETBACK FOR HORSHAM YM
For Horsham YM, meanwhile, this was a disappointing way to follow Tuesday’s victory.
YM have shown enough already to suggest they will be competitive, but consistency remains the obvious requirement.
Losing 3-1 at home against a side searching for its first win will sting.
The good news?
The fixture list offers plenty of opportunities to respond, although none of them look particularly comfortable.
YM travel to Newhaven next Saturday before a Bank Holiday meeting with neighbours Roffey on Monday 31 August. Their official schedule then brings Lingfield to Gorings Mead on 5 September.
That little sequence could tell us plenty about where YM sit within this increasingly competitive Premier Division.
WHY WERE THERE ONLY FOUR LEAGUE MATCHES?
Saturday’s Premier Division schedule was unusually small because much of the division was occupied elsewhere, most notably in the FA Cup Preliminary Round.
There were some significant results involving SCFL Premier clubs.
Pagham continued their cup adventure by beating Balham 2-0 at Nyetimber Lane.
East Grinstead Town produced one of the eye-catching results by winning 2-1 away at Bognor Regis Town, while Haywards Heath Town drew 1-1 at Sutton Common Rovers and Hassocks also finished 1-1 away at Westfield. Newhaven’s afternoon was considerably tougher, ending in a 5-0 defeat at Whitstable Town.
That explains why a 20-team division delivered only four league fixtures.
Normal chaos will resume soon enough.
SATURDAY’S SCFL PREMIER RESULTS
Billingshurst 2-4 Eastbourne United
Crawley Down Gatwick 4-2 Forest Row
Horsham YM 1-3 Lancing
Roffey 0-1 Guernsey
THE EARLY PICTURE — THIS LEAGUE LOOKS WIDE OPEN
We are nowhere near the stage where a league table should be treated as gospel.
Clubs have played different numbers of matches because of FA Cup and FA Vase commitments, and August schedules at this level can become messy very quickly.
But there are already clues.
Eastbourne United are scoring for fun.
Fifteen goals in five league games and 10 points is a proper start.
Guernsey look extremely difficult to beat.
Three wins, a draw and just two goals conceded deserves serious respect.
Haywards Heath Town remain right there.
They have 10 points from four games and remain unbeaten, meaning three clubs currently sit together on 10 points.
Then comes Crawley Down Gatwick on eight, having just demonstrated the sort of mentality required to turn 2-0 into 4-2.
And behind them there are plenty of teams who have not yet played enough league football for us to know precisely what they are.
Newhaven have seven points from three.
Hassocks have shown flashes.
Midhurst & Easebourne continue to develop.
Pagham have started positively while juggling cup football.
Roffey have already demonstrated devastating attacking potential.
Bexhill United have points on the board.
East Grinstead have just produced a massive FA Cup result.
And Lancing finally have their first win.
That is why predicting this league in August is a dangerous business.
There does not appear to be one side ready to disappear over the horizon.
There are instead a collection of teams capable of hurting each other.
DUGOUT NEWS VERDICT
If there was one lesson from Saturday, it was never assume a game is finished in the SCFL Premier.
Billingshurst led Eastbourne United 2-1.
They lost 4-2.
Forest Row led Crawley Down Gatwick 2-0 after 57 minutes.
They lost 4-2.
Roffey had been one of the early attacking sensations.
Guernsey went there and shut them out.
Lancing arrived at Horsham YM without a league win.
They left having scored three.
That unpredictability is exactly why the Southern Combination Premier remains one of the most entertaining divisions around.
Eastbourne United currently have the goals.
Guernsey currently have the resilience.
Haywards Heath have quietly accumulated 10 points.
Crawley Down have the momentum.
Roffey have already shown they can destroy teams.
And several of the expected challengers still have games in hand because of their cup runs.
So who is actually the best side in this division?
Ask us again in October.
Because four weeks into this season, the SCFL Premier is doing what it does best.
Making fools out of anybody brave enough to predict it.
First published in Dugout News, Issue 3, 23 August 2026. Republished here in full.
