Bexhill AAC spring a cup shock, shootout heartbreak for Rye Town, Battle Town in seventh heaven

Attention turned from the league to the cups on Saturday as 19 ties were resolved across the East Sussex Football League's three knockout competitions.
Attention turned from the league to the cups on Saturday as 19 ties were resolved across the East Sussex Football League's three knockout competitionsAttention turned from the league to the cups on Saturday as 19 ties were resolved across the East Sussex Football League's three knockout competitions
Attention turned from the league to the cups on Saturday as 19 ties were resolved across the East Sussex Football League's three knockout competitions

Six of them were in round two of the Graham Ormston Premier Travel Chauffeurs Challenge Cup and Bexhill AAC were the only Division One team to defeat Premier Division opposition.

AAC, who are second in Division One, won 4-1 at home to Northiam 75 courtesy of two Jack Matthews goals, and one apiece from Oscar Hammond and Jacob Lee. Joe Millar replied.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Division One leaders Rye Town pushed Premier Division high-flyers Bexhill Town all the way before being edged out 3-1 on penalties at Rye Rugby Club.

The game itself finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and 2-2 at the end of extra-time, with Sam Cooper scoring twice for Rye and Doni Dovla bagging both Bexhill goals.

Top-flight pacesetters St Leonards Social prevailed 3-1 after extra-time at home to fellow Premier Division outfit Wadhurst United. Andy Pegman bagged a brace and Ashley McCann also struck as Social continued their fine form.

Battle Town ran out 7-1 victors in an all-Premier Division affair at home to Punnetts Town. Trystan Mayhew and Adam Sully netted twice each, while Callum Thomson, Glen Carrick and Mike Booth were also on the scoresheet for Battle.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Leon Fisher blasted a hat-trick and Jason Donoghue netted twice as Premier Division side Hawkhurst United triumphed 6-1 at home to Division One team Peche Hill Select. Jack Butler got the other Hawkhurst goal and Ash Russell claimed Peche Hill's consolation.

Premier Division again overcame Division One as Rock-a-Nore won 3-0 at home to 10-man South Coast Athletico.

In the quarter-finals, Bexhill Town will host The JC Tackleway, Rock-a-Nore will visit SC Pass+Move Arrows or Robertsbridge United, Battle will entertain Hawkhurst and AAC will be at home to Social.

The top three teams in Division Three won away to opposition from Division Two in round two of the Wisden Sports Challenge Cup.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

AFC Hollington dumped out Division Two leaders Northiam 75 II 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller, despite Kelvin Lowes bagging a brace, and Nathan Clemans and Scott Embery also scoring for Northiam.

Division Three pacesetters Ninfield triumphed 6-1 against Bexhill Rovers via the finishing of Andy Hales (2), Gary Bryant (2), Tom Saunders and Jason Taylor.

Welcroft Park Rangers were 4-2 victors against Sandhurst thanks to the goals of Bill Coles (2), Jamie Bundy and Stephen Gillet. Alfie Beadle and James Found retaliated.

Westfield II pulled off a 2-0 victory away to fellow Division Two outfit Victoria Baptists. Joe Page and Cameron Woodley got the goals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mountfield United prevailed 5-3 on penalties away to Icklesham Casuals in an all-Division Three encounter.

The game itself finished 4-4 after extra-time, with Sean Baker (2), Leon Pettit and Lee Pierce finding the net for Icklesham.

Connor Middleton struck four times as Division Two side Herstmonceux won 8-1 at home to Division Three team Bexhill AAC II. One apiece from Jake Brown, Reece Davey, Reece Mansfield and Hamit Toska completed Herstmonceux's haul.

Division Two high-flyers Little Common II received a walkover at home to Division Three outfit The JC Tackleway II.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The quarter-final line-up sees Mountfield at home to Welcroft Park, Ninfield hosting Common, Catsfield entertaining Hollington and Herstmonceux on home turf against Westfield.

Herstmonceux II were the only side to defeat higher-grade opposition in round one of the Division Four and Five Challenge Cup.

The Division Five team won 4-3 away to Division Four outfit Battle Town III despite Josh Bennett (2) and Nathan Dolby registering for Battle.

Ticehurst were the day's biggest winners, thumping Sedlescombe Rangers development 10-1 in an all-Division Four tie at Bell Field.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Joe Kennard and Toby Tapp both plundered hat-tricks, while Kieran Johnson, Billy Brightmore, Theo Duckworth and Edward Harwood also got in on the act for Ticehurst. Jake Warner notched Sedlescombe's consolation.

Welcroft Park Rangers II were also in free-scoring form, running out 8-2 victors away to Division Five rivals D&S Hastings Youth.

Kieran Apps helped himself to a hat-trick, and Dan Roberts and Jordon Cull grabbed two each. Danny Croft registered both D&S goals.

South Coast Athletico II, from Division Four, enjoyed a 5-3 success away to a Hampden Park side which is unbeaten in Division Five.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jay Easton and Tyler Smith found the net twice each for Athletico, whose other scorer was Michael Hawley. Jake Barker (2) and Ryan Molyneux responded for Park.

The other all-Division Four encounter produced a 4-1 success for Hastings Comets away to Parkfield. The goals of Kurt Foster, Ryan Penny, Luke Darvill and Ben Tudor did the damage for the Comets, while Alfie Morris struck for Parkfield.

Orington, of Division Four, edged through 2-1 after extra-time away to Division Five club Burwash. Ashley Jamieson and Tom Benford were on the mark for Orington, while Ole Reader netted for a Burwash side which finished with 10 men.

Welcroft Park will host Crowhurst II or Sovereign Saints II, Ticehurst will entertain Orington, Herstmonceux will be at home to the Comets and Westfield III will welcome Athletico in the quarter-finals.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Four league games were also played, two of them in Division One.

Battle Town II picked up their first points of the season at the eighth attempt with a 4-2 win away to third-placed Sidley United II.

Adam Thomsett's hat-trick and one from Bradley Rayner finally got Battle off the mark. Sidley have now gone three league matches without a victory having won all of their previous four.

The JC Tackleway moved up a place to sixth on the back of a 1-0 victory away to Sedlescombe Rangers II. William Lelliott's strike proved the difference as Tackleway edged past Sedlescombe by a single goal for the second successive Saturday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Catsfield jumped up four places off the bottom of Division Two following a 5-2 success at home to Hooe. Conor Loake and Aidan Pierce were on target for a Hooe team which has replaced Catsfield at the foot of the standings.

Westfield III stretched their lead at the top of Division Five to nine points by virtue of a 7-1 triumph at home to Hastings Comets II.

Reece Johnson (3), Dan Bone (2), Aaron Cochrane and Jack Harris were the scorers for Westfield, who have played three more matches than their two nearest pursuers. A Darren Griffiths goal was the highlight of the Comets' afternoon.

Plenty of league fixtures and a number of ties in the Sussex County FA knockout competitions are on the agenda for this coming Saturday, when in most cases the kick-off time will come forward to 2pm for league matches and 1.30pm for cup games.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Standings (played-points) - Premier Division: St Leonards Social 6-16 (+14 goal difference), Crowhurst 6-16 (+11), Bexhill Town 8-14 (+7), Battle Town 6-13 (+17), Punnetts Town 6-11 (+7), Northiam 75 6-9 (-10), Hawkhurst United 7-7 (-1), Rock-a-Nore 7-4 (-7), Wadhurst United 7-4 (-10), Robertsbridge United 7-0 (-28).

Division 1: Rye Town 6-18 (+15), Bexhill AAC 7-16 (+24), Sidley United II 7-13 (+6), SC Pass+Move Arrows 6-12 (+8), South Coast Athletico 6-10 (+1), The JC Tackleway 6-7 (-1), Peche Hill Select 5-6 (0), Battle Town II 8-3 (-22), Sedlescombe Rangers II 7-0 (-31).

Division 2: Northiam 75 II 7-18 (+12), Little Common II 7-15 (+16), Westfield II* 6-9 (+9), Herstmonceux 6-9 (-1), Catsfield 8-8 (-13), Sandhurst 5-7 (+2), Victoria Baptists 7-7 (-6), Bexhill Rovers 6-6 (-5), Hooe* 6-6 (-14). * = points adjusted.

Division 3: Ninfield 6-15 (+7), Welcroft Park Rangers 6-12 (+21), AFC Hollington 5-12 (+21), Icklesham Casuals 6-9 (-9), The JC Tackleway II 6-7 (-6), Mountfield United 6-7 (-6), Bexhill AAC II 7-0 (-28). Peche Hill Select II withdrawn.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Division 4: Sovereign Saints II 7-18 (+23), Hastings Comets 7-16 (+12), Ticehurst 7-15 (+11), Parkfield 7-12 (+3), Orington 5-7 (+4), Sedlescombe Rangers development 7-6 (-16), South Coast Athletico II 7-3 (-9), Battle Town III 7-3 (-28).

Division 5: Westfield III 7-19 (+34), Crowhurst II 4-10 (+23), Hampden Park 4-10 (+20), Herstmonceux II 6-10 (+5), Welcroft Park Rangers II 5-9 (+5), Hastings Comets II 8-7 (-19), Burwash 7-4 (-16), D&S Hastings Youth 7-0 (-52). Sedlescombe Rangers IV withdrawn.

Saturday November 6 fixtures - Premier Division (2pm): Hawkhurst United v Crowhurst, Northiam 75 v Wadhurst United, Punnetts Town v Battle Town, Rock-a-Nore v St Leonards Social.

Division 2 (2pm unless stated): Catsfield v Sandhurst, Hooe v Northiam 75 II (1pm), Little Common II v Westfield II (4pm).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Division 3 (2pm): Bexhill AAC II v Icklesham Casuals, Ninfield v The JC Tackleway.

Division 4 (2pm): Battle Town III v South Coast Athletico II, Hastings Comets v Orington, Sedlescombe Rangers development v Parkfield, Sovereign Saints II v Ticehurst.

Division 5 (2pm): Burwash v D&S Hastings Youth, Hampden Park v Hastings Comets II, Welcroft Park Rangers II v Herstmonceux II.

Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup, 1st round (1.30pm): Bexhill Town v Stedham United.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sussex Bluefin Junior Challenge Cup, 2nd round (1.30pm): Bexhill Rovers v Boys Brigade Old Boys, Crawley Rangers v Battle Town II, Crowhurst II v Welcroft Park Rangers, Hangleton v The JC Tackleway, Herstmonceux v SC Pass+Move Arrows, Holbrook v Rye Town, Mountfield United v Ifield Sports, Preston Park v Bexhill AAC, South Coast Athletico v Ferring Saturday II, Uckfield United v AFC Hollington, Victoria Baptists v St Marys, Yapton v Sidley United II.