Bexhill end losing run with derby draw

The Pirates overturned a half time deficit with two goals in three minutes only to concede an equaliser with just under half-an-hour of the Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division One encounter remaining. Both Langney goals were scored by former Bexhill players.

On a pitch which had dried out from the day’s rain commendably well, Bexhill dominated the opening 10 minutes and were whiskers away from taking an early lead when Gordon Cuddington’s header from an Allan McMinigal corner was very well saved by Graham Leach.

Langney then started to find their feet and the rest of a keenly contested first half featuring plenty of tackles from both sides was fairly even. Paul Weatherby pulled his shot wide of Bexhill’s near post after a lovely one-two with Shane Saunders.

A decent Cuddington strike from distance was well held by Leach and McMinigal couldn’t quite get on the end of an inviting Cuddington cross, while at the other end, Simon Catt’s shot from just inside the box deflected narrowly wide.

Catt put Langney ahead in the 36th minute, arriving late in the box to place a low first time shot beyond Bexhill goalkeeper Adam Osborne from Wayne Wilkinson’s cut-back.

Cuddington couldn’t direct a far post header on target from Jack Aston’s left wing free kick and McMinigal did well to work space for an angled shot which went narrowly beyond the far upright in the closing minutes of the half.

Bexhill might well have felt hard done by to be trailing at the break and they were quick out of the blocks after the restart, despite now kicking into the breeze. McMinigal’s firm drive was parried by Leach just 20 seconds into the half.

The hosts were level in the 50th minute. Aston’s corner from the right made its way through to McMinigal, who controlled the ball on his chest before firing through a crowded penalty area into the net.

Two minutes later Bexhill were ahead. Aston’s cross from the left was flicked on by two Bexhill heads and the energetic Cuddington forced the ball in at the far post on his first home appearance since his recent return to the club.

Jacob Shelton shot just wide from a Cuddington pass before Langney equalised with their first genuine attempt of the half in the 65th minute. Paul Rogers got a shot away from the edge of the box which bobbled over the arms of the unfortunate Osborne as he dived to his right.

Bexhill had a good-looking penalty appeal waved away when Shelton went to ground under the challenge of Sam Weston, but Langney probably looked the more likely winners during the final quarter.

Callum Holles - the only player on either side to pick up a booking - dragged his shot wide from a great position inside the box after Bexhill failed to clear Wilkinson’s free kick, while Marcus Allen flashed an effort from distance just over and a Rogers attempt went wide of the far post.

Bexhill: Osborne, A. Tudor, Rayner (Peoples 66), Munday, Cruikshank, Aston, Wheeler (Pickering 86), Cuddington, Shelton, Ottley, McMinigal. Subs not used: Mole, Elliott-Noye.

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