Bexhill Town back on form in title race … as top flight gets its first 0-0 draw

Bexhill put a stop to successive league losses with an important 3-2 win away to Rock-a-Nore via a Henry Barnes brace and one from Olwethu Peterson.

Second-placed Punnetts Town remain eight points behind with two games in hand following a comfortable 5-0 victory at home to Westfield II.

Strikes by Callum Holles, Nick Moore, Mark Phillips, Reece Davey and Connor Middleton earned Punnetts their sixth straight win (including penalty shootouts) across all competitions.

The fourth-versus-third clash between Rye Town and Crowhurst ended in a goalless draw - the first such scoreline in the top flight all season.

Both teams are 11 points off the pace, Crowhurst having played two fewer matches than the leaders and Rye five fewer.

Fifth-placed St Leonards Social made it back-to-back league successes thanks to a 1-0 triumph away to 10-man Hawkhurst United. Kieran Stocker grabbed the only goal.

The JC Tackleway moved seven points clear at the top of Division One courtesy of an 8-2 win away to Little Common II.

Toby Payne's hat-trick, two from Asher Grindle, and one apiece by Toby Shaw, Kale Hakos and Jay Tomlin did the damage for Tackleway, who have played twice more than second-placed Sandhurst. Kit Harris-Macrae netted both Common goals.

Wadhurst United hosted Battle Town II for the second time this month and this time ran out 2-1 victors to climb above Common into the top four.

Dean Tincombe and Henry Martin netted for Wadhurst, who led 1-0 at the break, while Tyler Smith struck for Battle.

Ninfield went back to the summit of Division Two after a trio of second-half goals secured a 3-1 success at home to Bexhill Rovers.

Tom Saunders, Gary Bryant and Jordan Uttley were on target as Ninfield moved above Peche Hill Select on goal difference having played two fewer fixtures.

Rovers, in fact, dropped to the foot of the table because Icklesham Casuals went a point above them via a goalless draw at home to fourth-placed Sedlescombe Rangers II.

Icklesham, whose tally of four draws is the most of any side in the entire league, have played three times more than Rovers.

Fifth-placed Northiam 75 picked up three points for the second successive Saturday, winning 3-1 at home to Victoria Baptists.

Joe Millar, Adam Page and Dean Hilton Huish struck to put Northiam just a point adrift of Sedlescombe having played two fewer contests.

After the previous weekend's draw, normal service was resumed for Division Three pacesetters Herstmonceux as they triumphed 4-0 away to Bexhill AAC II.

The goals of Jake Brown, Curtis Eyres, Toby Jones and Liam Johnson took Herstmonceux's tally to 35 points from a possible 42 this season.

Crowhurst II are the team most likely to challenge Herstmonceux for top spot and they went third with a 3-0 victory at home to second-placed Parkfield.

Anton Neil (2) and Harley Millward were on the scoresheet for the Crows, who are 14 points behind the leaders, albeit with six games in hand.

Rye Town II dropped below Crowhurst to fourth after having to settle for a 3-3 draw away to Hastings Comets.

Ole Reader, Ollie Barrow and Arthur Karapetyan scored for Rye, while Luke Darvill's double and one from Ben Tudor boosted the Comets' bid to climb away from the foot of the standings.

Fifth-placed Orington made it four consecutive wins - and clean sheets - in all competitions on the back of a 3-0 success at home to Westfield III.

All the goals came during the second half, with Scott Higgs netting two of them and Tom Benford claiming the other.

Sixth-placed Catsfield saw their eight-match unbeaten run in league and cup brought to an end by a 3-1 loss at home to Ticehurst.

George Brown's brace and a Darren Nicol goal lifted Ticehurst up two positions to eighth - and nobody in the division has played fewer fixtures. Sam Harris scored for the Cats.

Sedlescombe Rangers Development rose to second in Division Four in light of a 5-3 triumph away to Hastings Athletic.

Tom Ackerley and Jake Warner scored two goals apiece as Sedlescombe hit five for the second weekend in a row, despite finishing with 10 men.

Strikes by Charlie MacDonald (2) and Joseph Simonian couldn't prevent Athletic's four-game undefeated run coming to an end.

Westfield IV dropped below Sedlescombe after going down by the same score at home to an SC Pass+Move Arrows III team which is now off the bottom.

Two goals each from Freddie Novis and Hayden Phillips, and one by Che Winchester, took the Arrows a point above Athletic with two games in hand.

Battle Town III halted a run of seven defeats and a draw in eight matches across all competitions by winning 2-1 at home to Robertsbridge United II.

Luke Gasson and Alex Neville were on the scoresheet as Battle won for the first time since October 22 - and moved back into the top four as a result. Jack Dean replied for the Bridge.

Hawkhurst United II followed up their fine cup result of the previous weekend with a 2-1 victory away to The JC Tackleway II.

George Lawrence and Joe Walsh found the net for the eighth-placed Hawks, who are now just a point and two positions behind their victims having played four fewer matches.

Bexhill AAC's splendid run in the Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup came to an agonising end at the quarter-final stage.

The Premier Division side was edged out 3-0 on penalties after a 0-0 draw away to Mid Sussex League Premier Division outfit AFC Ringmer.

Sovereign Saints II booked their spot in the ESFL Division Three/Four Challenge Cup semi-finals by dint of a 2-0 success at home to Mountfield United.

Max Butcher and substitute Arvin Sharifi got the goals which secured Saints another all-Division Three tie, at home to Crowhurst II, on March 4.

Hooe and Sandhurst will go head-to-head in the Macron Store Hastings Cup semi-finals after both overcame opposition from their own division in the last eight.

Hooe prevailed 4-2 on penalties away to fellow Division Two team Hollington United II after a topsy-turvy encounter had finished 3-3.

Kion Cornelius, Arthur Pepper and Conor Loake scored for Hooe, who at one stage led 2-0 before going on to trail 3-2. Curtis Beale, Jack Buckley and Danny Spice netted for Hollington.

Tomas Budd and James Found were on the mark as Sandhurst triumphed 2-0 in an all-Division One affair at home to SC Pass+Move Arrows.

Robertsbridge United advanced to the quarter-finals in the other half of the draw courtesy of a walkover away to SC Pass+Move Arrows II. They will visit fellow Premier Division side Rye Town this coming Saturday.

There was also a game last Thursday night. Punnetts Town won 2-1 away to Hailsham Town U23 in the Eastbourne FA Challenge Cup with goals from Casey Ham and Michael Keefe.

Standings - Premier Division (played-points): Bexhill Town 14-33 (+19 goal difference), Punnetts Town 12-25 (+20), Crowhurst 12-22 (+27), Rye Town 9-22 (+11), St Leonards Social 12-16 (-17), Sidley United* 11-12 (-8), Westfield II 8-11 (-3), Bexhill AAC 7-9 (+2), Hawkhurst United 13-9 (-21), Rock-a-Nore* 12-7 (-3), Robertsbridge United 10-3 (-27). * = points adjusted

Division 1 (played-points): The JC Tackleway 9-25 (+34), Sandhurst 7-18 (+7), SC Pass+Move Arrows 5-10 (+9), Wadhurst United* 11-8 (-7), Little Common II 9-7 (-17), Battle Town II 9-2 (-26). * = points adjusted. South Coast Athletico, AFC Jesters withdrawn

Division 2 (played-points): Ninfield 10-26 (+17), Peche Hill Select 12-26 (+8), Hollington United II 10-20 (+12), Sedlescombe Rangers II 13-17 (+2), Northiam 75 11-16 (+6), Victoria Baptists 11-13 (0), SC Pass+Move Arrows II 11-13 (-6), Hooe 11-10 (-8), Icklesham Casuals 13-10 (-22), Bexhill Rovers 10-9 (-9).

Division 3 (played-points): Herstmonceux 14-35 (+33), Parkfield 14-23 (0), Crowhurst II 8-21 (+21), Rye Town II* 11-21 (+14), Orington 12-21 (+9), Catsfield 11-17 (-1), Sovereign Saints II 10-14 (-1), Ticehurst* 8-10 (+8), Mountfield United 11-10 (-9), Bexhill AAC II 10-10 (-11), Hastings Comets 11-6 (-20), Westfield III 14-4 (-43). * = points adjusted

Division 4 (played-points): Welcroft Park Rangers II 11-31 (+35), Sedlescombe Rangers Development 12-24 (+3), Westfield IV 13-21 (+8), Battle Town III 14-19 (+3), Burwash 13-18 (-5), The JC Tackleway II 14-15 (+1), Robertsbridge United II 11-15 (0), Hawkhurst United II 10-14 (-8), SC Pass+Move Arrows III* 12-12 (-18), Hastings Athletic 14-11 (-19).

Saturday February 25 fixtures - Premier Division (2pm): Crowhurst v Rock-a-Nore, Punnetts Town v St Leonards Social, Westfield II v Sidley United.

Division 1 (2pm): Battle Town II v Little Common II, Wadhurst United v Sandhurst.

Division 2 (2pm): Bexhill Rovers v Hollington United II, Hooe v Ninfield, SC Pass+Move Arrows II v Northiam 75, Sedlescombe Rangers II v Peche Hill Select, Victoria Baptists v Icklesham Casuals.

Division 3 (2pm): Catsfield v Mountfield United, Hastings Comets v Sovereign Saints II, Orington v Crowhurst II, Parkfield v Bexhill AAC II, Westfield III v Rye Town II.

Division 4 (2pm): Burwash v The JC Tackleway II, Hawkhurst United II v Battle Town III, Robertsbridge United II v Hastings Athletic, SC Pass+Move Arrows III v Westfield IV, Sedlescombe Rangers Development v Welcroft Park Rangers II.

ESFL Wisden Sports Challenge Cup semi-final (1.30pm): The JC Tackleway v SC Pass+Move Arrows.

ESFL Division Three/Four Challenge Cup semi-final (1.30pm): Herstmonceux v Ticehurst.

Macron Store Hastings Cup quarter-finals (1.30pm): Bexhill AAC v Bexhill Town, Rye Town v Robertsbridge United.