Bexhill United set for three key games in eight days

Bexhill United midfielder Jamie Bunn tries to hold off a Mile Oak opponent at The Polegrove last weekend. Pictures by Simon Newstead

Third-placed Bexhill will host sixth-placed Seaford Town tomorrow (Saturday), second-placed Alfold on Tuesday night and fourth-placed AFC Varndeanians next weekend in Southern Combination League Division One.

Bexhill manager Ryan Light said: “I don’t see it as a defining week, but it will be a big week. We’ve seen everybody once now and if we perform to the levels we aspire to, there’s nobody that we can’t beat.”

See also: * Bexhill United boss: Hard-fought win felt even more important* Bexhill United overturn half time deficit to beat Mile Oak* Bexhill United up to third after 5-1 Boxing Day winThe key trio of games to kick-off the new year will begin against a Seaford side which has lost to only the division’s top two (in league matches) since being hammered 7-1 by Bexhill in August’s reverse fixture. Kick-off at The Polegrove is 3pm.

“Seaford will be a tough game,” continued Light. “It will be a bit of a blood and thunder game; they’ve got a few people there that like to get one over on Bexhill.”

That will be followed by a midweek clash against an Alfold team which is a point above Bexhill and which triumphed 1-0 in the reverse fixture on the season’s opening day.

Bexhill and Alfold are the division’s two highest scorers having netted 114 league goals between them this season, so an entertaining encounter would appear highly likely.

Although they’ve yet to drop a point against opposition outside the top five, Bexhill’s three games against the top four have all ended in single-goal losses - and Light is well aware of how important the return matches against the other high-flyers could prove to be.

Jack Shonk tries to turn away from a Mile Oak player

Bexhill captain Craig McFarlane is expected to serve a one-match ban against Seaford for accumulating five yellow cards, the last of which was against Mile Oak on Saturday.

“It’s a shame because he’s a big player for us,” said Light, whose team continues to possess the division’s best goal difference.

Drew Greenall is set to return, while Kion Parchmont - the Cayman Islands under-20 forward who recently signed for Bexhill on a dual registration basis with Crowborough Athletic - may well return from his homeland in time for the Alfold clash, which will kick-off at 7.45pm.

Bexhill were unbeaten in the league in September, October and December. Their only league defeat since August was against leaders Steyning Town in November.