Bexhill's unbeaten run ends with home loss

Bexhill United wide player Georges Gouet tries to hold off a Ringmer opponent. Pictures by Simon Newstead

The Pirates conceded in either half to lose 2-0 against Ringmer in Macron Store Southern Combination League Division One.

Bexhill manager Ryan Light said: “On the balance of play over the 90 minutes we didn’t deserve anything out of the game. We worked hard, but our decision-making bordered on crazy at times in every department and we lacked a bit of quality in possession that we’ve had in recent weeks.”

Bexhill didn’t start particularly well and fell behind to a goal which came out of nowhere on 14 minutes. Ringmer got in behind Bexhill a bit too easily on the home left and Matthew Daniel poked through the legs of returning Bexhill goalkeeper Dan Rose, the ball just rolling over the line.

A Ringmer player gets his head to a ball into Bexhill United's penalty area.

Light hoped the goal might kick Bexhill into life, but they continued to trail at the break despite Nathan Lopez whistling an angled shot from the right just past the post. Lopez and Connor Robertson also had efforts from distance.

As the sun set and the temperature dropped, Bexhill were a lot better in the second half than they had been in the first and were a lot more in control of the ball.

Bexhill were pushing for an equaliser, but there was a real ebb and flow to the contest. Ringmer looked quite dangerous on the break and Bexhill had to be on their guard against the lively Jack Rowe-Hurst.

Bexhill defender Lewis McGuigan was superb throughout, but his mistake led to Ringmer’s second goal just after the hour which gave Bexhill a mountain to climb.

Bexhill United defender Lewis McGuigan stands in the way of a Ringmer opponent.

McGuigan’s poor touch allowed a Ringmer player to get in behind Bexhill’s defence, hold the ball up and square for Noah Dudok Van Heel to bury a crisp first time finish into the far corner.

Bexhill showed lots of endeavour and honesty in their workrate, but at no point seemed to get the rub of the green. Jack McLean tried his hardest to get past the Ringmer defence, but it didn’t quite happen for Bexhill.

“Because we started so poorly and got behind, we never really quite got to grips with the game,” added Light. “When you get your nose in front, there’s very few times when the score reverses.

“That was an immature and naive performance which I thought we had moved on from. We sort of went back a couple of months.”

Bexhill: Rose, Cornelius, Ottley (Harffey), McFarlane, McGuigan, Robertson, Gouet, Lopez (Barden), McEniry (Giles), Cuddington, McLean.

Southern Combination League Division One top half (played-points): 1 LITTLE COMMON 17-43 (+40 goal difference), 2 Wick 17-39 (+33), 3 Langney Wanderers 16-37 (+32), 4 Lingfield 17-35 (+29), 5 Mile Oak 16-29 (+6), 6 BEXHILL UNITED 17-28 (+18), 7 Steyning Town 16-25 (+14), 8 Ringmer 17-24 (+10), 9 Seaford Town 16-24 (-3).