Common triumph in cup derby

Little Common’s footballers completed a cup double over crosstown rivals Bexhill United.
Russell Eldridge, pictured here in action against Wick & Barnham United on Saturday, scored Little Common's second goal in the win over neighbours Bexhill United. Picture by Steve Hunnisett (SUS-140811-163549002)Russell Eldridge, pictured here in action against Wick & Barnham United on Saturday, scored Little Common's second goal in the win over neighbours Bexhill United. Picture by Steve Hunnisett (SUS-140811-163549002)
Russell Eldridge, pictured here in action against Wick & Barnham United on Saturday, scored Little Common's second goal in the win over neighbours Bexhill United. Picture by Steve Hunnisett (SUS-140811-163549002)

Common followed up their 4-3 win in the Peter Bentley Challenge Cup during August with a 2-0 victory in a Parafix Sussex Senior Challenge Cup second round tie last night (Tuesday).

The latest meeting took place in vastly different conditions to the previous one with showery rain and a fairly stiff breeze. The pitch was in good condition considering all the recent rain, although it inevitably cut up as the match progressed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Conditions were tricky for the players, with turning particularly difficult, in what turned out to be a fairly low key and uneventful encounter between two sides who went into the game off the back of good weekend victories.

Bexhill had more of the play without creating a great deal during the opening half-hour, but squandered a golden opportunity to draw first blood when the usually reliable Scott McDonald blazed a penalty over the crossbar after Paul Feakins fouled Kevin Barden.

Feakins made amends for that mistake by setting up Common’s opener in the 43rd minute. The 17-year-old’s good piece of skill and cross found Lewis Hole at the far post and Hole managed to work space to bury a shot beyond away goalkeeper Yankuba Camara.

A healthy crowd might have hoped the goal would spark the game into life, but the second half continued in much the same fashion. Steve Morris fired a free kick just over the Bexhill crossbar and Dan Hill shot narrowly wide from similar range.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The onus was on Bexhill to get back into the game, but other than Cruttwell holding a well-struck long range shot by Chris Cumming-Bart and Allan McMinigal driving wide of the near post, they made little impression.

Common substitute Martin Denny crashed a 25-yard thunderbolt against the underside of the crossbar in a moment of brilliance which was somewhat out of keeping with most of the contest before the hosts sealed their win with a bizarre second goal in the 87th minute.

Russell Eldridge delivered a hanging free kick from just inside the touchline on the Common right which Camara completely misjudged and the ball bounced into the net without a touch from anyone else.

Common: Cruttwell, Sherwood, R. Mote, Eldridge, McEniry, Smith, Feakins (Fregene), Brown, Hole, Morris (Collier), Hill (Denny). Subs not used: Hudson, S. Mote.

Bexhill: Camara, G. Aston, Ammoun, Elliott-Noye, Clifford (Munday), J. Aston, Garman, Cumming-Bart, McDonald (McMinigal), Morgan, Barden. Subs not used: Ottley, Cruikshank, Atkin.

Related topics: