Pogue to bolster Rye title bid

Hastings United striker Pogue was due to dual-register with Rye this week and is expected to be in their squad for the trip to Ringmer tomorrow (Saturday).

Rye manager Scott Price said: “He’s a good addition, it gives us something fresh. It wasn’t someone I was looking for to be fair, but he wants to come and sign, and he’s too good a player to ignore.”

Pogue, 24, shot to prominence locally when he scored 21 goals for Sidley United during their Sussex County Football League Division Two promotion-winning campaign of 2009/10 - the year Rye won the Division Two title.

The tall and fairly quick Pogue then signed for Hastings, making 65 appearances and scoring 15 goals over the past 18 months, including 30 appearances and seven goals this season, although he’s been a substitute in the last two games.

Pogue joins a Rye side which remains six points clear of second-placed Lancing having played an extra game in Sussex Division One and seven ahead of third-placed Pagham having played two more matches after all three were victorious last weekend.

Rye’s lead over fifth-placed Three Bridges - the only other side realistically in title contention - now stands at 12 points, although the Crawley-based outfit has six games in hand.

Price acknowledged tomorrow’s match “won’t be easy” and he won’t have Duncan McArthur because the gifted midfielder starts a four-match ban, but Jack Franklin has now completed his suspension.

See today’s Rye Observer for the full article.