Rye fly high as Towns dominate in East Sussex Football League

Last season's Division One champions made it three Premier Division wins out of three with a 4-0 victory at home to Hawkhurst United on Saturday.

Charlie Stevens plundered a hat-trick and Barnaby Osborne got the other as Rye inflicted a first defeat of the season on a Hawks side which started the day second.

Bexhill Town replaced Hawkhurst in second spot courtesy of a 5-1 success away to neighbours Sidley United - their second three points in as many outings.

Two Olwethu Peterson goals, and one each from Henry Barnes, Liam Richards and Tommy Whelan got the job done for Town. Logan Copley netted Sidley's consolation.

Crowhurst are third - level on points with Town, but having played a game more - following a narrow 2-1 triumph away to Bexhill AAC.

Wes Tate's late goal ensured the Crows returned to winning ways following the previous weekend's defeat. Aaron Davies headed the Crows' first goal and Ben Barton struck for AAC.

Westfield II picked up their first win of the campaign with a 2-1 victory at home to Robertsbridge United.

Strikes by George Landais and Alex Mulumba won it for Westfield, while Connor Barfoot's goal wasn't quite enough for the Bridge.

Punnetts Town gained their first points at the second attempt - and in some style too, winning 4-1 away to Rock-a-Nore.

Craig Norman led the way with a hat-trick and Sam Wiegand claimed Punnetts' other goal.

The JC Tackleway, SC Pass+Move Arrows and Sandhurst are all yet to drop a point in Division One.

Tackleway have played a match more than the other two, though, and are therefore three points clear with nine points out of nine.

Toby Payne scored a hat-trick and Toby Shaw also netted as the Sussex Junior Cup holders ran out 4-1 victors away to AFC Jesters. Sam Crabb provided the lone response.

Pass+Move prevailed by the same score at home to Wadhurst United as they made it two six points from two encounters.

Kyle Penn, Curtis Coombes, Philip Hatch and Brandon Kovacs were on the scoresheet for the Arrows, who won despite having a man sent off. Dean Tincombe was Wadhurst's scorer.

James Found struck four times as Sandhurst preserved their 100 percent record on the back of a 5-2 success away to Little Common II.

Tomas Budd also netted for the Kent side, while Attilio Field and Nick Kavanagh were on target for the Commoners.

Battle Town II chalked up their first win at the third time of asking, triumphing 3-1 at home to South Coast Athletico.

Harrison Rathborn, Jacob Edwards and Alex Woodhams found the net for Battle, while Brad Mepham was Athletico's scorer.

Northiam 75 and SC Pass+Move Arrows II both have six points from three contests at the top of what's shaping up to be a closely-fought Division Two.

Northiam have the edge on goal difference after Joe Millar's hat-trick helped fire them to a 5-1 win away to Peche Hill Select.

Casper Floyd and Adam Page also found the net for Northiam against a Peche Hill outfit which had taken four points from its two previous games. Joseph Worsley notched the Peche Hill goal.

Pass+Move went one better as they ran out 6-1 victors at home to Hooe through the goals of Kelvin Lowes (2), Alex Cunningham, Jacob McArthur, Hayden Phillips and Frankie Manning. Callum Holt-Burgess responded.

The two remaining unbeaten teams in the third tier, Ninfield and Hollington United II, are both just a point off the pace in third and fourth respectively.

Ninfield dropped their first points of the term as they were held to a 1-1 draw away to Icklesham Casuals.

After back-to-back draws, Hollington gained their first win as Danny Woodley and Zack McEniry scored in a 2-1 success away to Sedlescombe Rangers II. Jimmy Hoare struck for a Sedlescombe side which finished with 10 men.

Victoria Baptists got off the mark at the second attempt thanks to a 3-0 triumph at home to Bexhill Rovers. James Bellett, Michael Smith and Patrick Ighavvongbe were the Baptists' goal heroes.

Herstmonceux and Crowhurst II are making the early running in Division Three, both with nine points from three fixtures.

Herstmonceux have the edge on goal difference after continuing their fast start with a 3-1 win away to Hastings Comets, whose scorer was Luke Darvill.

Crowhurst prevailed by the same score away to previously unbeaten Bexhill AAC II thanks to the finishing of Joe McCarthy (2) and Harley Millward. Dominic Sinden replied.

Ticehurst head a quartet of teams on six points following a 3-2 victory at home to Westfield III.

Edward Harwood's double and one from Darren Nicol proved just enough for Ticehurst to overcome a Westfield outfit for whom Sam Way and Ralphy Coker netted.

Two of the other sides on six points are Orington and Parkfield, who faced each other at Bexhill College with Parkfield coming out on top 3-2.

Oliver Truman's brace and a Tom Ellis strike meant Parkfield inflicted a first defeat of the season on Orington, for whom Tristan Hinz and Andrew Swindles struck.

The standout result in the fourth tier was Mountfield United's remarkable 8-2 success at home to Sovereign Saints II.

Mountfield had lost their two previous matches, whereas Saints had won theirs, but Liam Baker's four-goal salvo helped completely rip up the form book.

Aamir Malek bagged a brace, and Steven Fortsch and Nick Severino were also on target for Mountfield, while Harry Hughes claimed both of Saints' goals.

Catsfield and Rye Town II both picked up their first point of the campaign after drawing 2-2 with each other.

Harry Atkins and Jacob Jones scored for Catsfield to match Sammy Foulkes' first-half double for Rye.

Battle Town III are two points clear at the summit of Division Four after a 7-1 triumph at home to Hawkhurst United II took them to nine points from three outings.

Nathan Dolby blasted a hat-trick, Rhys Bennett bagged a brace, and Liam Smith and Matthew Bricknell also got in on the act for the new leaders.

Welcroft Park Rangers II are now the only other team in the fifth tier yet to taste defeat and they moved up to seven points by dint of a 4-1 win away to Hastings Athletic.

Benjamin Akehurst, Mark Hedges, Darren Weller and Aaron Wright were on the mark for second-placed Welcroft, while Joel Hennessy retaliated.

Westfield IV slipped to third after dropping their first points of the season, losing 3-2 at home to previously pointless Robertsbridge United II.

James Hopkinson's brace and a Ben Tighe finish got Robertsbridge up and running, while the goals of Ashley Jamieson and Paul Hobden weren't enough for Westfield.

Sedlescombe Rangers Development are level on points with Westfield in fourth after winning by the same margin at home to Burwash.

Ben Cowell's double and a Graham Stovell finish secured Sedlescombe a second straight win. Archie Jupp and Rhys Kuhler were on the scoresheet for Burwash.

The JC Tackleway II celebrated their first victory of 2022/23 in emphatic fashion as they hammered SC Pass+Move Arrows III 9-1.

Another full programme of league action is on the agenda for tomorrow (Saturday).

Standings - Premier Division (played-points): Rye Town 3-9 (+8 goal difference), Bexhill Town 2-6 (+5), Crowhurst 3-6 (+3), Hawkhurst United 3-4 (-2), Westfield II 3-4 (-2), Bexhill Town 2-3 (+3), St Leonards Social 1-3 (+2), Punnetts Town 2-3 (-1), Rock-a-Nore 2-0 (-3), Sidley United 2-0 (-6), Robertsbridge United 3-0 (-7).

Division 1 (played 3 matches unless stated): The JC Tackleway 9pts (+12), SC Pass+Move Arrows (2) 6 (+6), Sandhurst (2) 6 (+5), Wadhurst United 4 (0), Battle Town II 4 (-1), AFC Jesters 3 (-4), South Coast Athletico 0 (-5), Little Common II 0 (-13).

Division 2 (played 3 matches unless stated): Northiam 75 6pts (+7), SC Pass+Move Arrows II 6 (+3), Ninfield 5 (+2), Hollington United II 5 (+1), Icklesham Casuals 4 (-1), Peche Hill Select 4 (-3), Victoria Baptists (2) 3 (+2), Sedlescombe Rangers II 3 (-1), Hooe 3 (-5), Bexhill Rovers (2) 0 (-5).

Division 3 (all played 3 matches): Herstmonceux 9pts (+13), Crowhurst II 9 (+7), Ticehurst 6 (+3), Orington 6 (+3), Sovereign Saints II 6 (-1), Parkfield 6 (-1), Bexhill AAC II 4 (-1), Mountfield United 3 (+3), Rye Town II 1 (-5), Hastings Comets 1 (-5), Catsfield 1 (-6), Westfield III 0 (-10).

Division 4 (all played 3 matches): Battle Town III 9pts (+9), Welcroft Park Rangers II 7 (+10), Westfield IV 6 (+5), Sedlescombe Rangers Development 6 (+3), The JC Tackleway II 4 (+3), Burwash 3 (+2), SC Pass+Move Arrows III 3 (-7), Hawkhurst United II 3 (-7), Robertsbridge United II 3 (-8), Hastings Athletic 0 (-10).

Saturday October 1 fixtures (kick-off 3pm unless stated) - Premier Division: Bexhill Town v St Leonards Social (4pm), Punnetts Town v Sidley United, Robertsbridge United v Crowhurst, Rock-a-Nore v Hawkhurst United, Rye Town v Bexhill AAC.

Division 1: AFC Jesters v SC Pass+Move Arrows, South Coast Athletico v Little Common II (2pm), Sandhurst v Battle Town II, Wadhurst United v The JC Tackleway.

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

Division 3: Crowhurst II v Rye Town II, Hastings Comets v Parkfield, Sovereign Saints II v Herstmonceux, Ticehurst v Bexhill AAC II, Westfield III v Orington.

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