Eastbourne United 1 Eastbourne Town 3, SCFL Premier Division, Monday 22nd April 2019
Confession time.
While my visit to Pagham’s Nyetimber Lane ground on Saturday did indeed mean that I've now visited every ground in the SCFL Premier division this season, there was a slight caveat to this achievement (if that’s what it can be called).
You see, two (well, not that's not right, one... let's call it one and a half) of those visits were not to watch teams in the league. Let me explain. Back in October I visited Priory Lane to watch the tenants, National South side Eastbourne Borough, take on Dulwich Hamlet in an FA Cup qualifier.
Ground ticked off.
However, Priory Lane is also home to Langney Wanderers, so while I have indeed visited their ground, I haven't actually seen them play at home.
Likewise, I visited Eastbourne United's The Oval in November. But not to watch United. Instead it was their lodgers (and league rivals) Little Common who were in action on that particular afternoon.
In an ideal world, I would have rectified this situation by the end of this season. However, by the time I realised that was the case, I was unable to fit in revisits to both grounds while still managing to tick off the others I’d yet to visit at all.
Therefore, as Easter Monday rolled by, I was left with a straight choice. Either a trip to The Oval for the Eastbourne derby between United and Town, or a visit to nearby Priory Lane for Langney Vs Little Common. (Quite why kick off times couldn’t have been staggered to allow the people of Eastbourne the opportunity to attend both games, thus maximising the potential for even larger crowds, I've no idea. A thought for the future, perhaps? That said, a crowd of just over 400 is not at all shabby at Step 5!).
In truth, it wasn't a particularly hard choice to make. Not only was the United-Town clash a more mouthwatering match prospect, but Eastbourne United are the tenants of The Oval, while Langney are merely lodgers of Priory Lane. Surely this should give them priority.
Unsurprisingly, The Oval hasn't changed much in the five months since my previous visit (albeit the pitch was in better nick this time round), so for a description of the ground take a look at the Little Common post on this blog.
I was dropped off outside The Oval at the frankly bizarre time of 10:45 (regular 11’o’clock kick-offs would certainly take some getting used to!). It was £6 to get in, and a further £1 for a slim, basic program, which nevertheless included all the standard information you would expect to see in such a product.
While this match wasn’t the very definition of a must-win game for the hosts – prior to kick-off the three teams at the foot of the table were all locked on the same points with two games remaining, meaning that whatever happened the relegation battle would go down to the last day of the season – three points, or even one, would certainly have given their chance of survival a great boost.
For high-flying Town, a second-placed finish is still on the cards and with this, and local pride, at stake, there was never any question of the visitors showing any benevolence towards their near neighbours.
From the off, the gap in class – it would be unfair to describe it as a gulf – was clear to see, with the visitors putting the hosts under pressure from the off. United had barely mustered anything resembling an attack before Town took the lead just after the ten-minute mark. A scramble in the area found its way to Tom Vickers on the edge of the area, and his low drive nestled into the corner of the net.
Yet if anything, the early goal galvanised United and they quickly began to grow into the game. In fact, had the ball bounced a little luckier for them during a couple of goalmouth scrambles they could have so easily snatched an equaliser.
As befits a derby, tackles were flying in from players on both sides, but while it always looked as though one mistimed challenge could cause tensions on either side to boil over, the match always just about managed to stay on the right side of competitive.
For all United’s hard work and clear desire to make the morning as uncomfortable as possible for their visitors, however, there was always just a bit more class about Town’s overall play.
This was summed up perfectly just after 25 minutes, when George Taggart absolutely lashed a half-volley high into the roof of the net, giving United custodian Jordan Hawkins, who maybe should have done better for the first goal, no chance whatsoever.
Still, though, United refused to wilt in the blazing sun. On a couple of occasions, they worked themselves into good positions only to be denied by stout Town defending (I’ve seen them four times now this season and have to say they have always looked very strong defensively).
At the other end, though, Town continued to pose a threat whenever they attacked, with winger Aaron Capon particularly lively. When the half-time whistle blew, 2-0 to the visitors was probably a fair reflection of the game.
With two minutes of the restart, though, it was very much game on. Whether he was going for it or not I have no idea, but Kane Penn’s low free-kick from the left evaded everyone in the crowded penalty area and found its way into the far corner. The United fans – and players – celebrated wildly, while Town’s ever vocal Ultras (who once again made for a great atmosphere) were momentarily silence.
At the point, I really began to think an upset could be on the cards. Surely United would now throw everything they had at their visitors.
However, it never really happened. While the determination United’s players showed cannot be doubted, they just didn’t quite possess the quality to put Town under any sustained periods of pressure.
As time wore on, Town began to look more and more comfortable, and were it not for a couple of good saves from Hawkins, and some decent last-ditch defending, the game could have been out of reach for United.
As it was, Town had to wait until the 80th minute before they secured the three points; Daniel Perry brilliantly heading home a cross from the left. The goal sent the visiting ‘Ultras’ wild, and finally seemed to deflate the plucky home side, who rarely looked like getting back in the game from this point on, and by full-time United were well beaten.
That said, while United may have lost, for the second time this season I found myself leaving one of their games wondering quite why they are struggling near the foot of the table (I thought the same when I saw them at Crawley Down earlier in the season). True, they were easily second best in this encounter, but I’ve seen a lot worse, and less hardworking, sides in the division this season. Some of which are much higher up the table.
Still, they’ll head to out-of-form Pagham on Saturday with hope that they can get the result they need, while Arundel and Shoreham come up short. Likewise, Town will also need to beat champions Chichester City, and hope other results go their way, to secure a commendable runners-up spot.
So 20 SCFL Premier grounds visited, and 19 of the Division's teams seen at home. Apologies to Langney for my failure to get to one of their home games, but I promise I'll make up for it next season.
Who knows, maybe I'll even take a trip to Horsham this Saturday to at least see them in action for a second time this season?
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