The Saturday of Week 16 was totally taken up with five fixtures in the Premier Division of the Southern Combination Football League and five fixtures in the second round proper of the ISUZU F.A. Challenge Vase involving six teams. After a few days of wet weather, Saturday was a dry and warm day perfect for playing and watching football. There was a tight game at fourth placed Steyning Town where they welcomed fifth placed Eastbourne Town to the "Birchwood Ground".. Nerves were tense when fourteen placed Horsham YMCA travelled to the "Lair" to play fifteen placed Lingfield with only two points between the two teams. After a minute's silence by everybody at all the games, the action got started.

ALL ACTION GAME, GOALS AND RED CARDS

As expected Horsham YMCA's game away to Lingfield was always going to be exciting and full of action. Within the first few minutes, Jonathan Kusaka put the visitors ahead when he was slipped the ball by Joshua Neathey to clinically finish the move only for the home side to draw level with a converted penalty. After that goal, both clubs went down to ten players when Tyrone Magala-Bryan was dismissed for a last man foul on Jonathan Kusaka and later Alfie Macquire was sent off for the visitors and an early shower. Harry Law restored some order by putting YMCA ahead just on the halftime whistle by heading home a Tom Tolfrey cross..In the second half, a cheeky little flick by Deji Adeosun deceived Bradley Curtis in the YMCA goal to level the score again. Next a goal scored by Tom Tolfrey who is lethal in a one on one with a goalkeeper gave the lead back to the visitors but the action was not yet finished as substitute Jake Horn was given a red card for kicking the ball out leaving Lingfield with only nine players..With this 3-2 away win Horsham YMCA stopped the run of division games lost and moved up three places in the premier division..

400th COMPETITIVE GAME AS JOINT MANAGERS

Sean Breach and Andrew Cook arrived at "The Nest" to play Loxwood in their 400th competitive game as joint managers for Newhaven. The game started well for them when Henry Watson opened the scoring with a header and then Henry Watson doubled the lead with a vicious strike. Both Lee Robinson with a clinical finish and Don Street with a rocket of a shot added goals before halftime. In the second half, Lee Robinson scored his second goal with a header and Demas Ramsis also got a goal with a header. Towards the end of the game Loxwood managed to score a goal. Newhaven secured a 6 -1 away victory and stayed in third place in the division.

GOOD AWAY PERFORMANCE

Midhurst and Easebourne recorded a good performance away to Saltdean Utd to end a four league game losing streak. Two goals from Marcus Bedford and one from Lewis Hamilton and then one for the "Tigers" by Marley Ambler secured a good performance and a 3-1 away victory which moved the two places up the division.

HOME DEFEAT BUT THEY BATTLED HARD

Roffey battled hard but they could not stop visitors Crawley Down Gatwick going ahead very early in the first half with a goal from Jack Ryder. The lead was doubled just before halftime by super Sammy Clements. Early in the second half, Nicholas Sullivan completed a 3-0 away victory for Crawley Down Gatwick as they stayed in second place in the division..

TEAMS SWAP PLACES

In a tight game between teams near the top of the division, Eastbourne Utd AFC scraped away to a narrow 1-0 victory over Steyning Town. As a blood and thunder first half came to an end, Aaron Capon scored the only goal with a clinical finish past the excellent Steyning Town goalkeeper. For his goal scoring efforts, Aaron Capon was named as Man of the Match..

ISUZU F.A. CHALLENGE VASE ROUND-UP

Peacehaven and Telscombe recorded a 3 -1 victory over Isthmian Football League team Bedfont Sports after going behind in the first half and then a great second half fight back. Goals from Robin Deen, Jason Edwards and Max Hollobone secured the victory. Man of the Match was named as goalkeeper Nathan Stroomberg as without his first half performance the team would have had a mountain to climb to get the victory..

Little Common travelled nearly all the way to Oxford and came away with a 4-1 victory over Combined Counties team Wallingford and Crowhurst. A goal by Sam Cruttwell in the first few seconds set them on their way to victory with Lewis Hole scoring another early goal. Sam Cruttwell came back for his second goal mid-way through the first half and then Jamie Bunn completed the visitors scoring before half time. During the first half onslaught, the home side had managed to score a goal. For his two goals, Sam Cruttwell was named as Man of the Match..

In the only game involving two teams from the Premier Division saw Eastbourne Town claim a 1-0 victory over Bexhill United with the winning goal being scored by Oliver Davies mid-way through the second half..

Premier Division leaders Broadbridge Heath were well beaten 3-0 by Combined Counties team Ascot Utd and Crowborough Athletic suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat by Stansfeld from the Southern Counties East League..

MID WEEK GAMES IN WEEK 17

The majority of teams in the Premier Division of the Southern Combination Football League are all involved in games in the PARAFIX Sussex County F.A. 2nd round. There are seven games involving ten teams, of which four teams have difficult games against Sussex based teams from the Isthmian Football League..

As winter approaches, the weather is taking control unless you have an artificial pitch and so there were no Mid-week Games arranged in Week 16 for teams in the Premier Division of the Southern Combination Football League..A late addition to the midweek fixtures was a Sussex County.F.A. PARAFIX Senior Challenge Cup. 2nd round game with Crowborough Athletic at home to AFC Uckfield Town.

There are a lot of games in the League Cup, County Cups and F.A. Vase Competition matches to be arranged in the next few weeks.....
Southern Combination Football League, PETER BENTLEY CHALLENGE CUP. 3rd round.
PARAFIX Sussex County F.A. Senior Challenge Cup. 2nd Round.
Sussex County F.A. PRINCIPAL RUR Charity Cup. 3rd Round.
ISUZU F.A. CHALLENGE VASE. 2nd Round Proper.

A GAME OF TWO HALVES

On a day of heavy thundery downpours, the pitch at Crowborough was declared fit for play after an inspection by a referee. The conditions underfoot were muddy and slippery and overhead it rained heavily intermittently. Crowborough Athletic went ahead with two goals before Jamie Bunn scored for Little Common. Three more goals were scored by the "Crows" before half time to give the home side a commanding lead. At the start of the second half, Freddie Warren pulled a goal back for Little Common but then the "Crows" scored again. Towards the end of the second half, Lewis Hole and Sam Cruttwell both scored for the visitors but that was not enough to prevent Crowborough Athletic progressing to the 3rd round with a 6-4 home victory.