Match Reports
26/01/08
Hailsham 1s 3-4 Men's 4th XI
Another tough game on paper for Brighton away to a well drilled and well organised Hailsham side. Hailsham were also up for revenge after the 4s had inched ahead of them at Fortress Deason to win 2-1 earlier in the season. Lest we forget Murphy running the clock down in the corner of the pitch.
Brighton fielded almost the same side as last week, but with the loss of injured Yann and due to an umpire crisis were forced to use Tosh as umpire rather than utilising his usual “wobbling” on the wing.
Brighton were, therefore, forced to travel with 11 able bodied men. 11 soon became 10.5 when Bondie strained his hamstring chasing down Hailsham’s skilful whipper snapper. This meant he was forced to prowl the pitch like a caged tiger waiting to pounce when an unsuspecting Hailsham player strayed to close to his stick.
Despite this handicap Brighton were on hot form and were all over Hailsham who seemed to have no idea how to cope with the speed of Brighton’s players. Brighton always seemed to be the first to the ball and the passing was slick and accurate (can’t believe I have just written that sentence about the 4s!!).
Brighton took a deserved lead when a slick short corner routine (crazy I know) was buried in the corner when an Ade strike deflected off a Hailsham stick and the boys were 1 up. Hailsham still seemed to have nothing in reply and as Brighton poured forward good work saw Bondie who must have been loitering in the D had his shot saved only for Ade to react panther like to the rebound to give Brighton and deserved 2 nil lead. The Pillsbury Panther.
Hailsham began to wake up and tested the back four but the defence held firm with Hailsham’s through balls harmlessly passing Brooksy’s goal.
The lead was further extended after some sustained pressure from Hailsham was soaked up only for a short corner to be awarded on the break and Ade completed his hat-trick with another deflected short corner strike. Graham was itching to get a goal and when a long raking pass found him on the top of the D his poor control was enough to dink it around the on rushing keeper for an unbelievable 4-0 lead at half-time.
Brighton were pinching themselves to check they weren’t dreaming.
Brighton knew Hailsham were a decent side and this game was not over but was Brighton’s to throw away.
Sadly and predictably it was a different 11 that turned out for the second half. The previously solid defence suddenly looked shaky and within moments of the restart a good pass found a Hailsham player at the back post for an easy finish via Brooksy’s inner thigh. No panic, it’s 4-1 for crying out loud!
The cracks though continued to grow though as Hailsham came again and with Bondie now down to a crawl Matt Harding was forced to drop back to help terrier like in midfield with some tenacious tackling.
Cue the ridiculous 16s from the defensive back four in the style of classic silent movie slapstick comedy. They managed to scuff, mishit and mis control scores of short corners. And as Brighton tried to spread it wide, Shef decided to keep the ball cool by wafting it with his stick as it rolled off the pitch. A short corner was soon conceded and dispatched and the score was 4-2. Still no panic, surely! But Hailsham were in the ascendency.
They had promoted a sweeper to attacker and his physicality was causing Brighton some problems, Potter though was getting the measure of the man. He did sadly give our bespectacled battler the slip for a second and his rasping shot crashed into the net. 4-3, oh dear. Things were getting very edgy. The major signs of this to the casual observer are when the following happens:
Graham decides to tackle back. We are grateful that he does but sometimes he does so with very little grace or style and in some ways without any real intention or hope of touching the ball. No one is sure if he times them by sundial or Halley’s Comet.
Ready will invariably fall over in the D followed by some chortling.
Shef will shout loudly at the team to “sort it out!!”
Chris Perry will apologise for some poor marking.
Potter will smack his new adidas stick into the pitch and growl.
Bondie will also shout.
Rest assured dear reader, all these things happened. If only College was there.
It was also around this point that fitness junky Sleaze, playing in midfield, finally hit the wall. His red face could be seen for miles around and his breathless wheezing and panting must have been a great irritant to any opposition player in the vicinity.
With the seconds ticking away Ade took the tactical step of wellying it down the field. It seemed to work because just as Graham clattered in for another mistimed challenge the whistle went for a well deserved Brighton victory!
Two on the bounce and the 4s have done the double over Hailsham, very satisfying and the Super 4s are back!
Thanks to Tosh for sacrificing a weekend of hockey to umpire. Good man.
DB