Little Common beat Horsham YMCA – Eastbourne United downed by Dockers

Little Common 3 Horsham YMCA 0

SCFL premier

Little Common clinched their biggest win of the season with a 3-0 victory over previous league leaders Horsham YMCA on Saturday.

The visitors arrived at the Rec having won five out of their six league matches with their only defeat coming on the opening weekend of the season back in July.

Fin Holter once again deputised in goal for the injured Matt Cruttwell and Louis Walker came back into the starting line-up in place of the absent player-manager Russell Eldridge. It was the visitors who began on the front foot and their lively front line kept the Common defence on their toes – a goalbound header was superbly hooked off the line by Lewis Parsons and Holter was on hand to make a brave block at the feet of a YMCA forward.

Common grew into the game and even encounter ensued with neither keeper being really tested. With the match ebbing towards a goalless first half, it was Common who broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time when Lewis Hole rose to head home a JJ Walker delivery into the area – the first league goal the visitors had conceded in 597 minutes of football.

Holter smothered an early YMCA effort in the second half before the introduction of substitute Sam Cruttwell paid instant dividends for Common when he rifled an effort into the top corner of the net with just his second touch.

Two goals soon became three as Common all but secured the points in the 68th minute when Walker’s cross field ball found Freddie Warren and his first time half volley back across the goal nestled into the bottom corner of the net. Cruttwell saw a free kick clear the crossbar and Sam Ellis appeared to be tripped in the area but the penalty appeal was waved away.

The visitors saw one final effort drift wide but it was Common who took the much-needed three points.

Before the match, Common supporter Pete Burton was presented with a card and gift to celebrate his 90th Birthday.

Eastbourne Utd 1 Newhven 2

SCFL premier

After nine days without football after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Anthony Storey’s side were back in league action at The Oval against an in-form Newhaven side, looking for their fifth win in a row.

The game started brightly with United, in their normal style, wanting to get the first goal early in the game and set the tempo .The first chance of the match came through Arron Hopkinson after a low cross from young Mason Creese, but Newhaven‘s number one pulled off a great save.United went ahead through Harvey Mapstone after a free-kick taken by Hopkinson that found Ellis Cormack. He chested the ball down on the edge of the box to release Mapstone to go one on one with the goalkeeper and slot it home making it 1-0.A second opportunity came minutes later with brilliant play by Creese setting up Hopkinson on the edge of the box. He tried to bend it into top corner but forced the keeper into the save of the day.Before half time Newhaven nearly levelled through a free kick that Phil Hawkins put out for a corner.The second half was a different game with Newhaven coming out and forcing United back, winning multiple corners and free kicks that put the defence to the test.After a disallowed goal, Newhaven got their reward from a corner to make it 1-1.Their attacking continued, with United unable to halt them.

A second – and the winner – for Newhaven came in the last 15 minutes of the game to secure the three points.

United manager Anthony Storey said: “ A football match has two halves -in the first half we could have been 2-0 or 3-0 up but we didn’t take our chances and their goalkeeper was good.

"Second half it was a completely different match with the visitors coming out stronger and creating chances to win the match which they did deserve in the end.

"I was really pleased with Ellis Cormack – he has been consistently good since the start of this season. He is a tremendous player and we hope he can keep his form because he will play a massive part this season.”

Eastbourne United visit AFC Uckfield nex t Tuesday.

- EUFC report by EMMA KELLOND