Neatherway 70 mins, Towse 85 mins, O’Sullivan x 2 96 mins and 102 mins, Rowland 111 mins
Bluefin Sussex Intermediate Cup
Sat 10 October
A mixed weekend of results as both 1st team and the Under 18s progressed in their Sussex Cups with 1st Round wins, but UBFC Reserves suffered their first defeat of the season in the League
After the near perfect performance of the previous week’s win at League title contenders Montpelier Villa, this fell well short of that standard and is a real wake up call to the squad. Inconsistency at key times has cost us in recent seasons, and we got away with one this week after being taken to extra time when we should have had the game won.
4 changes to the starting line up with Jake Cockerton, Drew McGill, Ryan Singers and Kris Harding serving a change in the starting 11 as Gunny, Leo, Callum and Ryan we’re rested to clear up injuries. Disappointingly, and not for the first time, Jonny Taylor went ‘missing’ on a match day.
We were to concede a first half goal on 20 mins when slack defending at a corner presented Battle with a free header that was duly taken. Apart from that neither side created and chances and the ball boys were kept busier retrieving wild shots and misplaced passes than either keeper.
Frankly things weren’t any better in the second half until the 2 substitutions were to make a telling contribution. Micky Neatherway went on a determined run, avoiding tackles and fouls as the Ref ignored screaming Beeding shouts for a free kick to play an excellent advantage and see Micky cooly score in the bottom corner, his first goal in a Beeding shirt. 15 mins later with Battle stretched, a move and cross from the right saw Callum Towse on the volley beat the keeper and put Beeding in front with 5 mins to go.
Sadly on a day when berating match officials went way beyond the acceptable from both sides, a 10 min sin bin for Kris reduced us to 10 men and far from being able to manage the game out, Battle punished us with an equaliser deep in added time with the final kick of normal time…….and a further 30 mins slog.
Battle were reduced to 10 men after a second yellow card shortly into the start of extra time and with the home team tiring, we finally found the space and time to create chances with the calm Callum Towse bringing the composure and creativity our game had lacked. A double from Pat O’Sullivan and a final goal from Jamie Rowland, and some missed chances, saw us home in the end with a far from convincing display.
MOM Drew McGill put in a tidy shift in midfield and put in his share of challenges to keep Battle at bay, and the defence was solid, but in many respects a forgettable effort from us. We now meet Ferring away in the second round of the Sussex Intermediate Cup on 14 Nov
UBFC Line Up: Banks Gregory Jamieson Spence Cockerton McGill, Singers, Rowland Ward, Harding O’Sullivan.
Used Subs: Towse, Neatherway
Scorers: O’Sullivan x 2, Neatherway, Towse, Rowland
MOM: McGill
UBFC Under 18s ran out 10 v 0 winners away at Rudgwick in the 1st Round of the Sussex Youth Cup and now face Whitehawk away in probably one of the biggest games in the Club’s history on Sunday 8 November. Charlie Hodge shone with 4 goals.
The Reserves went to Lavant in West Sussex Premier League action, with high hopes of coming back with something but it wasn’t to be as a solitary James Sandford goal sent us to our first defeat of the season in a disappointing display where we never really got going.