So on the day the clocks went forward and we finally felt as if Spring was here, I chose to return to the Southern Combination Premier Division, to the home of Little Common FC, on the edge of Bexhill on Sea. The weather chose to be cold, windy and wet, to remind everyone that winter still has a sting in its tail!

Little Common play at the Little Common Recreation ground. They had to enclose the ground and add stands when promoted to this level, having moved to share with Eastbourne United, before returning home in 2021. The ground is in a nice setting and has decent covered standing and seating behind the goal, as well as a large clubhouse.

Today’s fixture looked to be a mid table tie with both sides having little, except pride, to play for. Little Common, managed by Russel Eldridge, have had some success this season but sit, eight points off the play offs, with seven games to play.

Midhurst & Easebourne, managed by Andrew Ewen, play in Midhurst, near Chichester, West Sussex. They are seventeen points behind Little Common but still fourteen points clear of relegation worries.

Lewis Hole has top scored for Little Common this season, with seventeen goals, supported by Sam Cruttwell, with twelve goals. The goals for Midhurst & Easebourne, this season, have been provided by Marcus Bedford (eight goals) and Jordan Stallibress (four).

The game kicked off in strong wind and persistent rain. As early as the fourth minute, a long ball, played through in the wind, broke for Little Common’s Lewis Hole, who stabbed it past Callum Fewell in the Midhurst goal, to make it 1-0.

In the eleventh minute Midhurst’s Harry Giles received a straight red card for handling to stop a headed goal effort. The resulting penalty was hit well by Sam Cruttwell but Callum Fewell saved well, to keep the score at 1-0.

On thirty two minutes, Little Common were two goals to the good, when JJ Walker finished from the edge of the six yard box, with a neat downward header, to send the home fans some joy and celebration, to warm them in the wind.

At the break the sides went in with Little Common two nil ahead. Halftime saw the wind drop and the sun replacing the rain.

In the 60th minute it appeared to be game over, when the home side went 3-0 up, with Sam Ellis heading emphatically home.

Just nine minutes later drama erupted and the game sprang back into life, when Midhurst won a penalty. The lively Finn Evans was pulled down by Little Common’s keeper Matt Cruttwell, when apparently through on goal. The failure of the referee to issue his second red card of the game, despite awarding a penalty infuriated Callum Fewell, the Midhurst keeper and he became abusive towards the referee and was sin binned, sending the away side temporarily down to nine men, before Will Essai despatched the penalty, to make it 3-1.

There was still time, in the 89th minute, for Lewis Hole to score his second (a real poacher’s goal) to make it 4-1 and round off an emphatic win for the home team.