A long week at work ended for me with a drive down the country roads to Horsham, where Copthorne FC share a ground with hosts Horsham FC, of the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Tonight’s game was a tie between two sides sitting at the foot of the Southern Combination Football League Division 1. Copthorne FC and East Preston FC.

The season hasn’t gone well for manager Simon Funnell’s Copthorne FC. Newly promoted to the SCFL Division 1, they sit seventeenth out of eighteen teams with one win and a draw from eight games, having conceded 32 goals. Goals have come mainly from Sam Bull, with six and Toby Funnell with three.

East Preston FC, managed by Lee Thompson, sit bottom of the league but have two games in hand over the home side, despite having lost all six games. Goals have been leaking with the defence having conceded 26 in just six games. Scoring has been tricky, with the five goals converted coming largely from Joe Kinsman, with two of them.

The game opened with both sides having plenty of possession. Neither midfield could put the passes required in the final third, to release the forward line effectively. The game changed however, when East Preston’s Number 4 was sin binned on 29 minutes for abuse to the referee.

In the 32nd minute Copthorne FC were 1-0 ahead after fine finish at close range by Dan Sullivan.

On the stroke of half time the home side were 2-0 ahead. Top scorer for Copthorne, Sam Bull, took the ball down on the left of the East Preston area and deftly passed one player before hitting the ball home to creat a two goal cushion at the break.

Within five minutes of the restart East Preston were trailing by three. Their defenders switched off as the ball looked to have gone out but Copthorne’s players realised that the whole of the ball hadn’t crossed the line and created a headed chance for Captain, Steve Betancourt, who finished well.

In the 77th minute Copthorne FC were 4-0 up, after a well struck finish by Jordan Josephs.

In the 86th minute the score was 5-0, when Dan Sullivan scored a poacher’s goal for Copthorne after a fine cross and break by Toby Funnell.

At full time it was the home side who left with all three points, having secured a convincing win. East Preston never gave up but will need to be better than this to lift themselves off the foot of the table.