Saturday football is always a welcome treat, after a long week at work. Today I was able to make the relatively short journey to Chennells Brook, home of Roffey FC, to watch them play a Southern Combination Football League (Premier Division) fixture against Eastbourne United.

Roffey FC were established in 1901 and in the 2024-25 season, the Boars, as they are known, secured a highest ever ninth place in the SCFL Premier Division, seeing a record crowd of 507 come to watch their fixture against Pathan FC in March 2025.

Roffey FC play at Chennells Brook, on the edge of Horsham, which is alternatively known as “the theatre of trees”. It certainly made an atmospheric setting for the game. The ground benefits from a grass pitch, a small grandstand as well as some lovely wooden seating and a great refreshment stand “Boar Bites”.

Roffey FC’s manager, Jack Munday, will have been aware, after just four games of the season how tough the SCFL is this season. His side have won two matches and lost the same number. This mixed form has meant the Boars start in tenth place for tonight’s fixture, looking to the goals of top scorers Jordan Mase (3 goals) and James Pearse (2 goals), to get the three points that would push Roffey FC towards the top half of the early season table.

In similar vein to the home side, tonight’s visitors, Eastbourne United FC have made an equally mixed start to the season, with one win, a draw and three defeats from their opening five league games. Cup results have been equally mixed with the whites beating Lockwood away 1-7 in the FA Vase before losing 9-0 to Sheppey United in the FA Cup just seven days later. Goals in both league and cup fixtures, have been regular and Rhyle Ovenden (4 goals), Fraser Middleton-Tozer (3 goals) along with Tarik Ibrahim, Josh Thomas and T’yano Wilson (all 2 goals) have led the way. Manager Anthony Storey will have wanted his side to reignite their season by securing an away win at Roffey today.

The game kicked off with Roffey FC looking the most likely to open the scoring. As the half progressed however, the pace of the Eastbourne United forward line began to cause real problems for the home side’s back line.

On 30 minutes the visitors were awarded a penalty for a rash challenge. Josh Thomas stepped up to slot the ball neatly home and send the away side into a 0-1 lead.

At the half time whistle the sides were still only separated by a single goal. The crowd of 86 went for a half time drink with the outcome still very much in the balance.

After a second half which saw both sides find it hard to make ground in the final third, it was Roffey who scored next to level the scores at one-all when a shot across the keeper, from the left, by Jordan Mase, flew into the Eastbourne United net.

With just minutes to go and after a series of chances at either end, Roffey FC completed the come-back to secure a 2-1 lead with a Louis Edwards finish after a mazy run.

At the final whistle it was Roffey FC who took the three points, to push themselves to the top half of the table. Eastbourne United will have to dig deep to convert their possession play into points, as they attempt to recapture the form that took them into the play-offs last season.