A wet and windy week ended with me heading to see Southwater FC, in the Southern Combination Football league (SCFL) Division Two, in their fixture against Hailsham Town.

The Southwater Sports Club Ground boasts a modern clubhouse and good parking. The grass pitch has open standing on one side but there are dugouts for the teams and a refreshment hut at the entrance. There was a decent attendance for step 7, of around 55 so it feels like a community club with a good atmosphere.

Hailsham Town have had a fantastic first half of the season and came into today’s game in second place, with twelve wins, two draws and just one defeat in fifteen matches. The Stringers, as Hailsham are named, have scored 62 goals in the 15 games and manager Callum Standish has relied on the goals of, Joey Pout (9 goals), Sam Townsend (8 goals) and Connor Townsend (7 goals), to secure the points this season.

Southwater FC have also thrived this season and came to the home of the league leaders in fifth place. Manager Dixie Laker’s team have won eight of fourteen games this season and goals have come readily for them from the boots of Zain Beg (16 goals), Archie Goddard (7 goals) and Freddie Marchant (3 goals). Southwater had a game in hand on their opponents so were really hoping today to secure all three points to begin to close the gap.

The game opened with Hailsham Town causing the early disruption. Southwater absorbed the pressure but it looked more and more like the visitors would break the deadlock first.

A fine headed finish by Robbie Kieth in the 38th minute put the visitors deservedly ahead, exploiting the defensive frailties at the set pieces of the home side.

Within two minutes things got worse for Southwater when their left back, Theo Brown, was sent off, after an incident in front of the dugouts, piling on the pressure for the home team.

In the face of adversity the Southwater FC team rallied and ended the half positively, creating a good chance before the break.

The second half began with both teams going on the attack, with good chances for both teams coming early in the half.

With 23 minutes gone in the second half, Hailsham’s Eric-John Ciacedo was sent off needlessly, for throwing the ball away, to earn a second yellow card. This brought Southwater FC back into the match.

On 73 minutes Southwater were level, when Jack Frankland scored after a strong run and finish into the Hailsham penalty area.

With just five minutes to go Hailsham Town were 1-2 up. A long free kick found the head of Robbie Kieth, who clinically fired the ball home for his second goal of the game.

There was a second Hailsham dismissal in the 87th minute, when Ola James was judged to have used an elbow in a challenge. It made the last few minutes unnecessarily anxious for the visitors, as the nine men tried to hang on to their lead.

At the final whistle a hard fought match ended with Hailsham Town taking all three points and putting pressure on the tail of unbeaten TD Shipley at the top. Southwater FC could have come away from this match with more than a defeat, and will rue their defensive lapses in concentration from corners today.