After a busy week it is always good to get to watch entertaining football, so a trip to Midhurst in West Sussex, to watch Midhurst & Easebourne FC play Bexhill United, was a real plus. The weather was cool, dry and there was cloud cover which meant the sun was limited.

The Stags, as Midhurst & Easebourne FC are known, play at the Rotherfield, they share the ground with a cricket club and the ground benefits from a clubhouse and wooden stand with bench seating as well as a covered standing area. The pitch is grass and slopes from side to side quite severely.

The game today carried some real significance to the home team, who arrived at the fixture just one point and one place above the relegation places. Manager Connor Hoare has seen his side draw far too many games this season, 11 of 34 played, but will hope his team’s top scorers, Marcus Bedford (14 goals), Lewis Hyde (8 goals) and Jake Slater (5 goals), would respond with goals today to give the Stags a much needed three points.

The visitors, Bexhill United, are nick-named the Pirates, so manager Jay Skinner-Swain, was hopeful of a high season raid on the points today, despite the game offering little in the way of outcomes, for a side who have secured a top half finish with some bright performances this season. Goals have come from the goal machine that is Jack Shonk (21 goals) supported ably by William Saunders (11 goals) and Ryan Moir (8 goals).

The first half was evenly fought, as the wind and the slope made it difficult for Bexhill United to move the ball from defence to attack. Midhurst & Easebourne looked to be able to create opportunities but nothing seriously troubled Finn Holter in the Pirate’s goal. At the break the sides went in with the scores locked at 0-0 and everything still to play for.

With 55 minutes gone a long ball from Mardy Ovenden found its way to club captain, Jack Shonk, who needed no second chance as he nodded the ball home to put the visitors 0-1 ahead.

Just two minutes later the Pirates were two ahead, when Will Saunders slotted home from close range to sink the hopes of the Stags.

With 61 minutes on the clock, the visitors were three ahead, when Jack Shonk scored his second in emphatic style.

With twenty minutes left, Bexhill United’s momentum created a fourth goal, with Ryan Moir slotting home from the edge of the penalty area.

The fifth goal came with ten minutes left and saw Max Hollobine score direct from a corner, with the wind helping the ball over the head of Ricardo Mendonca in the Midfield & Easebourne goal.

At fulltime it was Bexhill United whose players and fans celebrated. The relegation battle for Midhurst & Easebourne continues, as below them Varndeanians secured a crucial win against fellow strugglers, Lingfield. The 50 fans who attended today definitely witnessed a game of two halves!