Mid Sussex League
Division 5 South
Saturday 11th January 2025
Kick Off 14.00 On Time!
Marl Place Wanderers 5 Welcroft Park Rangers Reserves 3, attendance 23
6’ 1-0
10’ 1-1
20’ 2-1
23’ 2-2
50’ 3-2
52’ 4-2
56’ 4-3
61’ 5-3
@ The Burgess Hill Academy, 3G Pitch
Station Road
Burgess Hill
RH15 9EA
No Admission or Programme.
Marl Place Wanderers normally play their home games at Worlds End Recreation Ground, on the northeastern edge of Burgess Hill, where I’d visited in April 2021 for a Burgess Hill Albion game, but the freezing weather conditions of the past week meant they switched today’s game to the 3G pitch here at The Burgess Hill Academy. It’s just a caged pitch, but with 5 or 6 yards gap between touchlines and fence, there was no problem watching pitchside, with both ‘benches’ and the majority of the crowd standing on the same side, with the sun at our backs.
The match was 8th (out of 11) versus 2nd in the league table and was end to end stuff from start to finish and Welcroft Park created enough chances to have forced at least a draw and probably should have even won it, but they just didn’t take their chances. Marl Place went ahead after six minutes, but Welcroft Park were level just four minutes later, having already had a goal ruled out for offside. After twenty minutes Marl Place went back in front, scoring with a header from a corner, scooped away by the ‘keeper, but not before it had crossed the goal line. Another quick response from Welcroft Park saw them level it up at 2-2, lobbing the ‘keeper from the edge of the box after a long ball over the top.
Surprisingly, there were no further goals until five minutes into the second half, when Marl Place grabbed the lead for a third time, aided by the ‘keeper fumbling a free kick which squirmed over the line and a one on one finish saw them make it 4-2 just two minutes later. Again the visitors replied quickly, when a cross from the right somehow evaded the home defence and ‘keeper, nestling into the far corner, but it only took Marl Place five minutes to restore their two goal lead, when a long clearance from their ‘keeper saw a striker race clear to finish one on one into the bottom corner. As with the first half, the goals seemed to come in a flurry. Plenty of chances in the last half hour, especially for the visitors, but no more goals.
It was bitterly cold, despite being sunny and clear, never getting above three degrees all afternoon, yet late in the second half, unbelievably, the jingles of an ice cream van could be heard from the road behind the ground….
