Sussex F.A. Junior Cup

Quarter Final

Saturday 6th January 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Ovingdean 2 Portslade Athletic 2 (4-3 pens), attendance 16

13’ 1-0

24’ 1-1

38’ 1-2

52’ 2-2

@ Longhill High School Sports Centre

Falmer Road

Ovingdean

BN2 7FR

No Admission or Programme.

This was top of the Brighton, Worthing & District League versus third in Mid Sussex League Division 2 South. As with any game involving a host team in this league, it is very hard to check out and confirm games, but thankfully Portslade had replied promptly via Twitter that the game was going ahead and that they’d let me know if anything changed in the meantime. Thankfully, no message came and I arrived at the ground about twenty five minutes before kick off, with both teams warming up and the Referee checking the team sheets. The pitch is hemmed in at one end by a long jump pit and the other by an artificial cricket wicket, whilst grass banking runs behind the near goal end and along the far side.

It was a game between two very evenly matched teams and was end to end from start to finish. Ovingdean took an early lead, finishing with a shot into the roof of the net after a long throw in was flicked on. Midway through the first half Portslade were level, heading in a corner from the left at the near post and they were ahead before halftime, when a long throw in was flicked on and headed in from six yards. Ovingdean pulled it back to 2-2 early in the second half, when a cross from the right saw a striker just beat the ‘keeper to it at the near post, finishing with a stooping header. Both teams went for a winner, but no more goals came and it was straight to penalties. Portslade went first, but saw their first effort hit the post. Ovingdean scored all four of theirs, before Portslade saw their fifth one saved and that was that.

Arthurian League

Division 3

Saturday 6th January 2024

Kick Off 10.45 Actual 10.46

Old Sennockians 3 Old Haberdashers 2, attendance 6

24’ 0-1

31’ 1-1

38’ 2-1

47’ 3-1

90’ + 2, 3-2

@ Sevenoaks School (Sennocke Centre)

Athletics Track Pitch

High Street

Sevenoaks

TN13 1HU

No Admission or Programme.

On Friday evening I received a message to say that this mornings game was due to be played on the pitch inside the running track, rather than on one of the Duke’s Meadow Playing Fields pitches here, which I had seen a game on in March 2022. The normal pitch was scheduled to host a school game in the afternoon, hence the switch to the alternate, which was good news for me!

The game was 3rd versus 8th in the league table. Haberdashers went ahead, but a 25 yarder, curled in from 25 yards saw Sennockians draw level just after the half hour mark and a one on one chance, finished at the second attempt, saw them go 2-1 up seven minutes before halftime. Two minutes into the second half it was 3-1, when a hit and hope shot from near the centre circle somehow deceived the ‘keeper. Haberdashers did grab a second goal in stoppage time, but too late to affect the outcome.