Mid Sussex League
Tester Cup 1st Round
Saturday 20th September 2025
Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.27
Poets’ Corner 5 Forgewood 0, attendance 16
27’ 1-0
58’ 2-0
76’ 3-0
84’ 4-0
90’ 5-0
@ Nevill Playing Field
Eridge Road
Hove
BN3 7QD
No Admission or Programme.
It was a trip to the south coast today, to see a game at a ground used by two different clubs. Nevill Playing Field is about 100 yards west of Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium and is host to football, cricket and hockey. The main football pitch runs widthways in front of the clubhouse/pavilion, with the cricket square butting up to the far touchline and the pitch slopes side to side, down towards the direction of the sea. Even though there was hockey and a youth football match also taking place, there was just about enough parking, with the added bonus of the clubhouse being open throughout, where hot and cold food and drinks were available.
The Tester Cup is competed for by the teams in Divisions 4 and 5, with this being Division 5 South versus Division 5 North, the lowest levels of the league. The only goal of the first half was a shot on the turn into the bottom corner, which gave the hosts a twenty seventh minute lead. They doubled their lead just before the hour mark, when a superb lob from the halfway line caught out the ‘keeper, who was too far off his line. Forgewood nearly pulled a goal back with eighteen minutes left, but the ‘keeper made a fingertip save onto the crossbar and just four minutes later Poets’ touched in a cross at the near post to make it 3-0 and wrap the game up. A four on one attack saw them add a fourth goal with six minutes left, before a volley from six yards rounded off the scoring in the last minute. Despite no rain being forecast, it actually started raining just before halftime, stopping about ten minutes before the end of the match.
With the game having kicked off three minutes ahead of schedule and a halftime interval where everyone stayed out on the pitch, which is very unusual for a Saturday match, this was all over by 15.05, meaning back home about ten to four.
