Our FA Cup progression was ensured with an exciting win against Rye on Saturday. Having established a 3-0 lead, a player was sent off for a foul in the first half. This gave Rye the impetus to stage a comeback and comeback they did using the extra man. They fought to hold on after we changed our system to 4-3-2 and the game moved into extra time. Extra time was necessary as it was imposed by the FA as Rye did not have a ground available.In extra time we scored the winner in the first period and ran the game out to our advantage. Although Rye were unlucky in the last few moments, the game overall was Ringmer's to be honest and the young side moved into the next round where they will come up against the tough opposition, Steve Johnson's Crowboro. The winners receiving £1500.
Midweek we went to the Oval in Eastbourne to play the much-fancied Eastbourne United and endured a bumpy pitch together with 500 mile an hour winds. A proverbial game of two halves this one with the home side scoring in the opening three minutes of play. We held on and went in the solitary goal down and after a half time chat and a slight re-configuration, we went into the second half full of optimism. To our credit we resisted the urge to use the long ball approach and continued to play our own way. This proved to be successful and we not only equalised but we took the winning goal too and went home with three points and fifth position in the league.
I started this season by saying that I felt that a lot of people hoped that we’d do well but I now have the distinct feeling that some people are hoping we fail. Perhaps they view us as a side that SHOULD fail because they think that we don’t have the right to be successful as we’ve had our own well-publicised problems. Its our job to stay focused on winning and playing good football.
Our reserves start their league programme on Saturday away to Hastings Utd reserves. We have managed to secure the services of a new reserve manager, although I will refrain from naming him as I’m still to cross the T’s and dot the I’s on the appointment. One thing I’m certain of though is that we’ll have a guest coach/manager doing the job Saturday as our appointed manager is on holiday until the first week in September. If you’re involved with the reserves be patient on this front and be supportive. Its gonna be a tough test for our young reserves this term with the side having an average age of 17.
Football this week goes like this - on Wednesday our reserves/18s play Eastbourne Town 18s/reserves. On Thursday the 18s play Pease Pottage and on Saturday our front side play East Preston in the SCL division one. All these games are at home.
See you at the first game, Wednesday evening 7.30 pm ko, against Dave Jenkins’ Eastbourne Town.
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