Steyning Town so close to SCFL title after win at Newhaven – Hassocks fluff lines in play-off race

In an eagerly anticipated game that attracted a crowd of over 500 at Fort Road, the hosts were in the strange position of knowing that even a victory for them would not go any real distance towards securing the title, and seemed to approach the game believing that the play-offs were the best they could hope for.

This was best evidenced by league top scorer Alfie Rogers being named on the bench so as to not risk another booking and potentially missing the play offs.

Steyning themselves continued without in-form striker Tom Chalaye, so two of the top strikers in the division were missing from this showdown.

It has to be said that this seemed to affect Newhaven much more as Steyning continued to show that the whole team can chip in with goals on a regular basis as a result of their dynamic rotational set-up.

Steyning win at Newhaven – the match in pictures by Paul Trunfull.

The game could not have gone any better for Steyning. After a fairly even first 20 minutes, where Lee Robinson squandered a decent opening for the hosts and Harry Shooman was denied by a fine save by Jake Buss, it pretty much became all about the Barrowmen.

The man to break the deadlock, and the scorer of an increasing number of important goals, was Shooman. A through ball was somewhat fortuitously deflected in to his path, and as he raced through the inside left channel he made no mistake with a cool finish.

From that point on Town were firmly on top as the energy and confidence seemed to visibly drain from Newhaven and they couldn't live with Town's forceful pressing game.

Charlie Meehan was coming in to the game more on the right flank , and Mark Goldson down the middle was working hard, closing down and holding the ball up well. Ross Edwards and Jack Barnes had a firm grip in midfield and Nathan Cooper and Nathan Da Costa were in imperious form at the back, snuffing out any Newhaven advances.

Charlie Weller and Billy Fuller at full back were winning their personal battles and getting up the pitch well to support the attacking wide players. Therefore it was no surprise that the second goal was not long coming.

Barnes, industrious as ever, won the ball in the middle of the park, released Meehan down the right, he skipped past Bailie Rogers with ease and bought a low save out of Buss, but the ball fell to Goldson to thump home from close in. A big goal.

On the stroke of half-time things got even better as another Steyning flowing move ended up with a bit of a melee in the box and again the ball fell to Shooman to prod home. Game over.

The second half became a bit of a non-event. Steyning were very happy sitting in and keeping possession, which they did for long periods of the half. Newhaven weren't overly ambitious either and damage limitation seemed to be the name of the game.

Both sides were pretty much restricted to half chances from distance, which came to nothing. However the one and only talking point was a fourth goal on 80 minutes for Steyning which put the icing on the cake.

Billy Fuller won the ball on the left, cut inside and squared to Weller who hit a first time 30 yard piledriver into the top corner leaving Buss with no chance. A wonderful strike to round off a wonderful afternoon for the Barrowmen.

By the time the final whistle came the large home crowd had been long silenced and Town were left to celebrate a hugely important win in their quest for a first SCFL premier division triumph for nearly 40 years.

If Steyning win their last league of the season at home to AFC Uckfield on April 27, they become champions. If they fail to win that game then Crowborough could overhaul them if they win their final three league games – but two of these are before then. If Crowborough lose one of two games they have this week, or draw both, Steyning will be champions irrespective of the result against Uckfield. And even if Crowborough were to draw the first of their games – at Crawley Down Gatwick – that would surely leave them with too much of a goal difference swing to make up.

By the time of Steyning’s big game against Uckfield it could be all over by then or Town may yet still need to win to secure the title. All very exciting and nothing being taken for granted at the Shooting Field.

A word for Newhaven. They were great hosts as always and really well supported. Their title quest may have just fallen short and it is clear they have suffered some key injuries in recent weeks. However they have had a fantastic season and the now have great chance to achieve promotion via the play-offs. Steyning wish them luck with that.

The game was very well reffed and although physical at times all the big decisions were called correctly and the game was allowed to flow.

Steyning Town: Szendela- Goetzke Fuller Da Costa Cooper Weller Barnes Edwards Radley-Martin Shooman Meehan Goldson Subs used: Clark, Leahy, Remfry, Quincey; not used: Francis.

Att: 504

See Ray Turner’s photos from Haywards Heath Town’s 1-0 home loss to AFC Varndeanians in the slideshow in the video player at the top of the article.

Saltdean 4 Hassocks 3

SCFL premier

The race for the final Southern Combination premier division play-off spot will go down to the last day after both Mid Sussex clubs fluffed their lines in the penultimate game of the season.

Defeat last Tuesday night for Haywards Heath Town against Newhaven meant Hassocks knew four points from their final two matches would guarantee them fifth place ahead of their local rivals.

Heath meanwhile needed to win both their remaining games and hope Hassocks lost against either Saltdean United or in their own home fixture with Newhaven on April 27. Come 4.50pm and news reached Saltdean that Heath had suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat against 18th place AFC Varndeanians.

Drawing 3-3 against the Tigers, Hassocks now only needed to see out the final four minutes plus injury time to secure a play-off place. A draw would have sufficed for Saltdean’s aims too; AFC Uckfield Town were losing to Midhurst & Easeboure, so a point guaranteed the Tigers’ Premier Division survival.

Both sides looked happy to settle for that until a through ball hit more out of hope than expectation caught the Hassocks defence flatfooted. Harley Damario latched on to it, rounded Fraser Trigwell and rolled into an empty net with 88 minutes on the clock to decide a crazy game 4-3 in favour of the Tigers.

Saltdean celebrated wildly. Hassocks looked crestfallen. ‘Football - bloody hell’, as Sir Alex Ferguson once famously said.

Yet when the dust settles, the Robins’ fate is still at least in their own hands. Avoid defeat against Newhaven at the Beacon in a fortnight and they will be in the play-offs.

While quality football was in short supply due to the bumpy Hill Park surface, entertainment value was high in a game which ebbed and flowed from the moment Damario gave Saltdean an 18th minute lead.

Ex-Robin Alfie Edmeads found a gap between Dan Turner and Matt Gunn to send Damario clear. Trigwell charged from his line but Damario got their first to slot home.

Saltdean were ahead for only four minutes before Turner and Gunn combined to haul the Robins level. A trademark trebuchet throw from Turner 30 yards down the pitch enabled Gunn to loop a header over home goalkeeper Jordan Hawkins. The Tigers almost responded immediately when another through ball sliced Hassocks open to leave Damario in one-on-one again.

Trigwell slipped when coming out to narrow the angle, giving Damario an empty goal to aim at. Thankfully for the Robins, he screwed wide. Up the other end and Hawkins tipped over a delicate lob from Mike Williamson before Hassocks took the lead via a first goal in senior football for Micael Fatela.

Joe Bull won a vital last man tackle, from where the ball found its way beyond the Satldean back line. Fatela was on it like a shot and produced a superb finish, lobbing the bouncing ball over Hawkins to just drop under the crossbar. That was on 33 minutes. Six later and Saltdean equalised in hugely controversial circumstances.

Referee Nathaniel Roff awarded Hassocks a free kick before changing his mind after consultation with his assistant. The Tigers made a hash of taking the reversed set piece quickly, putting it out for a goal kick. That should have been that.

Mr Roff though pulled play back to give Saltdean another chance. Edmeads duly moved the ball forward from where whatever the original offence was occurred, swung it over and Ben Whitmore scored. To say Hassocks were incensed would be an understatement.

The boot though was on the other foot when the Robins retook the lead five minutes into the second half. Raging Bull delivered a corner, chaos broke out and Gunn sent an effort towards goal in the middle of it all.

The current building work installing a new Clubhouse, stand and 3G pitch at Hill Park means spectators can only view from one-and-a-half sides of the ground. Most were therefore perfectly placed to see the ball did not cross the line.

Mr Roff and his assistant were not blessed with as a good a vantage point, however, and they awarded Gunn his second and Hassocks their third goal of the afternoon. Fraser Midleton volleyed Saltdean level on 70 minutes with a stunning, outside of the boot volley from 25 yards which had shades of Marco van Basten about it.

Still Hassocks looked the most likely winners after being pegged back. Leon Turner hit the bar following magic footwork from Alex Fair, Hawkins denied Troak from point blank range and Whitmore made a heroic block on the line as Fatela followed up. But then Damario struck, Saltdean were safe and the Robins left facing a date with destiny against the Dockers.