Hailsham Town drop to the foot of the table after heavy defeat

Hailsham Town fell to the bottom of SCFL Division One on Saturday after a 6-1 defeat at home to Billingshurst

The visitors began brightly, earning a corner inside the first 30 seconds, before debutant Jordan Ray did well to head clear from a dangerous cross.

Hailsham then broke themselves when Rhys Taylor's driving run slipped inside Joey Pout, who shot narrowly over.

With play continuing to be end to end, Archie Goddard headed over from close range for Billingshurst before Hailsham's nicely worked restart found a pass just too long for Jacob Feasey.

It would be Billingshurst who took the lead on 11 minutes. A Hailsham corner was sent deep, and then worked back across the field on the counter into the right hand channel for Tom Edwards to cut back for Goddard to finish from close range.

An Edwards run then ended with a shot that whistled across the face of goal, before the visitors made it two when Edwards followed up to finish from close range after a fine Wester Young stop had denied Goddard on 17 minutes.

Hailsham's response to this second goal was swift - Archie Guest doing brilliantly to chase down a lost cause and win the ball back, before crossing for Jacob Feasey to fire home on the turn from 10 yards out.

After a brief lull in what had been a frantic game, Hailsham then saw a penalty appeal waved away when Sammy Townsend went down in the box after a Harry Hughes free kick, before a fine through ball released Taylor, who was denied well by Billingshurst's Andy Barr.

The game would then swing back in the favour of the visitors, and after a string of corners, Sam Bull followed up from close range after a corner had been hooked off the line to make it 3-1.

With light but persistent rain making the heavy surface even sticker, Taylor was again denied by the leg of Barr just before the interval.

A busy start to the second half saw Billingshurst come close with a free kick from range, before Sam Pout saw his effort parried wide.

This led to a strong spell of dominance from Hailsham. Rhys Taylor shot over, before Stephen Jackson, in his first appearance for the first team off the bench, saw an effort deflected over by the inspired Barr on the hour.

The keeper would again prevent a Hailsham goal, this time denying a driven effort from Joey Pout, but Hailsham continued to pile on the pressure, with Jackson, Charlie Playford, and a Billingshurst defender, who could only get a toe onto a fine Guest cross, all denied by Barr.

The visitors though killed the game off on 80 minutes, Archie Goddard heading home off the underside of the crossbar following a Kieran Britland cross.

And two minutes later, Tom Edwards was given far too much time to run in on goal and score with a driven effort.

The sixth came in stoppage time - Edwards claiming his hat-trick after a magnificent save from Young had denied Goddard.

With Sunday's under-18s trip to Newhaven postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, the next game for a Hailsham side is due on Wednesday, with Newhaven under-23s visiting the Beaconsfield (7.30pm), before the first team go to Dorking Wanderers Reserves on Saturday (3pm).

The under-18s then play the final match before Christmas at the Beaconsfield on Sunday, December 19, when they welcome Seaford Town in an 11am kick-off.