Hailsham Town suffer frustrating afternoon at The Beaconsfield

A relatively scrappy opening period saw both sides struggle to make an impact early on, with Hailsham's best early chance coming on 14 when Connor Townsend intercepted following a Selsey slip, before playing in Rhys Taylor, who sold a great dummy to cross for Joey Pout to head just wide.

Pout would then shoot into the side netting on 21, before Wester Young had to be alert at the other end, making a good save from a header after a well flighted free kick into the box. Half chances followed at both ends, before, on 31, good pressing from Connor Townsend almost led to the opener for Hailsham, with the shot rolling just wide with the 'keeper beaten.

Goalless at the interval, thoughts around the ground were that Hailsham had slightly shaded the first half, and perhaps should have been ahead, but after an early second half chance for Hailsham when Townsend just couldn't get a shot away, the visitors took the lead on 56 with the impressive Cam Jenkins, a thorn in Hailsham's side for much of the game, scoring at the second attempt after Young had done well to block his initial effort. Selsey added a second on the hour - a scramble after a corner was somehow hooked clear from virtually underneath the crossbar, only to be clipped back in and finished from 12 yards out.

After their two goal blitz Selsey would then be temporarily reduced to ten men when Calum Theobald was sin-binned for dissent, with Hailsham again somehow denied when Connor Townsend saw a shot cleared off the line in a scramble as the feeling rew that it just might not be the Stringers' day. Selsey would hit the post soon after - the ball bouncing back to be claimed by the grateful Young. After earning two corners in succession, the Stringers then saw Ellis Webster flagged offside just as he was about to pull the trigger for a first time strike at goal, but eventually, in injury time Hailsham would claim a goal after Webster's cross for Taylor saw the young forward's overhead kick handled by a defender, Joey Pout making no mistake from the penalty spot.

Hailsham will look to bounce back on Saturday at home to Billingshurst (3pm), whilst the Under 23's are in midweek action at home to AFC Uckfield on Wednesday (7.30pm).

Stringers; Young, Norman, S Pout, Jarvis, Findon, Playford (Lee 71), Webster, S Townsend (Johnson 81), C Townsend (Salvidge 71), J Pout, Taylor

Unused; White, Worsell

Attendance; 102

Man of the Match; Ellis Webster - worked hard and caused problems with his crossing

Report contributed