The last game before Christmas at the Polegrove saw Bexhill United slug their way to a 0-0 draw with relegation battling Varndeanians.
The contest was not as illuminating as the glittering lights gracing the town.
Varndeanians are in a dog fight for survival at the foot of the Southern Combination Premier table and, with every point precious, they battled from the off to snuff out the Pirates’ attacking threat.
With their defensive lines drilled and determined, the visitors effectively fought Bexhill to a standstill. Nathan Crabb and Charlie Playford both found themselves with chances to break the deadlock in the first half but Varndeanians held firm and the teams went in level at the break.
It was more of the same in the second half with some hardened Pirates fans suggesting the teams could have played until Christmas Eve without troubling the Golden Goal panel in the Pigeon Loft media centre.
Bexhill kept going and boss Jay Skinner-Swain chucked all his attacking resources from the bench into the fray in search of that winning goal but despite plenty of effort it never came.
Fair play to Varndeanians, who did an effective job and the good news for Bexhill was that the point secured pushed them up another place in the table to eighth going into Christmas, nicely positioned for a push for the play-offs.
All focus now shifts to the annual Christmas Bexhill derby with near neighbours Little Common. This year’s will be at the Polegrove on Saturday (December 27) with kick off at 3pm. It’s always a feisty encounter in front of a good crowd and the bar will be open for food and hot and cold drinks.
