Despite the heavy rain over previous days, the Polegrove pitch looked a picture as the mist rose from the surface under the lights in the latest episode in a run of home games for Bexhill United.
This was going to be a tough one, as Peacehaven and Telscombe arrived in a rich vein of form which has catapulted them up the Southern Combination League in the past couple of months, leapfrogging Bexhill since the Pirates beat them at their place earlier in the season.
With the opening exchange fairly tentative it was Peacehaven who grabbed hold of the game, pressing high up the pitch and setting the Pirates’ defence up for a frantic first half. However, that high press nearly cost the visitors when a ball broke into space to Theo Coombs, who had an excellent chance to open the scoring against the run of play only to be thwarted by the keeper.
But at the Brockley Road end, Peacehaven were turning the screw with their highly-rated attacking unit posing challenge after challenge. A couple of last-ditch clearances off the line, and some excellent work by young Pirates keeper Toby Whiteside, kept things level until their skipper Ross Barclay forced his way through and blasted the ball into the roof of the net.
Bexhill were right under the pump for the remainder of the half as Peacehaven looked to ram home their advantage and grab a second. The Pirates were reduced to hoofing the ball into no-man’s land before regrouping to wait for the next assault. It was some achievement to go in at the break just one down and with a toehold in the game.
In the second half, Bexhill came out with a renewed sense of purpose and started to play some of the attacking football that has served the team well this term. Charlie Curran saw a decent long-range drive sail past the post and Jack Shonk came close from a looping header that only just missed the target. It was better from the Pirates, but it wasn’t enough.
Peacehaven also continued to push as the game opened up and there was more do or die defending to keep the chance of snatching a point alive.
In the end the visitors were worthy winners and kept their promotion hopes alive while Bexhill have to pick themselves up and get back at it for the visit of Crawley Down Gatwick on Saturday and the long-awaited arrival of overseas visitors from Guernsey next Wednesday.
