A SECOND-HALF goal condemned Bexhill United to their first league defeat of the season.
It was a spin along the coast and up into the cliffs for Bexhill’s league encounter with Varndeanians who have moved out of the Withdean and are currently ground sharing at Peacehaven and Telscombe.
Tom Vickers was back for the Pirates and took up position in midfield with Dale Penn slotting into the starting line-up at right-back. Jack Preston was back between the posts.
Varndeanians have had a very impressive start to the season and have already proven that they will be hard nut to crack, although they rarely featured in those lists of fancied teams that float around over the summer.
They set about their task of breaking down and disrupting Bexhill’s passing game with plenty of energy on a 3G surface overloaded with black crumb that burst into clouds every time the ball hit it.
There was little in the way of chances and excitement in a highly competitive first half although Bexhill enjoyed the bulk of possession and looked most likely to force a breakthrough with Luke Donaldson again impressing on his second outing for the club. The teams went in 0-0 at the break.
Second half and Bexhill came out flying. On 50 minutes Vickers unleashed a piledriver from 25 yards that demanded a spectacular save from Louie Sullivan in the V’s goal.
Minutes later he was at it again, tipping a beautiful curling shot from Jack Shonk around the post. Max Hollobone also tried his luck from distance but saw his shot drift just past the target.
It was all Bexhill but against the run of play it was Varndeanians who opened the scoring with what would prove to be the decisive moment of the night.
A free-kick from just inside the Pirates half travelled too far and too easily and somehow Eman Osei-Asomah managed to get in round the back of the defence and squeeze his shot in from what looked, at distance, to be an impossible angle.
Bexhill went in search of an equaliser and piled the pressure on but the V’s defence is a resilient and well drilled unit.
Boss Jay Skinner-Swain made a couple of enforced changes with key men Josh Tuck and Donaldson both limping off with injuries and still the Pirates kept coming forwards but it was one of those games where nothing would seem to stick.
At the final whistle Varndeanians celebrated a job well done in a classic smash and grab raid straight outta the Sweeney.
Their keeper, Sullivan, had proved to be the key player on the night. Bexhill may have stalled in their impressive start to the league season but there were enough positive signs to give them encouragement for the months ahead. It was just one of those games.
