Bexhill United suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss to Tooting Bec as their hopes of a long run in the FA Vase were ended on Saturday.
The Pirates had a chance to get straight back at it after a midweek County Cup defeat with an intriguing looking FA Vase away clash with Tooting Bec, who play their games at Chipstead’s ground in Surrey.
Bec ply their trade in the first division of the Southern Counties East League, part of the old Kent League, at Step 6 – a level below Bexhill in the pyramid. They have had a tough start to the season sitting one place above the relegation zone.
Bec had been playing up the fixture as their chance to do a bit of giant killing and they couldn’t believe their luck when after 20 minutes they were 2-0 up.
The first goal was about as simple as it gets with their wide man getting to the bye line and putting a ball in that travelled right through the box to the far post where Heravi slid it home.
A few minutes later, Lucas Boxall latched on to a through ball and skipped into the box, chipping the ball over Finn Holter to double the advantage with what looked like another easily worked strike for the home side.
There were a lot of comments from the travelling fans about the Chipstead pitch. Back in the 80s and 90s it was one of the best in the county but now it’s struggling after the long, drought hit summer.
It’s no excuse though. The Polegrove has plenty of critics and the truth you have just got to get on with it. And that’s what Bexhill did but chasing the game after going two behind is always a big challenge.
Jack Shonk pulled one back on 24 minutes with a clever back-heel finish and it looked like the great escape might be on. Callum Brand hit the bar with a header and Theo Coombs also rattled the woodwork but Bec went in at the break with their 2-1 advantage intact.
Second half and Bexhill threatened but just couldn’t find a way through. It was no surface for pretty football and Tooting Bec, sensing an upset on the cards, dug deep at the back and broke down play in the middle.
Holter pulled off an excellent save to keep Bexhill in it but it was overshadowed by an extraordinary full-length effort from the giant Bec keeper Oakes, who tipped a Charlie Playford piledriver over the bar when it looked for all the world like it was crashing into the net to level things up. Bexhill could feel the game slipping away after that.
Bec were reduced to ten men for a red card which was a bit of a mystery and despite Jay Skinner-Swain slinging on reinforcements from the bench it wasn’t to be.
It was a missed opportunity for Bexhill with a decent lump of cash involved and the opportunity to get a team back to the Polegrove in the first round proper and get a buzz going around the place. But fair play to Tooting Bec who did a number on the Pirates and now reap the rewards.
