After a disappointing couple of weeks, it was important that Bexhill took steps to turn things around and they delivered in bucket loads as they beat hosts Crawley Down Gatwick 5-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Pirates boss Jay Skinner-Swain again found his defensive resources stretched with Callum Brand suspended and Harry Marchant the latest on the injury list.
It meant moving Kasey Smith into the middle alongside Dale Penn with Richie Welch on the left and Ash Latuske on the right.
A fair old wind was blowing across the Haven from the airport end and Bexhill had it at their backs in the first half. The Pirates were soon setting about their business.
On just four minutes a brilliant free-kick from Ryan Moir was only kept out by the fingertips of Freddie Leather in the Anvils goal.
On ten minutes, Theo Coombs saw his shot blocked by Leather’s legs and Moir hit his shot just over the bar from the resulting corner.
It felt like a goal was coming but when it did, it was at the other end of the park. Callum Kilkenny reacted fastest to a loose ball in the Bexhill box on the quarter-hour mark and whacked it home to break the deadlock.
It was probably Crawley Down’s first real chance but they had capitalised on it.
The goal sparked a renewed period of pressure from Bexhill. The leveller came at 28 minutes. A ball from Moir split the defensive line, Shonk picked it up and drove forwards, drawing out the keeper and squaring the ball to Charlie Scarles, who swept it into the empty net.
Bexhill were bossing the game now but, as they found out on Wednesday night against Haywards Heath, it means nothing if you don’t make it count.
Just before the break a beautiful pass from Kyle Holden released Shonk and he delivered a finish that simply oozed class. Bexhill went in 2-1 up at the break. They had done enough to put the game to bed but there was still work to do.
The second half was lit up by a flurry of Bexhill goals. A couple of minutes in Ryan Moir popped up and drove a low, hard shot in that took a big deflection off the defender and into the net.
Moir deserved a goal for his high energy performance but the powers that be may decide it was an OG.
On 50 minutes it was effectively game over. Jack Mison, on at the back for the injured Richie Welch, picked up a half clearance just inside the box and whacked it home on the half volley.
Bexhill weren’t done yet and every attack looked like it might produce another goal. When the fifth came it was again the result of a fine assist from Shonk who won the ball out deep and set up Scarles for his second with a precision pass.
Bexhill kept pressing for more but on 80 minutes it was Holter at the other end who was called on to make a fine save to deny the Anvils a late consolation.
So, it finished 5-1. Regardless of the score the result and the performance puts Bexhill’s season back on track after a tricky period. On Tuesday they are back at the Polegrove against Forest Row for a 7.30pm KOin the RUR Cup.
