BEXHILL United slipped out of the Peter Bentley Cup following a 3-1 loss to Eastbourne United.
A few days in from the start of autumn the wind was whipping in from the Channel and howling around the Eastbourne Oval floodlights on a night that reminded the assembled supporters for the Peter Bentley Cup game that summer is done and the hard, cold months of the football season now lay ahead.
Bexhill had made one change from their last fixture over a week ago when they saw off Seaford in a league game at the nearby Saffrons, with Dale Penn being drafted back into the defence.
It was clear from kick off that the strong, swirling wind was going to be a major factor in the game and the goal at the south end of the stadium, defended by Bexhill in the first half, was particularly vulnerable to the wind assistance.
For the first half hour both sides struggled to adapt to the conditions but Eastbourne looked a real threat from corners and crosses into the box.
Bexhill were having more success when they kept the ball on the deck and moved it around with pace. Jaan Stanley created a couple of openings from his work down the flanks.
On the half hour it was the hosts who opened the scoring from another cross that Fraser Middleton beat the defence to and finished off with a shot into the bottom corner. It sparked an almost instance response from Bexhill and a few minutes later Kyle Holden slipped Jack Shonk through and his shot was brilliantly saved by Alex Hobden in the Eastbourne goal.
Shonk took that one as a sighter and on forty minutes he picked the ball up in the United half, took a couple of strides, looked up briefly and pinged the ball into the wind and over Hobden’s head from over forty yards out.
One all at the break was probably a fair reflection on a difficult night for football and the sides came out second half chasing hard for the win with both keepers being called upon to keep the scores level. Play surged from one end of the park to the other but half an hour in to the second period a couple of minutes would prove decisive.
Max Hollobone picked up the ball and driving towards the Eastbourne box he unleashed a thunderbolt that crashed back off the bar with Hobden just managing to beat Shonk to the rebound, preventing Bexhill from taking the lead.
Within a minute the ball had been cleared into the Bexhill half and, after a fine attacking move, Ryle Ovenden put Eastbourne United back in front. Boss Jay Skinner-Swain rang the changes from the Pirates bench and injected some added urgency into the line-up as Bexhill sought a leveller but as the clock ran down the decisive goal came at the other end.
Eastbourne had another run into the Bexhill box and there was a clear dive in an attempt to win a penalty. The ref clocked it but bizarrely allowed the play to continue rather than blowing up and as the ball broke Eastbourne notched up a third. As they celebrated the ref then booked their player for the dive in the build up.
Whatever the merits of the decision it killed off the game and Eastbourne United progress into the next round. Bexhill are back in league action again on Saturday with an away trip to Crawley Down Gatwick.
