It was a mixed weekend for Bexhill United as they went down to a narrow 2-1 SCFL premier defeat against Lingfield on Saturday but followed it up with a special day on Sunday when hundreds gathered at the Polegrove to celebrate the ten-year Pirates career of club legend Kyle Holden.
Bexhill came up against an in-form Lingfield but on 23 minutes it was the Pirates who took the lead when Theo Coombs picked up a headed clearance and managed to lob the keeper with a sharp bit of thinking and an equally sharp finish.
The lead didn’t last long. Just two minutes later Alex Kpakpe struck home a fine leveller from distance. In a tough, physical and competitive game the Lingers got their nose in front with a goal on the stroke of half-time.
The bad injury news continued for Bexhill in the second half with experienced midfielder Max Hollobone stretchered off with a serious injury, adding to a growing casualty list which is becoming a real headache for boss Jay Skinner-Swain before we are even out of September.
Bexhill had a real go towards the end of the game but couldn’t find an equaliser against the Lingfield back line and the visitors claimed the three points.
The Bexhill players put the defeat behind them when they pulled their boots back on to take part in the testimonial game for Kyle Holden against a Legends XI put together by former Pirates boss Ryan Light.
It was a magnificent occasion which saw a whole bunch of former Bexhill stars back at the Polegrove to celebrate a decade of club loyalty from Holden.
The match itself finished 2-1 to the current Bexhill squad but more importantly there was a fantastic atmosphere around the ground as hundreds streamed in to mark the occasion, enjoy the early autumn sunshine and raise a substantial sum of money for the CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young – charity.
It was Holden himself who had nominated the charity as beneficiaries based on his own personal experience and he seemed genuinely blown away and emotional as he thanked the Bexhill supporters for their support.
It was a measure of the depth of the roots of the community based club and a recognition of Kyle’s contribution that so many – players, volunteers, youth teams, fans and the wider public – wanted to be part of his special day. The celebrations lasted long into the afternoon but on Sunday it’s back to business with an away trip to Newhaven as part of the Sussex ground-hop weekend – 2.45 kick off.
