Match Report - 17-Feb-2001
Hailsham 1 v Penguins 2nds 5
Hailsham battled bravely but Penguins had the edge in all areas of the pitch and in the end their superior passing and movement and some clinical finishing gave them a deserved victory.
An excellently created and executed Penguins goal after just five minutes sent out clear warning signals and it would have been two a few minutes later had it not been for a brilliant point blank save from Dave Hathaway at his near post.
Penguins were then given a major shock when Hailsham scored a superb equaliser. Tony Newton won the ball in midfield and fed Sam Rham whose forward run and astute pass released Ian Johnson. The centre forward struck a lightening fast shot that cannoned into the goal off a post and a defender's stick. Hailsham almost took an unexpected lead when a well worked short corner produced a shot from Sam Rham that was well saved and suddenly Penguins looked rattled.
There was always a sense though that Hailsham were playing at full stretch whilst Penguins could step up a gear at will and sure enough the visitors bagged a brace of goals shortly before half time to take a comfortable 3 - 1 lead into the second half.
The second half followed a similar pattern but to their credit Hailsham attacked with a lot of imagination and verve and Penguins were forced into some frantic defending on more than one occasion. At the other end Richard Bishop defended with guts and determination and distributed the ball intelligently but the plucky Hailsham defenders could do little about two more crisp finishes from the confident Penguins forwards.
In the end it was a heavy defeat for the second week running for Hailsham but they were far from disgraced.
This week Hailsham travel to Worthing keen to repeat the five nil thrashing they handed out in the home fixture between these two sides before Christmas.
ST FRANCIS II 0 HAILSHAM II 0
Hailsham seconds recorded their first clean sheet of the season thanks to a sound defensive performance in a very tight game.
With debutant Sam Roy inspirational at the back, Hailsham managed their first shut out in 14 attempts.
The point - Hailsham's first away from home since the opening day of the season - sees the seconds firmly established in sixth place with two games of the season left.
Hailsham could have been forgiven for going into the game with some trepidation - they were playing on the same Hurstpierpoint pitch where Mid Sussex Martlets put nine past them earlier in the season. But a repeat was never on the cards in a game where they always defended solidly against a lively St Francis attack.
The defence was marshalled well in the first half by Frank Rallings, with Sam Roy and Damian Martin alongside him. And even when Rallings had to leave the team to umpire in the second half, William Martin slotted seamlessly into his place from midfield.
Roy, in his first game for the club, was composed and strong and words like "man of the match" were flying in his direction by the end of the game.
But it wasn't all defence. A great through ball from Jonathan Rallings found Simon Barden alone in the opposition D, but he was so surprised he failed to control the ball and it trickled out of play.
St Francis had the better of the second half but only really once looked like scoring - and they had the ball in the net. A fierce shot flew past Craig Tasane, but it had been hit just outside the D and was rightly disallowed.
Hailsham disappointingly managed to make a mess of two short corners late in the game as they went for the win, but a point apiece was a fair result.
Despite it being a very good natured game, Hailsham did find themselves down to ten men for ten minutes when Barden was yellow carded for swearing after he was fouled.
The seconds go into the final home game of the season against Southwick next Saturday hoping to maintain an unbeaten record at fortress Park College which stretches back to October.
Team: Tasane, Roy, F Rallings (Harding), D Martin, Clarke, Drake (c), W Martin, C Martin, J Rallings, Barden, Farnes.
