Football. It’s a funny old game said someone somewhere and that really summed up my Good Friday. Days after winning a cup Barnet trekked across London for an almighty thumping at Dagenham, fair to say it put the right dampener on nine days off work.
As I was working in the morning there was luckily no chance of me heading to Essex, but there was an evening game and like Sunday’s they’re very few and far between, this one as well just a two minute walk from home.
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My 51st game of the season was another trip to watch Littlehampton Town and possibly when I sit down at the end of the season and digest where I have been it might be the side I’ve watched the most and not through design either.
The visitors to the Sportsfield were Eastbourne Utd who have enjoyed a fairly decent season so far in 5th place, one spot better off than Eastbourne Town and hoping to put a spanner in the spokes of the Golds title challenge.
With so many games in a short space of time for the home side, the team took a few changes from the Vase semi-final I last watched, Alex Duncan and Scott Packer coming in as full backs allowing Dion Jarvis to move back to left wing.
It took less than five minutes for the Golds to take the lead, Lewis Jenkins glancing a header home from a perfectly flighted Scott Kirkwood free kick. Utd did look dangerous on the break down both flanks but final balls into the box were of low quality.
It’s fair to say there were a few robust challenges going about, one of which on Jordan Clark just in front of the dugouts brought some angry reactions from both management teams, yellow cards flailing about like confetti as the referee struggled to keep a lid on things.
The officials did miss a blatant elbow on Duncan from one of the flying wingers, I say they missed it but the two closest to the action weren’t looking in that direction as it was slightly off the ball.
The second goal for Town duly arrived on 25 minutes, a neat flowing move which featured a deft flick from both Lucas Pattenden and George Gaskin ended with Pattenden finding an unmarked Aaron Capon whose sweet finish gave Phil Hawkins no chance in the Utd goal.
Gaskin had a couple of chances to extend the lead before the interval but shot over and wide while the bar was rattled from a flicked header right on the stroke of half time leaving the home side two goals to the good going into the break.
The first goal after the break was going to be crucial in which direction the game was going to go and it went the way of the home side, again another smooth flowing move from Jarvis and Pattenden saw the ball arrive at the feet of the unmarked Gaskin to tap in for 3-0.
Pattenden had a great chance to get himself on the scoresheet just three minutes later but drew a fine fingertip save from Hawkins to turn the ball round the post.
With the game well under control for the hosts they were able to pick and choose the moments to sit back and when to attack but at times they still hunted the ball down in packs and this is what led to the fourth goal with 20 minutes to go, Gaskin’s sheer determination won him the ball back and a clear run on goal to smash the ball past Hawkins.
Utd’s best chance on the game came as the game entered stoppage time, a fine save from James Binfield stopped Ibrahim Bamba from notching a consolation goal and the majority of the 481 in attendance went home having seen another top rate performance.
One hand or at least a few fingers are on the Southern Combination Premier Division trophy, victory at Pagham on Easter Monday followed up by winning the final game of the season at The Sportsfield against Bexhill will give Golds the title and promotion to the Isthmian League in what is turning out to be an extraordinary season for the Sussex side. Should Saltdean slip up the title could well be won before the final Saturday of the season.
Stand out performer was easily Aaron Capon, the man was everywhere for the 90 minutes and took his goal superbly, Lewis Jenkins I was informed has now hit the net three games running, whilst another stat passed to me on Friday evening is that George Gaskin and Joe Benn have a combined tally of 99 goals so far this season, surely that will hit triple figures at Pagham?
Footnote: As I write this in the early hours of Saturday morning and keeping an eye on Twitter messages going back and forth, Littlehampton Town revealed the win has guaranteed them finishing in the top two and a finish in the top nine of 16 leagues and with it they are promoted to the Isthmian League.
