Tuesday night was a dilemma of where to go. With only Step 5 and 6 still in operation until this coming weekend, the choices have been a little limited. Granted though it’s been lovely to stay in Sussex and get some good coverage for my brand new website, www.thesnlf.co.uk.
But as you well know I like diversity and getting around to a lot of different grounds and different people, some for the first time so I won’t be sorry to have many more options from this Saturday.
Having already taken in two of the clubs at home on Tuesday evening there were still a few options around although I wasn’t too keen on a longish drive home, sometimes you have to be selfish given the amount of work getting a new site off the ground whilst maintaining all your other work and chugging along to the full time job as well.
The content below was originally paywalled.
So, it was down into Step 6 and along to East Preston as they hosted newly promoted Infinity, winners of the Hampshire Premier League but based down in Sidlesham.
EP struggled last season and only stayed up on the final day, a constant change of players and managers over the last few years has seen the club struggle to finish above mid-way in the table.
A superb sunny evening greeted myself and one of my fellow pod hosts Gaz whose brother Jack is turning out for the home side this year, in front of a reasonably good sized crowd.
The home side sporting colours more like Dulwich Hamlet or Corinthian Casuals didn’t waste any time in taking the lead, confusion in the visitors defence led to Jon Kusaka with a driven finish across the keeper and into the net.
On 26 minutes EP doubled their lead, Aless Wisdom breaking away down the left hand side cutting into the penalty area and while Freddie Firman saved the initial shot the winger smashed the ball home from a few yards out on the rebound.
Worse was to follow just before the half hour mark for Infinity as Kusaka notched his second and the home team’s third, beginning to look like damage limitation with only a third of the match played.
EP capped a lethal first half display as Zion McLeod scored from the penalty spot dead on 45 minutes to seemingly put the game beyond the visitors and a hope the second half would limit the goal scoring chances, the visitors striking the woodwork, however in the first 45.
The second half was a more pedestrian affair, the home side not needing to break out of second gear but doing enough to keep Infinity at bay. The visitors did finally manage to get themselves on the scoresheet with six minutes left.
Angelo Harris’ own work resulted in the player creating his own chance and a nice cool finish looked like a consolation for the away team. Dead on 90 minutes substitute Liam Brewer scored the goal of the game, an absolute worldie from 30 yards out pulled another one back but ultimately they ran out of time and the points stayed at The Lashmar.
The home side were good value for their half time lead and with a little more guile and knowledge of players around them the scoreline could have been much higher.
The visitors were simply blown away in the first 30 minutes and have had a harsh introduction to Step 6 football, but we’re only two games into the season and plenty of time to turn things around.
Jon Kusaka and Aless Wisdom caused plenty of trouble down the flanks for EP, but young Freddie Firman drafted in late to the Infinity goal had a decent game and couldn’t be faulted for any of the goals.
An unbeaten start for EP bodes well but as per above a long season in prospect and no doubt there aren’t any chickens being counted just yet.
