A small measure of an Indian summer seems to have hit Southern England this week but the early morning and late into the evening coldness remind you that summer has well and truly gone, the day dryness a brief interlude.
My original plan on Tuesday evening was to take in Arundel vs Crowborough in the Sussex FA RUR cup, but something else overtook that option. Two weeks ago I was at Wick for their Peter Bentley Cup tie (yes, plenty of cups going around in Sussex!)
Floodlight failure caused the abandonment after less than half an hour and knowing the fixture list as I do and other commitments for me, I expected to chalk that one down as lost admission.
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Being a re-entry and keeping down the cost this overtook the Arundel game which as it was got switched to Crowborough and a chance for a first get together for me and the lads, Gareth Spinks and Steve Watson.
As mentioned it wasn’t a night for t-shirt and shorts, but not enough yet for thick jackets and hats. The Dragons began in the same fashion as they did in the first game, on the attack and two goals rightly ruled out for offside very early on.
The home side took the lead on 18 minutes, top scorer Josh Irish sliding the ball home from a right wing cross. Three minutes the striker had his and Wick’s second.
A swift move down the pitch saw a cross into Dave Crouch flicked into the path of Irish to double the Dragons lead. Although EP looked bright on the counter attack the lack of a press from the front gave Wick space to bring the ball out and enter the midfield areas under no pressure.
Nine minutes before half time Wick were comfortably in control of the tie as Charlie Robinson got up highest to head home from a corner six yards out, Wick 3-0 to the good at half time.
Four minutes into the second half Irish completed his hat-trick and seemingly Wick’s progress into the next round, but the visitors found some life and got back into the tie.
Firstly, they pulled a goal back from nowhere just a couple of minutes later through Jack Marney and on the hour mark their top scorer Zeon McLeod fired home to reduce the deficit to 4-2.
You could sense there was a little case of the jitters just beginning to creep in, what was a comfortable scoreline just after half-time was now a contemplation of going for another to kill off the tie or hold the lines and supress EP from getting another.
The home side had further opportunities to put the game beyond the visitors but substitute keeper Jet Harris made sure there was no way through.
As EP ran out of steam and ideas, Wick notched fifth in stoppage time to put the seal on a decent performance, Sam Conolly with a fine finish to round off the tie, 90 minutes completed with no floodlight failure this time.
Although the scoreline suggests it was a comfortable victory EP certainly gave Wick something to think about when they were in cruise control. Lee Baldwin’s side were impressive in the opening 30 minutes as they were two weeks ago and any side with Josh Irish firing on all cylinders will win football matches.
Credit to the visitors for their comeback, it left them a little too much to do in the remainder of the second half after the home side had hit a fourth. It might have been a different story had the first half press been beyond the half way line but decisions make or break a game at times.
Very impressed with Wick’s Matt Whitehead, good touch, good left foot and able to find some good areas, just didn’t see enough of the ball. Irish of course outstanding but not just in the three goals he scored, dropping off into areas always makes it difficult for teams to pick up.
EP looked more assured when Harris replaced Tyler Pickering in the visitors net second half but the damage had mostly been done, Pickering though had very little chance with the efforts that sailed past him in the first half.
