We’re at that time of year when you need to have a 3G option as back up if you’re picking a game on grass. And when the weather opens on a Saturday morning with rain it only reinforces the options!
I’ve tried to save a few 3G games in Sussex and elsewhere much later than I did last year, having used a few too early I ended up at the same clubs a few too many times after the weather decimated games, lesson learnt this time around!
As it was the rain was only around for a couple of hours in the morning and with the expectation of seeing pitch inspections galore on Twitter/X they didn’t materialise. My game at Bognor Regis was never in doubt, the surface Jimmy Askew produces is first class and even last season vs Wingate & Finchley when all else was off Jim and a band of volunteers made the surface playable.
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Heading to the Sussex coast were Cray Valley PM, a club I know very well writing a column in their programme, Frank May their chairman a great guy to know and my good friends Steve McKimm and Barry Moore in charge of the team.
Contrasting starts for both sides this season, the Rocks really struggling at the wrong end of the table, the Millers nicely placed in the top seven after a strong start following promotion.
A bright sunny afternoon, where the sun was really warm, overdressed me in jeans and a hoodie, a nice, lush surface for the players to enjoy. From the word go it was evident on confidence levels between the two sides, and you felt the home side needed something to go their way earlier to not show up the cracks even further.
But it was the visitors who went in front on 14 minutes, a cross in from Fumi Shomotun found Freddie Parker in the middle of the penalty area, missed his first kick but the second sent the ball past Ryan Hall for the game’s opening goal.
That fragile confidence taking a dent early on and the visitors looking in the mood to run up a score. They doubled their lead on 33 minutes, a superb driving run from Marcel Barrington down the right hand side, a measured cross into the box from Barney Williams and a delicious, guided header from Parker back across the keeper and into the far corner gave Hall no chance.
The third goal for the Millers arrived on 43 minutes, Parker teasing and slaloming past the full back on the hosts goal line and from an acute angle slotted into the far corner for his hat-trick, the Rocks seemingly with no answer to the visitors forward play in and around the penalty area.
However, a lifeline for the home side in the first minute of stoppage time, a defensive mistake from the Millers back line and Jasper Mather stole in to fire past Max Ovenden to give the Rocks a glimmer of hope for the second half.
The onus was on Bognor to go out and attack in an attempt to get back into the game and while they had the majority of the ball through the second 45 there was very little in terms of chances to worry Cray Valley. The visitors had a couple of chances to make the game very safe but didn’t take them and while it looked they would see out a comfortable win, there was one last sting in the tail.
Heading into four minutes of stoppage time, the Rocks grabbed a second and a superb goal at that, Spencer Spurway unleashing a rocket that flew past Ovenden in the Millers net, but they couldn’t fashion anything more in the final few minutes, the points heading back to Kent and another loss in the column for the home side.
Parker was absolutely outstanding in the first half with his 30 minute hat-trick, the quality of the finishes were a joy to watch. Barrington very impressive on the right wing too while ex-Bee Fumi Shomotun was very tentative on the opposite wing, a player I really like with his pace and close control with an explosive shot, it appears since he left Sevenoaks a little lost and needs to recapture what he can do best.
Bognor as mentioned looked very short on confidence, a very young side missing a lot of experienced players out injured and it really shows. They look like a side who need to score first and possibly second in order to see they can manage while those players return to fitness.
The other thing that struck is me how quiet Nyewood Lane was. It’s always been a noisy ground whenever I have been over the years and there was nothing to spur the players on, especially at a point where I think they really need it, 635 in attendance.
As always, people at these games make football what it is. Great to catch up pre-match with Rocks fan and steward Dion Sampson, we’ve been in touch prior via the SNLF page (www.thesnlf.co.uk) and good to always build up the network every single week.
The Cray Valley boys are just great people, have a lot of time for Steve and Barry who are doing an unbelievable job in the Premier Division up against some big budgets, long way to go this season but a great foundation to build upon.
Of course can’t not mention the chairman Frank, the steward of the club steering it in the right direction. It is only a few years ago they were starting their rise through the County Leagues, since then they’ve been to Wembley, reached the FA Cup 1st Round and are sitting at their highest level ever, success stories are out there everywhere, sometimes you don’t have to look hard to find them.
