September 18, 2024

At the Match: Bexhill United v Haywards Heath Town

Before the match, a presentation. Tonight, Bexhill’s first proper home match of the season, was the first since the passing of Joe Knight, Sussex football photographer extraordinaire. His son Joseph was there to see a plaque unveiled and to shake the hands of Bexhill manager Ryan Light and Chairman Graham Cox. A few moments of reflection under the Harvest Moon sky before the football could begin.

It would be trite to say that football doesn’t matter on days like today. And Joe would not appreciate trite. He’d have enjoyed this game though – not least because, this early in the season, it wasn’t actually that cold by the end, even with the extension to a penalty shoot-out.

Haywards Heath Town are relative big boys in the SCFL and brought along a dozen-strong chant squad for tonight’s Sussex RUR Charity Cup tie. They are unbeaten in seven league games and have conceded only two goals in that time. Bexhill, meanwhile, still concede late on in games but are probably reasonably happy with eight points from their eight games. Still, you wouldn’t have found many in the crowd of 150 who expected too close a contest.

And yet, that is what we got. Yes, Haywards Heath had most of the ball. They played calmly in possession but the only time they got the ball actually into the net it was ruled out for offside. Meanwhile, Bexhill probably tried to counter too quickly but they did start to look like a side with a plan in the second half. It really could have gone either way but, in the end, it finished 0-0 and so the visiting ultras, and a few from Bexhill, gathered behind the goal (the remainder stayed on the sides, they know how the wind blows here). It was a decent enough shootout won by 5-3 by the visitors – so at least those travelling fans went home happy.

Heath move on to play Peacehaven & Telscombe in the next round, Bexhill move on to a home league fixture against Lingwood next Wednesday. It’s a Vase weekend so they get to put their feet up (or have a training session or two). Heath’s next league game is against third-placed Crawley Down Gatwick who score and concede a lot of goals – that’ll be an interesting clash of footballing outlooks.

The camera came along. The photos are here.