With no fixtures in the league this weekend, The Recreation Ground played host to a first round Stubbins Cup tie, with Division Three league rivals East Grinstead Mariners the visitors in what was The Archers first home game of the season. The Barn End faithful knew their boys would be in for a real test, having lost at the Lingfield-based team only a few weeks ago, but were buoyed by the news that manager Clive Hyland was once again able to name an unchanged side.

The Archers started at a quick pace and with the advantage of the slope, looked to impose themselves on the game, with tackles flying in early doors from both sides. Early pressure from the hosts looked to have broken the deadlock as Paul Rider burst through and managed to scramble the ball over the line. A good crowd, bolstered by a matchless Reserve team, looked on in disbelief as their side wheeled away in jubilation only to see the referee wave play on. This decision seemed to have an adverse effect on The Villagers, who clearly felt hard done by and as a result let Mariners get a foot in the game. It was the visitors who then scored first through a harshly adjudged penalty which was expertly tucked away by the striker. Hyland’s men battled to get back into the game, with numerous corners and sustained pressure in the final third, but Grinstead defended solidly and looked to catch Fletching on the break.

However The Archers got the equaliser they deserved ten minutes before the break. Good work from Wolvey saw the fat man spread the ball out wide to Roberts, who, like he has done so often this season, skimmed the defender and delivered a teasing ball right across the face of goal. Lucey’s poaching instincts saw the inform Archer apparently adding to his tally for the season as the ball found its way in the back of the net, however most who witnessed it would claim the defender got the final touch. With the hosts back on level terms and in the ascendancy they looked to take the lead for the first time in the match, but were dealt a sucker punch and were behind again less than a minute later, as the Mariners midfielder decided to have a pot shot from 40 yards which flew into the top corner, despite their linesman flagging for a Fletching throw-in, as The Villagers went in 2-1 down at the break.

The second half turned into a somewhat scrappy affair with both sets of players more concerned with the hard challenges and bitching rather than playing football. The Archers seemed to abandon their passing game of the first period, resulting in a long ball game against the run of the hill. Despite the stop start nature of the second forty-five both teams looked to push on and get a decisive goal, leaving gaps at either end as chances fell to both sides. Pete Burchett and Paul Rider both went close, whilst at the other end ‘Minty’ Philips did well as he was forced into an excellent double save and also saw a Mariners free kick rattle the bar.

East Grinstead kept to their own game and weren’t drawn into the fragmented play of their hosts, keeping possession and working the ball well over a fine playing surface. They extended their lead midway through the second half, as a long ball from the back caught the home side’s back line flagging, allowing the striker to nip in and calmly slot past Phillips.

With a little over twenty minutes remaining Hyland made all three substitutions in quick succession. Funnell, Duff and Unwin all coming on as the hosts switched to an attacking 3-4-3 formation as they looked to throw everything at the visitors. Lucey was unlucky not to pull one back when his volley from outside the box crashed against the bar, as well as having a penalty appeal turned down for hand ball. To compound the hosts misery the Mariners keeper gathered the ball and slid out of the box, only for the referee to again wave play on before blowing the final whistle on moments later as Fletching crashed out the cup, losing 3-1.

View From The Dancefloor with Billy Elliot (a.k.a Chris Hyland)

This game was full of incident and was a typical cup tie with both teams going for it from the start. We haven’t had much luck this season, and it was a similar story today as we were hard done by with some poor refereeing decisions. If we had got our noses in front early on with Rider’s effort crossing the line, we would have been in the driving seat as teams find it very hard to break us down at home. However this wasn’t the case and in hindsight we didn’t play to the same level as we have in the last two games. Mariners knocked the ball around better than us in periods, and we know how important it is to keep the ball down on the deck in this division. No doubt we will look forward to meeting them again at some point this season. Next week normal service is resumed as we visit East Grinstead Town III where we will look to bounce back with three points.

Team: Phillips, Holford, Bradford (Funnell), Dann (Duff), Barbe, Rider, Wolvey (Unwin), Hyland, Roberts, Lucey, Burchett.