With three defeats from three, The Archers were to go back to basics as they traveled away to West Hoathly’s Recreation Ground. With the Michael Duff, Steve Cork and captain Jamie Funnell all absent, manager Clive Hyland favored a 4-4-2 formation with Neil ‘Nails’ Bradford dropping in at centre back alongside Mark Dann, with the returning Holford at right back and Barbe, who made the step up from The Reserves, at left back. Hyland and Wolvey went back into the middle of the park, with Roberts on the right and summer signing Rider on the left. Up front was the usual pairing of Burchett and Lucey.

For the first time this season Fletching were on their game from the start, the quickest out the blocks they put the hosts under pressure straight away with Neil Lucey and Pete Burchett combining well. Ten minutes in and the visitors took the lead when a ball was spread wide to the electric Roberts, who skipped past his marker with ease and presented the ball to Burchett, who steadied himself before firing into the bottom corner. The Archers unrelenting fast and powerful attacking play paid dividends and they soon found themselves two up, despite big offside appeals from the hosts. A decisive ball played through was gathered by Lucey who laid it off simply for Paul Rider to lash into the net. The villagers were truly dominant throughout the game, Lucey twice going close to furthering the lead. Firstly a great team move ended with the hitman placing the ball just wide, before moments later clipping the post with a headed effort from a Fletching set piece on the left. However Fletching weren’t to be denied and their persistence in the Hoathly danger area culminated in a third after good interlinking play on the left hand side from Barbe and Rider ended up with Burchett directing his header past the despairing keeper. With Wolvey and Hyland bossing the midfield, Barbe, Holford, Dann and Bradford looked extremely solid and were rarely troubled, Hoathly’s best chance coming when their striker found a way through only to lose control of the ball after knocking it too far past ‘Minty’ Phillips as he rounded him.

Hyland’s men were well aware that to concede a goal would let Hoathly back into the game and the hosts switched to a 3-5-2 as they looked to get a foothold in it. And this they did, starting to control the game more and more as they put The Tangerine Machine under pressure for the first time in this meeting, but the defence held firm with Dann and Bradford looked very assured against the young pacey Hoathly strikers. West Hoathly eventually pulled a goal back midway through the second period from a set piece. Poor marking from The Archers allowed a free header for the defender who put into the back of the net. Fletching then had to defend well as a team as they looked to hit Hoathly on the break with Lucey again going close as he fired just over the bar. However another neat passing team move ended with Lucey releasing Burchett through on goal, who made no mistake as he bent the ball round the keeper to complete his hat trick and in doing so Fletching’s first points of the season.

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

Well we knew it had to come sooner rather than later, but we fully deserved our first win of the season as this was a very encouraging performance from The Archers. We have improved in every game this season but with no reward, so it was great to see the boys put in the hard work & come out with the victory! Everyone on the team was positive this week, and you could see what a difference it made. We began to play football again rather than just lumping it up the field, but lets not get carried away and make sure we continue to do the right things going forward. Next week we travel to Cuckfield with revenge firmly on our minds, after they knocked us out of a cup competition last season despite us dominating the game, so hopefully our upturn in fortunes will continue.

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