Fletching 2 - 1 Wealden III - Somerville Challege Cup Round 1

After a depleted Fletching side had lost to AFC Ringmer 3-0 the week before, with no more than 8 players missing from our first visit to Lewes, this game was eagerly anticipated!! A first round cup clash with local rivals Wealden was more than enough to wet the appetite for the Fletching faithful, especially as Wealden had got off to a flyer in the league with 3 wins from 3.

With the gaffer on a scouting mission to Croatia, Wolvey once again took charge of the team for The Archers first home game of the season. The Villagers lined up in a familiar 4-4-2 formation with prolific goalscorers Burchett & Davidson partnering each other up front for the first time this season, as well as welcoming back a host of other players.

After an opening period which didn’t really see either of the teams take control of the game, Fletching grabbed the lead midway through the first half. A quick free kick was taken by Dowding which found the run of Burchett who clinically headed home to send the home support into raptures. The joy was to be short lived however, as Fletching were caught on a classic counter attack. From a Fletching corner attacking the field end, the ball got cleared and found its way to the Wealden forward who raced through to head over Phillips and level the scores at one a piece. Fletching piled forward before the break looking to regain the advantage, but with chances going the wrong side of the post, and a Davidson goal which was disallowed for a ‘push’, the scores remained 1-1 at half time.

After a rousing team talk at half time from Wolvey, in which he stated ‘there is nothing like beating Wealden’ Fletching came out of the blocks looking to get after the opposing side. With the midfield of Hyland & Head working tirelessly in the middle, and the defense looking very solid at the back, inparticular Cork, who was marking their tricky goalscorer, Fletching piled on the pressure with Burchett & Davidson going close on numerous occasions. Substitutes were made at regular intervals, with the introduction of Leeves, Duff & Wolvey, and a new system of 3-5-2 enabled The Archers to gain control of a packed midfield. With extra time beckoning, and with only two minutes left on the watch, the breakthrough finally came. A long ball was pumped into the Wealden box, where it was cleared, only to find the lurking Leeves, who was floating on the edge of the box. One touch followed by superb hit saw the ball sail into the top corner to send the Fletching players delirious, if not purely for the relief of not having to play another thirty minutes!!

“Overall the lads were very happy with the result, especially as it was our first win in three. We now return back to the league next week with a difficult trip to Old Varndeanians III which we drew 4-4 last year, but with this victory bound to kick start our season, we all look forward to the game!” – Fletching’s Chris Hyland after the impressive 2-1 win over Wealden.