Silverware snared as East Sussex League season nears end

Crowhurst captured the ESFL Graham Ormston Premier Travel Chauffeurs Challenge Cup by overcoming Punnetts Town 6-4 after extra-time in a thrilling final on Tuesday night.

The Crows scored three times during the second period of extra-time to edge out their Premier Division rivals after seeing a 3-1 lead wiped out in the last 10 minutes of the original 90.

Wes Tate and Sean Lennard struck twice each for Crowhurst, whose other scorers in a match played at Hastings United FC were Sean Baldwin and Reece Johnson.

Bexhill claimed the Macron Store Hastings Cup with a narrow 1-0 win over Premier Division title rivals Rye Town.

Tommy Whelan came off the bench to net Bexhill's second-half winner in a match played at Westfield FC on Saturday.

The previous night, The JC Tackleway won the ESFL Wisden Sports Challenge Cup after seeing off Peche Hill Select 2-0 in the final.

Joe Adams and Asher Grindle scored for Division One side Tackleway against Division Two team Peche at The Pilot Field.

Sandhurst lifted the Robertsbridge Charity Junior Cup following a 5-0 success against Orington in the final at Little Common FC last Wednesday.

Jon Bilsby's double and one each from Thomas McClintock, James Found and James Hsuan ensured the Division One title-chasers overcame their Division Three opponents.

As for the league, the two Premier Division title contenders, Bexhill Town and Rye Town, picked up away wins on Monday.

Bexhill were 3-1 victors against eighth-placed St Leonards Social thanks to strikes by Jay Edwards, Liam Richards and Ryan Spiers. Andy Pegman retaliated.

Rye scored five goals during the first half en route to a comfortable 6-0 success over Hawkhurst United, keeping them two points behind Bexhill with three games in hand.

A Charlie Stevens hat-trick and one each from Sammy Foulkes, Sam Cooper and Rob Levett got the job done for Rye.

There were three top-flight fixtures on Saturday and Crowhurst climbed back into the top four courtesy of a stunning 9-0 win away to third-placed Punnetts Town.

Two each from Reece Johnson and Arron Scrace and one apiece by Dominic Clarke, Tom Frazer-Bates, Nathan Harding, Sean Lennard and Jermaine Tate did the damage.

Hawkhurst were beaten 2-0 at home by Sidley United. A goal in either half from Lewis Wade and Dan Goergen ensured the Blues ended their season with a victory which means they will finish in the top seven.

After a number of narrow defeats, Rock-a-Nore finally celebrated their first win since November 12 with a 4-2 victory at home to Robertsbridge United.

And it put the second-bottom Rocks just three points behind Hawkhurst - and with a better goal difference - heading into their final game of the campaign. Owen Palmer and Danny Turner notched for the Bridge.

Two Premier Division encounters took place last Wednesday evening, including a 2-2 draw for bottom-of-the-table Robertsbridge at home to Punnetts.

Danny Turner's double earned Robertsbridge their fifth league point of the campaign, while Casey Ham and Nicholas Moore struck for Punnetts.

Bexhill AAC powered to their biggest league win of the season with a 7-0 victory at home to Hawkhurst.

Rosh Wells plundered a hat-trick, James Magraw bagged a brace and there was one each for Ben Ferguson and Zack McEniry.

Rye received a walkover at home to Rock-a-Nore.

Sandhurst added to their Robertsbridge Charity Junior Cup triumph by securing the final-game win they needed to clinch the Division One title.

The Kent outfit triumphed 1-0 at home to SC Pass+Move Arrows to finish two points clear of runners-up Tackleway.

Fittingly, James Found, who has enjoyed such a prolific season, got the decisive goal as Sandhurst recorded a sixth successive win and clean sheet across all competitions.

Nick Kavanagh plundered a five-goal salvo as Little Common II made sure of fourth place by winning 6-3 away to Battle Town II.

Rhys Jones was also on target for the Commoners, while Chris Nolan, Curtis Richards and Tyler Smith netted for Battle as their campaign ended with a nine-goal thriller.

Despite seeing their unbeaten record brought to an end, Ninfield have secured top spot in Division Two.

Ninfield suffered their first league defeat all season as they went down 5-0 at home to Hollington United II on Saturday.

Jamie Crone, Jordan Ray, Danny Spice, Danny Woodley and Jack Buckley all got on the scoresheet for Hollington.

But Ninfield bounced back just two days later to be crowned champions with a 3-0 success away to SC Pass+Move Arrows II.

Tom Saunders, Gary Bryant and Harry Saunders got the title-clinching goals for a Ninfield side which also reached the Sussex Bluefin Junior Challenge Cup semi-finals this term.

Hollington moved above Peche Hill Select into second place after beating them 4-0 away from home on Monday.

That result, coupled with Ninfield's win, ended Peche's title hopes as they now trail Ninfield by four points ahead of the two teams' final-game meeting with each other this Saturday.

Fourth-placed Victoria Baptists ended their 2022/23 season with a 5-0 reverse away to Pass+Move on Saturday.

Matt Cruttwell, Alex Cunningham, Lee Lock, Jacob McArthur and Che Winchester were all on target for the Arrows at Netherfield Recreation Ground.

The battle of the bottom two, between Icklesham Casuals and Bexhill Rovers, was postponed on Saturday.

The race for the Division Three title is fascinatingly poised after another hectic week as teams frantically try to cram in their fixtures.

The standout result came on Saturday when Crowhurst II, who have been playing catch-up for so long, won 5-0 away to long-time leaders Herstmonceux.

Adam How, Anton Neil, Steve Payne, Ben Thorpe and Joe McCarthy all scored to give the Crows' hopes of sneaking up on the rails a huge boost.

Crowhurst then received a walkover at home to Mountfield United on Monday, leaving them nine points behind Herstmonceux with four games in hand.

Rye Town II ended the bank holiday weekend in second place - seven points back of Herstmonceux having played two fewer matches - after taking four points in three days.

They firstly drew 1-1 away to sixth-placed Orington on Saturday, with Darren Warne's goal for Rye matched by Scott Higgs for Orington.

Two days later, Rye netted two second-half goals without reply to prevail 3-1 at home to a Ticehurst side which had won its previous six matches.

Arthur Karapetyan, Greg Stoodley and Sammy Foulkes were on target for Rye, who were due to face Crowhurst in a key clash this Wednesday.

Sovereign Saints II also garnered four points across the weekend to climb into the division's top four.

Saints firstly ran out 4-1 winners at home to Westfield III on Saturday via the finishing of Nick Barden, Max Butcher, Wayne Green and Sam Trumble.

They then drew 2-2 in Monday's Eastbourne derby at home to Parkfield, who are now a point and a place below them having played twice more.

A Ricky Roberts double for Saints was matched by the finishes of Adam Smith and Timotej Tocka for Parkfield.

Scott Oliver's brace earned ninth-placed Bexhill AAC II their fifth league win of the season with a 2-1 victory at home to Hastings Comets on Saturday.

Luke Darvill's goal wasn't enough for the Comets on that occasion, but they bounced back by triumphing 3-2 away to Westfield on Monday to move out of the bottom two.

Brandon Smith's double and one from Kurt Foster lifted the Comets two points above Mountfield, albeit having played two more matches.

Catsfield were due to be in action twice over the bank holiday weekend, but in the end didn't kick a ball.

They received a walkover at home to Orington on Monday after conceding their game away to Ticehurst on Saturday.

Ticehurst secured a 3-0 victory away to Westfield last Wednesday as Josh Jevon's first-half goal was followed by second-half strikes from George Brown and Darren Nicol.

Battle Town III came out on top in the match to decide who would finish fourth in Division Four, winning 3-0 away to Robertsbridge United II.

Nathan Dolby and Lewis Ransom were among the scorers for Battle at The Clappers as they finished four points above their victims.

Hawkhurst United II jumped up two positions to finish sixth on the back of a thrilling 6-3 success away to SC Pass+Move Arrows III.

Alfie Field helped himself to a hat-trick, while Thomas Allen, Luke Williams and Carl Emberson also struck as the Hawks made it three wins out of four.

A Freddie Novis brace and one from Harry Fletcher couldn't prevent the Arrows ending up three points adrift of Hastings Athletic at the foot of the standings.

Standings (as at May 1)

Premier Division (played-points): Bexhill Town 19-45 (+23 goal difference), Rye Town 16-43 (+31), Punnetts Town 19-35 (+16), Crowhurst 18-31 (+39), Westfield II 17-29 (+4), Bexhill AAC 14-27 (+18), Sidley United* 20-27 (-7), St Leonards Social 19-19 (-25), Hawkhurst United 20-13 (-42), Rock-a-Nore* 19-10 (-14), Robertsbridge United 17-5 (-43). * = points adjusted

Division 1 (played-points): Sandhurst 15-38 (+27), The JC Tackleway 15-36 (+41), SC Pass+Move Arrows 13-20 (+9), Little Common II 14-13 (-20), Wadhurst United* 14-8 (-16), Battle Town II 15-5 (-41). * = points adjusted. South Coast Athletico, AFC Jesters withdrawn

Division 2 (played-points): Ninfield 17-40 (+24), Hollington United II 17-38 (+32), Peche Hill Select 17-36 (+6), Victoria Baptists 18-23 (0), Sedlescombe Rangers II 18-22 (-2), Hooe 17-21 (-6), Northiam 75 17-19 (0), SC Pass+Move Arrows II* 18-19 (-3), Icklesham Casuals 17-13 (-36), Bexhill Rovers 16-12 (-15). * = points adjusted

Division 3 (played-points): Herstmonceux 20-47 (+42), Rye Town II* 18-40 (+25), Crowhurst II 16-38 (+33), Sovereign Saints II 19-35 (+12), Parkfield 21-34 (0), Orington 21-32 (+4), Ticehurst* 18-29 (+14), Catsfield 17-29 (+4), Bexhill AAC II 19-17 (-16), Hastings Comets 21-12 (-31), Mountfield United 19-10 (-28), Westfield III 19-4 (-59). * = points adjusted

Division 4 (all played 18 matches): Welcroft Park Rangers II 45pts (+42), Sedlescombe Rangers Development 39 (+19), Westfield IV 34 (+13), Battle Town III 28 (+10), Robertsbridge United II 24 (-4), Hawkhurst United II 23 (-12), The JC Tackleway II 21 (+7), Burwash 21 (-14), Hastings Athletic 15 (-24), SC Pass+Move Arrows III* 12 (-37). * = points adjusted

Fixtures

Saturday May 6

Premier Division (4pm unless stated): Bexhill Town v Bexhill AAC (2pm), Crowhurst v St Leonards Social, Rye Town v Punnetts Town.

Division 1 (4pm): Little Common II v SC Pass+Move Arrows.

Division 2 (3pm): Ninfield v Peche Hill Select, Northiam 75 v Bexhill Rovers.

Division 3 (3pm unless stated): Crowhurst II v Catsfield (2pm), Herstmonceux v Ticehurst, Rye Town II v Hastings Comets (2pm), Sovereign Saints II v Bexhill AAC II, Westfield III v Mountfield United.

Monday May 8

Division 3 (1pm): Rye Town II v Sovereign Saints II.

Tuesday May 9

Hastings & District FA Junior Challenge Cup final (7.45pm): Wadhurst United v Peche Hill Select (at Hastings United FC).

Wednesday May 10

Premier Division (6.30pm): Robertsbridge United v Bexhill AAC, Westfield II v Rye Town.

Division 3 (6.30pm): Mountfield United v Catsfield.

ESFL Division Three/Four Challenge Cup final (7.30pm): Crowhurst II v Ticehurst (at Hailsham Town FC).