THE final playoff match between the winners of the two divisions of the Hastings FA Veterans league saw Sidley United crowned as overall champions at Hailsham Town’s Beaconsfield ground on Thursday evening.
Both sides had won their divisions at a canter, taking maximum points from their league games before the semi finals, against the sides who finished second, were both decided off the pitch with the finalists’ respective opposition not able to raise sides.
A bright start from Sidley saw an early cross deflected against the post by a Westfield defender, with a Wes Tate shot then saved on 6. Dom Clarke would also scoop over for Sidley, before Westfield came back with a vengeance – Peter Baker’s thunderbolt from distance tipped onto the bar by an alert Steven Sanders.
In a game of two 40 minute halves, it was Westfield who began the second half the brighter of the two sides, with Baker’s deflected shot smothered 5 minutes into the second period, and another effort after a part cleared corner smashing against the bar three minutes later. After a nicely worked Sidley free kick saw Westfield scramble the ball to safety, Westfield would then see a good chance midway through the second half with a ball over the top releasing Baker, who was hauled down on the dge of the box, with the resulting free kick cleared away.
It was now Sidley’s turn for a spell of dominance – first a shot wide from the edge of the box, before Ross Southwood saw one from range tipped just over ten minutes from time. With the pace of the game noticeably dropping, the last real opportunity saw Westfield ‘keeper Jon Gardner called into action after Tate was tripped, before the final whistle signalled an additional period of 10 minutes each way. As it was, it would take just five minutes of the additional period for Sidley to lead – the busy Tate, a former Hailsham favourite, tripped outside the box, with Aaron Cochrane curling a fine strike which stayed low and found the bottom corner.
The goal lifted Sidley, who always looked the more likely – Pugh’s heavy touch denying a shooting opportunity, before a cross was just too long for Southwood. Sidley sealed the win in the fourth minute of the second half of extra time – tiring legs seeing a penalty conceded by Westfield, with Tate sending Gardner the wrong way from the spot, before, with virtually the last kick of the game, Tate added his second of the game, following in from close range with a tap in after a driven shot from the angle had been parried.
Sidley United; Sanders, Eldridge, Steele, Ransom, Copley, Jones, Pugh, Tate, Stiles, Rea, Barrielle Subs; Southwood, Dangerfield, Matthews, Ghavami-Shaidi, Cochrane Westfield; Gardner, Miller, Mende, Drinkwater, Thompson, Henty, Johnson, Dadswell, D Clarke, Baker, Jirbandey Subs; Morris, Allman, March, Hodgkin, Ringwood Referee; Stuart Ramsey (Eastbourne)
