Ringmer 3 Eastbourne Town 3

31/07/07 Friendly

Report by David Ruffles

 

Ringmer out-played, out-fought and indeed out-classed their Ryman League opponents despite going behind in the first minute and were only denied a thoroughly deserved victory by an equaliser with the last kick of the match.

 

Eastbourne Town were gifted the lead in the first minute when a miss-hit clearance by Matt May went straight to a forward who had a simple task to slide the ball into an unguarded goal. This early lapse unnerved May for a while but he gradually recovered his composure to twice deny the visitors another goal before half-time. At the other end of the field Nick Barden repeatedly delivered quality crosses from the left flank to set up scoring opportunities for Marc Whiteman and Aaron MacMillan with both players denied by the visiting goalkeeper. Norbert Sule almost opened his account for Ringmer as he ran though the opposing defence before unleashing a powerful strike which just missed the target. When Nick Barden eventually put the ball in the net for the Blues his effort was ruled offside. However a well deserved equaliser finally came after thirty minutes with a right foot shot from Aaron MacMillan from the edge of the penalty area. The last action of the first half saw Ringmer take the lead. A spectacular bicycle kick from Whiteman was turned away for a corner by the goalkeeper and from the resulting corner Whiteman pounced to fire the ball into the net.

 

The second half began with the goalkeeper again denying Aaron MacMillan. However Ringmer soon increased their lead with a powerfully struck free-kick from the edge of the area by Glen Matten burst through the defensive wall and beyond the reach of the keeper. By now Eastbourne Town were resorting to desperate measures and the Blues could have gone further ahead had the officials awarded a penalty for what appeared to be a clear hand-ball in front of goal. Shortly afterwards the visitors controversially pulled a goal back when the ball and May were unceremoniously bundled into the net. These two decisions enflamed the passions with Jack Johnson and Danny McLaughlin both dismissed for tangling with the same Eastbourne player within minutes of each other. Why the officials took no action against the player involved remained a mystery although Town’s manager substituted him immediately after the second incident. With the numerical advantage Town went all out in search of an equaliser in the remaining fifteen minutes but did not have it all their own way as Phil Elkins was unlucky to see his shot rebound off the post to safety a few minutes from time. Then slack marking in the Ringmer defence allowed the visitors to equalise with the last kick of the game.

 

 

 

No	Players.Name	Substitution ...,,	Goals	Remarks
1	Matt May	.	-	-
2	Phil Elkins	.	.	.
3	Dan Evans	.	.	-
4	Dave Souter	.	.	.
5	Ryan MacMillan	.	.	.Captain
6	Dan McLuaghlin	.	.	,
7	Mark Price	.	.	.
8	Norbert Sule	.	.	.
9	Mark Whiteman	.	1	-
10	Aaron MacMillan	.	1	.
11	Nick Barden	.	.	.
-	SUBSTITUTES	-	-	-
12	Paul Thomsett	Used	.	.
14	Glenn Matten	Used	1	.
15	Josh Lawrence	Used	.	-
16	Sam Adams	Used	.	-
17	Luke Gedling	Used	-	.
.	Miles Scerri	Used	.	.
.	Jack Johnson	Used	.	.
Manager		Steve Johnson	.	.
Head Coach		Bechard Bejaoui	.	.
Sports Therapist		Ian Fairs	.	.