Steyning Town 0 Eastbourne United Association 1 (11th November 2023)
A short write-up for a game that, unless you are involved with Eastbourne United, probably won’t stick in the memory for too long. Taking place in the pleasant village of Steyning, the home side would have been favourites for this FA Vase tie, due to their good form, unbeaten in the league, and having won all seven home league games so far, and playing mid-table Eastbourne United. It really wasn’t to be their day though.
A crisp autumnal afternoon had the home side having the lion’s share of the play, but they just had one of those days when scoring was like grasping for a rope just out of reach. Full credit has to go to Eastbourne United for some very solid defending, blocking numerous shots, and not giving the home side an inch of room around the area. There were moments where it could have been different. Steyning managed to hit the woodwork twice in the first half – Eastbourne United would themselves hit the same set of posts in the second half – and one scramble in the box had definite suggestions that the ball had crossed the line before being cleared.
The second half was similar, with growing levels of frustration from the men in red and white, knowing they really ought to have scored by now.
The away side had no such concerns. A first half ball into the box wasn’t dealt with properly, and it was nodded into the gaping goal from close range, to give them a lead they wouldn’t give up.
Steyning did think they were level, when the ball was turned in from six yards, but a raised offside flag killed the cheers as quickly as they’d started. One confused away defender seemed to be angrily calling for an offside, even after the goal had been disallowed for that reason.
With darkness descending, and news coming through of Reading’s comic tragedy of a season taking another absurd twist, one injury time goal, let alone two, would have been very welcome for this home side, but it just didn’t look like it would happen. Full credit goes to Eastbourne United for a very professional display, while Steyning will just have to chalk it up as ‘just one of those days’ and concentrate on the league.
Stadiums and Cities 