This final league game of the season for Hithercroft took place on the Rye on a very cold but mainly sunny morning and there was a strong wind blowing down the pitch. No referee was available and it was agreed that Brian Lewis, the Hithercroft Youth coach, would officiate whilst Pam Ife ran the line for Hithercroft.

The game got under way at 10.35am and after 7 minutes Hithercroft took the lead. It came about when David Blackman sent a long ball down the middle, Baz David took it round a Fleece defender before playing it inside to Tyrone Francis who hit the ball past the keeper into the right hand side of the net. There then followed a 20-minute period when both teams had shots at goal but without success. Fleece then levelled the score in the 27th minute when they took the ball down the left and Alex Cottoy lifted the ball over keeper Matt Hedges as he came forward. In the 35th minute Fleece again attempted to lob the ball over the Hithercroft keeper’s head but he back-pedalled and pushed the ball clear before it could cross the goal-line. Eight minutes later Hithercroft regained the lead when Baz received the ball, back to goal in the centre of the pitch, turned and struck it from about 25 yards into the Fleece net.

The second half began at 11.37am and after one minute of play Tyrone had to leave the field following an injury sustained in the first half and Paul Morgan went on to replace him. Two minutes later Fleece also made a substitution. In the 7th minute of the half Loz Dunn floated a long ball across to Paul, who had to stretch to reach it, but the Fleece keeper managed to prevent his shot from ending up inside the right-hand post. One minute later the Fleece keeper sent a poor clearance out to Hithercroft’s Matt Seaton who then took the ball forward, went round the keeper and put the ball into the net to give the visitors a 3-1 lead. In the 61st minute Baz received the ball but had difficulty controlling it before turning and sending it over the Fleece crossbar. He had another great opportunity in the 66th minute when he took the ball to the right of the keeper but pushed it too far, sending his shot into the side netting. However, just two minutes later Baz again picked up the ball in the centre and pushed it past the keeper to score Hithercroft‘s 4th goal. Some of the Fleece players and supporters appealed for an off-side decision but the referee, supported by the Fleece linesman awarded the goal. In the 69th minute a Hithercroft throw-in by Loz was headed on by Matt Seaton, who had his back to the goal, but the ball came down just over the crossbar with the keeper being well off his goal-line. Fleece were beginning to tire and Hithercroft were finding their way through their defence more often. Matt Seaton had an on-goal shot well-saved by the diving Fleece keeper on 72 minutes and at this point Hithercroft made their second substitution taking off Eugene Hepburn and sending on Dewayne Dublin. Play was temporarily suspended three minutes later whilst a dog, that had been let off his lead by his owner, was removed from the pitch and Hithercroft made their final substitution when Leon Read came off following a knock to his head. Baz had two more opportunities in the next few minutes when he was sent long balls down the middle but he fired the first over the crossbar and the second outside the right-hand post. In the 83rd minute Baz crossed the ball out to Loz and Loz struck the ball past the keeper into the far side of the net giving a 5-1 lead to the visitors. Three minutes later the Fleece No.2 took a throw-in six yards from the Hithercroft corner flag, received the return from a team-mate and sent it in to Michael Jocelyn who, from an extremely tight angle, squeezed it between the keeper and the left-hand post to give Fleece a second goal. Within two minutes Hithercroft had struck back when Baz collected the ball, went round the keeper and sent the ball home for his hattrick. When the final whistle was blown the result was a Hithercroft victory by 6 goals to 2.

Hithercroft had done well but had missed a number of opportunities to further increase their goal difference which may be the deciding factor in their bid to win the Division 5 championship. Jamaine Warner had come close to being awarded Hithercroft’s Man-of-the-Match but was just pipped by virtue of Baz’s three goals.

Hithercroft Scorers: Tyrone Francis (7m), Baz David (43m, 68m, 85m), Matt Seaton (53m) and Loz Dunn (83m)

Hithercroft M.o.M: Baz David

Hithercroft team: Matt Hedges (GK), Jamaine Warner, Alan McKie, David Blackman, Peter Morgan, Loz Dunn, Leon Read, Matt Seaton, Tyrone Francis, Baz David and Eugene Hepburn.

Hithercroft subs: Paul Morgan, Dewayne Dublin and Jamaine Humphrey.