East Sussex League: Crowhurst suffer first loss – Westfield close in with Sidley success

The Crows' six-match undefeated start to the league campaign was halted by a 3-1 loss at home to The JC Tackleway on Saturday.

Goals from Toby Payne, Nathan Smith and Grant Cornelius earned Tackleway a fine win which moved them up a position to seventh.

Wes Tate scored for a Crowhurst side which dropped two spots to fifth and which remains five points behind leaders Rye Town, who are now the only team yet to taste defeat in the top flight.

Second-placed Westfield II are just a solitary point off the pace after making it six successive league victories with a 2-0 home success against Sidley United.

Two Joe Page penalties, one in either half, ensured Westfield continued their red-hot form against a Sidley outfit which finished with 10 men.

Punnetts Town moved up a position to third - two points behind Westfield - courtesy of a 4-0 triumph at home to Hawkhurst United.

The finishing of Josh Albert, Callum Holles, Patrick Johnson and Simon Betteridge meant Punnetts returned to winning ways after a draw and a defeat in their previous two fixtures.

Sandhurst also climbed a spot to fourth on the back of a 4-2 win at home to Bexhill Town - their fifth victory in seven league outings.

Nathan Moseley, Alfie Beadle, James Found and Thomas McClintock scored for the Kent club, while Hugo Corbin grabbed both Town goals.

Ninth-placed St Leonards Social and sixth-placed Hollington United contested an entertaining 4-4 draw at Tilekiln.

The goals of Sean Noble (2), Ashley McCann and Sam Richardson for Social were matched by Lewis Neech (2), Archie Baker and Joe Clifford for Hollington.

Jesters Town ran out 5-3 victors away to Herstmonceux in the weekend's only Division One fixture to go three points clear at the top of the table.

A Travis Parks brace, and one each from Joel Shannon, Shane Saunders and Sean Alexander extended Jesters' winning league start to five matches.

Herstmonceux stay fourth after losing out in a game which was level at 1-1 at half time. Charlie Shearing (2) and Ade Fermin grabbed their goals.

It was honours even in the clash of Division Two's top two as Bexhill Rovers and Northiam 75 played out a 2-2 draw.

Strikes by Adam Page and Rhys Warren put Northiam 2-1 up at the break, but Rovers, whose scorers were Jay Tomlin and Anton Neil, levelled during the second period.

Both teams remain unbeaten after six league matches and leaders Northiam are still two points clear of a Rovers side which has now recorded three draws in six outings.

Fourth-placed Crowhurst II moved within two points of Rovers by virtue of a 1-0 success at Wadhurst United. James McGrath landed the decisive blow.

A 3-1 away triumph against Sovereign Saints II saw Victoria Baptists move up a position into the top half of the table.

Aaron West, James Bellet and Alex Costello were on the scoresheet for Baptists, while Joe Westlake struck for Saints.

Hooe climbed above Sedlescombe Rangers II into sixth spot after beating them 3-2 thanks to a Callum Holt-Burgess hat-trick. Zak Boutwood and Alfie Finch retaliated for the visitors.

Parkfield are the new leaders of Division Three after they won and previous pacesetters Ticehurst lost.

Parkfield celebrated their fourth win in five matches - three of them by a one-goal margin - by emerging 5-4 victors in a nine-goal thriller away to Bexhill AAC II.

James Graham netted all five goals for Parkfield, who are the only club in a competitive fourth tier yet to draw a game.

Ticehurst, in fact, slipped two positions to third following a 4-2 home reverse at the hands of Mountfield United.

Jake Horwill, Shay Merrington, Aaron Brindley and Ross Mihailovic-Davis found the net for Mountfield, who are up to fourth and only two points behind their victims with a game in hand.

Josh Jevon and Ollie Skilton replied for a Ticehurst outfit which lost both halves 2-1 at Bell Field.

A 4-2 home success against Sedlescombe Rangers Development took Catsfield up to second - a point adrift of Parkfield.

Tom Andrew (2), Adam Barham and Jacob Jones hit the net for the Cats, who possess the division's only remaining unbeaten record.

Orington leaped up three positions from bottom to sixth in light of an amazing 7-6 triumph away to Welcroft Park Rangers II.

Four Tristan Hinz goals and a Spencer Sharkey hat-trick secured Orington's first win of the campaign in a thriller at The Beaconsfield.

Benjamin Akehurst came off the bench to record a hat-trick for Saints, whose other marksmen were Steven Cherryman, Josh Coleman and James Burnett.

It all meant the weekend's four Division Three fixtures produced a whopping total of 34 goals - an average of more than eight per game.

Division Four's top two heading into last weekend went head-to-head and the contest ended all square as Burwash and The JC Tackleway II shared four goals.

Both teams therefore remain unbeaten, although Tackleway's five-match winning start to the season is now over.

The goals of Rhys Kuhler and Jamie Pelling for Burwash were cancelled out by a double from Tackleway substitute Brooklyn Pennells.

Crowhurst III made the most of that result by winning 2-0 away to fourth-placed Battle Town Development to climb above Burwash into second spot.

A goal in either half by Nathan Dolby gave the Crows their fourth consecutive victory and left them four points adrift of Tackleway with a game in hand.

Hawkhurst United II picked up their first point of the campaign - and clambered off the foot of the table - following a goalless stalemate away to seventh-placed Hastings Athletic.

Peche Hill Select knocked last season's beaten finalists Cuckfield Town out of the Sussex Junior Challenge Cup.

Jacob Shelton's double, and one apiece by Kyle Holden, Oliver Tutt and Joe Lyne ensured Peche prevailed 5-4 in a nine-goal second-round thriller on home soil.

The Division One high-fliers, who have won five out of five in all competitions so far this season, will entertain Selsey reserves in the last 16 next month.

Westfield III, of Division Three, bowed out of the same competition, losing 4-1 away to Crawley United. Alfie Clark scored for the Westies.

Battle Town II were also eliminated in light of a narrow 3-2 away defeat against Billingshurst III. Giorgio Wingrove and Kieren Martin scored for the Division One outfit.

Bexhill AAC, Little Common II and Rye Town all progressed to round two of the Macron Store Hastings Cup.

Premier Division side AAC prevailed 6-2 at Division One team Rock-a-Nore, while Rye received a walkover against SC Pass+Move Arrows.

Common, of Division One, won 2-0 away to Division Two outfit Rye Town II. Attilio Field and Luke Youngs got the goals.

Hastings Comets ran out 6-2 winners at Robertsbridge United II in the sole ESFL Divisions Three and Four Challenge Cup first-round tie.

Two goals each from Nick Batehup and Brandon Smith, and one apiece by Danny Croft and Luke Darvill settled the all-Division Four affair in favour of Comets.

Benjamin Hack and Philip Huleatt netted for the Bridge, but it's the Comets who advance to a home meeting with Hawkhurst United II in the last 16 next month.

Standings (played-points) - Premier Division: Rye Town 7-19 (+10 goal difference), Westfield II 7-18 (+14), Punnetts Town 7-16 (+16), Sandhurst 7-15 (+8), Crowhurst 7-14 (+11), Hollington United 8-10 (0), The JC Tackleway 8-9 (-3), Bexhill AAC 6-9 (-4), St Leonards Social 8-7 (-10), Hawkhurst United 8-6 (-16), Sidley United 6-3 (-12), Bexhill Town 7-(-)1 (-14). * = points adjusted

Division 1: Jesters Town 5-15 (+32), Ninfield 4-12 (+6), Peche Hill Select 3-9 (+11), Herstmonceux 4-6 (+1), SC Pass+Move Arrows 5-6 (-2), Little Common II 4-3 (-8), Hollington United II 2-0 (-6), Battle Town II 3-0 (-7), Rock-a-Nore 4-0 (-27).

Division 2: Northiam 75 6-14 (+12), Bexhill Rovers 6-12 (+10), Rye Town II 5-10 (+10), Crowhurst II 6-10 (+3), Victoria Baptists 5-8 (+1), Hooe 6-8 (-2), Sedlescombe Rangers II 6-6 (0), Robertsbridge United 4-3 (-5), Wadhurst United 6-3 (-7), Sovereign Saints II 6-3 (-22).

Division 3: Parkfield 5-12 (+6), Catsfield 5-11 (+8), Ticehurst 6-10 (+3), Mountfield United 5-8 (-1), Bexhill AAC II 5-7 (+7), Orington 6-5 (-3), Westfield III 4-4 (-3), Sedlescombe Rangers Development 5-4 (-13), Welcroft Park Rangers II 5-2 (-4).

Division 4: The JC Tackleway II 6-16 (+19), Crowhurst III 5-12 (+10), Burwash 5-11 (+10), Battle Town Development 6-9 (+1), Robertsbridge United II 5-7 (-7), Hastings Comets 5-6 (-6), Hastings Athletic 5-4 (-4), Hawkhurst United II 5-1 (-13), Icklesham Casuals 4-0 (-10).

Fixtures - Saturday October 14 (2pm unless stated)

Premier Division: Bexhill Town v The JC Tackleway, Hollington United v Sidley United, Sandhurst v Punnetts Town.

Division 1: Jesters Town v Peche Hill Select, Little Common II v Herstmonceux, Rock-a-Nore v Battle Town II, SC Pass+Move Arrows v Hollington United II.

Division 2: Crowhurst II v Northiam 75, Hooe v Wadhurst United, Victoria Baptists v Rye Town II.

Division 3: Catsfield v Bexhill AAC II, Orington v Sedlescombe Rangers Development, Parkfield v Welcroft Park Rangers II.

Division 4: Burwash v Battle Town Development, Crowhurst III v Hawkhurst United II, Hastings Athletic v Robertsbridge United II, Icklesham Casuals v The JC Tackleway II.

Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup, 2nd round: Bexhill AAC v Barnham Trojans, Rye Town v Crowhurst, Westfield II v Rotherfield.

Sussex Junior Challenge Cup, 2nd round: Ninfield v Eastbourne Athletic.

Macron Store Hastings Cup, 1st round (1.30pm): Hastings Comets v Sedlescombe Rangers II, Mountfield United v Hawkhurst United, Robertsbridge United v Bexhill Rovers, Westfield III v St Leonards Social.