Blues on the up after fine win

The Blues moved up three places to 14th in Sussex Division One after recording their first league victory of 2007 against a team which went into the match fifth in the table.

Joint manager Andy Laskey enthused: "It was really, really good and I think we thoroughly deserved the win. You would probably have to put that up there with some of our best performances of the season."

Although they fielded an unfamiliar line-up due to a string of injuries, Sidley pulled together tremendously well to chalk up their first success on the road for two months.

Peter Baker and Scott McDonald led from the front by chasing everything down, while Richard Harrison and Paul Balch settled into the side seamlessly following their promotion from the reserves.

Lewis Parsons was again solid in the holding midfield role just behind Mark Funnell, who had his best game since rejoining the club earlier in the campaign.

A defence marshalled superbly by Owen Ball looked far more solid and goalkeeper Peter Newstead wasn't required to do too much beyond the routine.

Roy Pook struck the crossbar for EP, who had taken 10 points from their previous four league appearances, on two occasions but most of their efforts came from distance.

Sidley's best moments of the first half were a Baker goal which was ruled out for offside against McDonald and a Balch strike which flew just over.

United, who knocked EP out of the SCFA RUR Cup at Gullivers in late September, were very much the better side early in the second period and they scored the all-important goal in the 52nd minute.

Balch won the ball in midfield and found Darren Witham whose cross from the right was looped over Tom Rand in the home goal by the head of Baker.

Rand denied McDonald not long afterwards and, although EP came forward far more late on, Sidley were comfortable enough in securing their first league clean sheet since October 14.

"All 11 players played well from start to finish, including the ones who came in for their first game," added Laskey.