Isthmian League

Young Hawks exit Sussex Youth Cup

Hawks 2 Peacehaven & Telscombe 3

Pearce 56′                      Norman 18′ 47′          

Reeder 82′                      Blunt 64′

Attendance 39

H-T 0-1

The Young Hawks bowed out of the Sussex Youth Cup after a team missing a number of first team regulars was out-gunned by local rivals Peacehaven on a sunny Sunday November morning.

A match played in good spirit ended with Hawks Toby Reeder shown a straight red card for dissent as frustration over a disallowed goal and a penalty appeal bubbled over, with the Hawks threatening a late comeback.

The Hawks settled quickly and could have been ahead three times in the first five minutes. With only 60 seconds played the ball fell at Reeder’s feet in the box after a Hugo Rawlingson cross but the his right foot shot was deflected narrowly over the bar. The resulting corner was picked up on the left by Ossie O’Neil and his cross again found Reeder’s feet in the box but he dragged his shot narrowly wide of the far post. Two minutes later a raking cross by overlapping full back Pat Williamson just eluded Reeder’s run into the six yard box. 

The game then settled down into a more even contest with action largely confined to the middle of the pitch, until the visitors took the lead with their first ball into the Hawks box just before the 20 minute mark. A handball midway inside the Hawks half by Joey Vance was penalised and the resulting free kick from Ryan Blunt was headed home by an unmarked Alfie Norman.

The Hawks main chance of getting back on level terms were from corners but the Peacehaven defence, marshalled by Louis Shooman, the brother of former Hawks defender Harry, stood firm. In the Hawks goal Sam Lomas dealt confidently with any brief forays forward by the visitors.

With the Hawks kicking down hill in the second half hopes were high, but the match swung further away from the home side within two minutes of the re-start, when Norman was played in on goal and he finished expertly with a right foot shot across Lomas.

Just under ten minutes later the Hawks were back in it, as Liam Pearce got his head on a Vance free kick to loop the ball over Roman Chiosa for his first ever U18 goal. Five minutes later Reeder had the ball in the net again after a corner was cleared but he was correctly flagged for offside.

With the game opening up, the visitors went two goals in front again eight minutes later, after the Hawks missed two chances to clear a corner. Blunt swept home with his left foot into the corner of Lomas’s net.

In the 70th minute the Hawks thought they were back in the game when O’Neill converted a right wing cross by Reeder, but the goal was disallowed for an offside flag, much to the frustration of the home side, who felt the Hawks winger had clearly run from behind the last defender as the cross came over. 

Hawks ensured there would be a tight finish in the 82nd minute when Reeder finally got on the score sheet, latching onto a long Lomas goal kick to slot home confidently with his right foot across Chiosa.

Hawks piled on the pressure with long balls into the Peacehaven danger area, as centre back Ellis Martin was pushed up front. The visitors still looking occasionally dangerous on the break in what was a pulsating finish to the game.

In the third minute of stoppage time Luke O’Neil was flattened in the box from behind by Sam Harrison while challenging for a header but the referee waved play on and the Hawks frustration got the better of them, as Reeder was red carded for a comment made to the official.

A minute later the referee brought the proceedings to a close and Peacehaven were through to the next round of the Sussex Youth Cup, much to the delight of the majority of the crowd of 39.

Hawks: Lomas, Williamson, Teasdale, Maclean, Martin, Goss, O’Neill, Vance, Reeder, O’Neil, Rawlingson

Subs: Pearce, Tingley

Peacehaven: Chiosa, Kempster, Barden, Webb, Shooman, Harrison, Jupp, Blunt, Chisholm, Norman, Reep

Subs: Moore, Lambert, Mouvogny, Gold, Stanley

 

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