After last weeks performance against a tough Eastbourne side we needed to pick up a result today against a battling Withdean side.

Our starting lineup and squad looked a bit different this week due to sickness and availability. We also welcomed a new member to the team With Harley B linking up with the team as a January signing. Harley joins us after impressing in training and working well with the boys.

We started with Oliver in goal, a back 3 of Cam, Toby and Captain Jack slotting in to help out! Midfield was Lewis B, Stan, Lewis W and Mase. Our front line consisted of Alafy, Stephen and Freddie O with Dorian, Kieron and Harley on the sideline for the start. We are lucky enough to have such a strong squad that we can rotate and have injuries/sickness that we can still put out a team like that and have a bench full of quality who can change a game like that.

The wind was deceiving today as when we turned up there was a small breeze but soon kicked up a gear and was blowing like me after a Friday night curry! Jack won the toss and chose to kick against the wind in the first half and have the wind with us in the second half. We knew it would cause a bit of chaos and it certainly did as the ball was up in the air spinning a lot in the first few minutes. Withdean took the lead within the first 5 minutes as a corner came flying in over the defenders and headed in right at the back post. 0-1

This woke our boys up a bit and we started playing a bit more football. Alafy was the danger man down the left hand side today linking up well with Stan and Mase and our first big chance came from a through ball from Mase that set Alafy away running before he cut it across the goal and Stephen just knocking it wide. Our first goal came from a carbon copy move with the ball built up from the back through Jack to Mase and a little dinked through ball into the path of Alafy gave us the opening and Alafy sped up like a sports car and left 3 defenders in his trail before rounding the keeper and cutting the ball across the box for Stephen to tap in at the back post. 1-1

Alafy put the team on his shoulders in the first half and took the game to Withdean. Our second goal came from some brilliant work from Stan in the midfield, winning multiple tackles before looking up and pinging a ball through to Alafy. Alafy held off two players before driving through the middle and finishing calmly past the keeper to put us in the lead. 2-1.

Chances were coming thick and fast and we were unlucky not to take the lead with Lewis B, Lewis W and Alafy all coming close to extending the lead and it was our lack of clinical finishing that cost us as Withdean got themselves back level. With the Wind behind them, a few long balls forward were not cleared properly by our defence and a few missed tackles by our midfield gave the Withdean midfielder time to set himself and hit a brilliant shot into the roof of the net. 2-2.

We kept pushing and switched focus to our right side and got the ball down with Lewis B, Cam and Stephen linking up really well. We won the ball high up the pitch and Cam took the throw in quick into the feet of Stephen. Stephen held off his man, cut inside and played a great pass through into the path of Alafy, Who 1 on 1 with the keeper took it past him again and passed it into the path of Lewis W who was running in and knocked it into the bottom corner. 3-2

HT TD - 3 - WITHDEAN - 2

The halftime team talk focused on the good things that we had been doing and the fact that we had been playing against the wind in the first half and that we could take the game to Withdean in the second half and go for the Jugular. We made 3 subs with Dorian coming in for Lewis B, Kieron coming on for Freddie O and Harley coming on for his debut in place of Mase.

We started the half on the front foot and showed our intent for more goals and to get the win. Kieron, Alafy, Stephen, Harley and Dorian were playing some fluid attacking football with Cam, Tobes, Jack, Lewis W and Stan battled to win the ball for us on every lose ball and Oliver kept his cool with any pass back to him.

Our first goal in the half came from some brilliant battling in the midfield with Harley and Stan winning the ball back and setting Kieron free through one on one after leaving several players in his dust. Kieron, keeping his cool lifted the ball over the keeper and into the far corner of the net! Delightful chip! 4-2

Our left hand side was causing all sorts of problems for the Withdean defence and it was once again some brilliant football from Harley, Jack and Alafy that sent Alafy clean through and again he rounded the keeper but with an open net, passed it through to Kieron who finished with an Ozil Bounce into the back of the net. 5-2

We continued to dominate the ball and played some fantastic football but Withdean were defending well and credit to them, kept trying to push forward and attack.

Our next goal came from some great play on the left again and this time it was Alafy holding the ball up and laying it into the path of Harley who danced his way through several challenges before dropping his shoulder and sending the keeper the wrong way, hitting a great shot in off the near post and rolling all the way into the bottom right corner! A fantastic bit of skill and calm finish from the debuting lad and it was great to see all of our boys running over to congratulate him and celebrate with him! 6-2

Pretty much from kick off we seemed to switch off slightly and a long ball over the top over our defence and Withdean's Striker took it in his stride and lashed it into the top left corner. 6-3

Frustrated to concede another goal the boys pushed forward and with some changes made, Mase back on to give Alafy a break, Lewis B for Cam and Freddie for Stephen, they all pushed to get another goal. We won the ball back high from a Withdean Free kick and it was Stan who had a monster game in midfield who picked off the pass and played it into the path of Big D. Big D drove forward into the box and just inside the box hit a rocket of a shot past the keeper and into the top corner of the net. 7-3

FT- TD - 7 - Withdean -3

A great result from the lads today to get that momentum going, great to have so many players contribute to the goals and some stand out performances in awful weather.

MOTM- Alafy B - An easy choice today as he run the show with 3 assists and a goal. Unselfish all day, battling for the team and driving them forward in a difficult period of the game. Amazing performance today and well deserved.