Author: William Mulvenney

Since Craig Nelson’s return to the Dripping Pan at the end of October Lewes’ have turned significantly.

Two home victories against title chasers Brentwood Town and Cheshunt have lifted the mood at the Pan.

Craig Nelson discussed the fixture with Carshalton following Saturday’s victory against Brentwood he said “Carshalton are a top side, Pete is a top manager he has Vinesy alongside him who was with me at Tonbridge.

“They’ve got a wealth of knowledge around how the game goes, we just have to be much of the same.

“We need to make sure no one leaves here with anything because this is our home and we want to imprint ourselves on the game in and out of possession.”

These crucial points have seen Lewes climb into 8th in the Isthmian Premier Division just three points off the play offs. However, they are only 6 points ahead of 18th placed Hashtag United.

Their opponents Carshalton sit in 12th position just two points behind the Rooks. Victory over the Rooks would see Carshalton leapfrog Lewes.

Carshalton have only won one of their last 5 league games. That victory came against Potters Bar Town who are bottom of the Isthmian Premier Division.

The last time the two sides met was in August. Lewes came out on top with a 1-2 victory at the War Sports Memorial ground.

Nelson also discussed how new signing Martell Taylor-Crossdale will make a big impact at Lewes he said: “I worked with Martel at Tonbridge, he’s got an amazing history in the game.

“He can bring some added experience to us, he’s predominantly a forward but he can play on the wing as well. He’s got a little bit of quality which allows us to play lots of different ways.”

After their 6-0 defeat at Folkestone last Tuesday a lot has changed at the Dripping Pan.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Bradley Pritchard and his coaching staff had been relieved of their duties after a poor run of results.

Then on Thursday it was announced that Craig Nelson would be returning to the Dripping Pan.

Nelson guided Lewes to a 13th place finish last season in the Isthmian Premier Division.

Nelson departed Lewes after being offered a job by National League South Club Tonbridge Angels.

Tonbridge Angels parted way with Nelson in September.

Cheshunt will be hoping there is no kind of manager bounce. ‘The Ambers’ sit in 7th position four points behind Dartford who occupy the final play off place.

Lewes have had a tough run of results. The Rooks have lost six out of their last seven games in all competitions.

This run of games has seen Lewes concede 17 goals. Whilst only scoring 1. However, with Nelson returning a manager bounce will be very much needed.

Lewes currently sit in 15th position just three points above the relegation zone.

After continuing their strong start to their Isthmian Premier League campaign on Saturday, Lewes will want to maintain their impressive form.

Miles Rutherford’s side will be a big test for the Rooks. Chichester only lost out on a play-off place on the final day of the season after a defeat to Dover. If Chichester won that game they would’ve been in the play-offs as the two sides were on 73 points going into that all important game.

Dover were promoted to the National League South after winning the Isthmian Premier League play-offs. The Whites defeated Billericay 1-2 in the semi-finals and beat Dartford in all Kent clash in the play-off final.

Chichester have had a very middling start to their second ever campaign in step three. The Lillywhites currently sit in 10th position after two wins, draws and defeats after six league games.

The Lillywhites have progressed into the second qualifying round of the FA cup something Lewes failed to do. The Rooks were defeated 2-1 at the hands of Flackwell Heath. Chichester defeated fellow step 3 club Havant and Waterlooville 0-1. Chichester’s next rodeo in the FA cup is against step 5 club Whitstable Town.

Havant have a rich history in the FA cup they faced Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup in the 2007/08 season. Havant earnt a 2-2 draw at Westleigh park but were defated in the replay at Anfield . At the time Havant were managed by Shaun Gayle and in the National League South.

Whitsable Town won last season’s FA Vase and apply their trade in the Southern Counties East Football League (SCEFL). The Kent based outfit will be looking for a giant killing in front of their home fans.

Lewes were unable to continue their winning run in the league on Saturday after a 2-2 draw with Cray Wanderers. Finlay Chadwick scored a sensational goal for the Rooks.The midfielder controlled the ball after a clearance from a corner and fired his shot into the top corner.

The Rooks were 2-0 up at the break but after a Kaan Bennett sending off in the second half the Rooks couldn’t hold on to their lead and drew 2-2.

There was also a heated exchange between the two dugouts. This resulted in the Lewes Kitman Lewis Robinson being given his marching orders after being accused of squirting water at the Cray bench.

As Lewes’ journey in the FA Cup ended at Flackwell Heath they have a break from action on Saturday 13th September. Giving them eleven days to prepare for their home clash with Ramsgate which is followed up by a trip to St Albans on Tuesday 23rd September.

After a dramatic win at home to Pagham on Saturday Peacehaven will be looking to keep any momentum going for this Peter Bentley cup clash with fellow SCFL Premier Division side Lingfield.

It’s been a tricky start to the season for Lingfield on and off the field for the side. Lingfield haven’t played at their home at Godstone Road since the end of the 2022/23 campaign due to the drainage issues that haven’t been resolved.

For the 2023/24 season Lingfield ground shared at Horley Town. The plan for the drainage works was set to begin then but some problems started to arise.

Tandridge council like all local councils only give the green light for providing funds and schemes if it will provide a long benefit to the community. The second delay came from the need to have planning permission so the drainage works could get underway.

Lingfield started the 24/25 season ground sharing with Crawley based side Oakwood. This arrangement was just meant to be for the beginning of the season whilst the scheduled work at Godstone road took place.

Lingfield then faced more adversity. Materials were delivered but the contractors were delayed due to the project manager being ill. September 2024 was very wet and it meant the ground was too wet for the work to go ahead.

Lingfield played their remaining home games of the 2024/25 season at AFC Whyteleafe.

With the drainage work now underway Lingfield are on the path to returning to Godstone road by October. Meanwhile all their home games are taking place at Steyning Town FC until then.

It’s been a week of change at Lingfield. Shortly after their 0-2 home defeat to Forest Row Lingfield announced manager Dan Burnett had been relieved of his duties.

Lingfield have had a disappointing start to the season. They’re without a win from their four league games. They also lost in both FA competitions. They lost 2-7 to the reigning FA Vase champions Whitsable Town in the FA cup. The ‘Lingers’ lost in the FA Vase to fellow SCFL Premier Division rivals Seaford Town.

Lingfield have appointed Ross Joyce as their new manager. Joyce has joined the club from Isthmian South East club Sevenoaks Town where he was the First Team coach. Joyce will be hoping his side can get an immediate response in this cup clash.

The two sides have already met once already this season. Peacehaven beat Lingfield 5-1 at the Sports Park on the 12th August.

Peacehaven have had a mixed start to the campaign. Haven had a very strong end to the 24/25 season. Mark Shutt’s side only lost once when they returned home in February after their brand new 3G pitch was put down.That defeat came to eventual champions Hassocks.

Their strong end to the campaign put them in play-off contention but after a valiant effort they narrowly missed out.

If Lingfield are going to keep a clean sheet then they will need to keep Peacehaven forward Connor Tighe quiet. Tighe will be looking to continue his impressive form after scoring 5 goals in six apperances so far this season.

The Rooks run riot in the sun on bank holiday Monday in front of a roaring Dripping Pan crowd.

Lewes continued their strong start to the season with a sensational second half performance against Sussex rivals Burgess Hill.

After their opening day defeat to Hashtag United at The Dripping Pan, the Rooks bounced back with three consecutive victories on the road to Carshalton and Welling. This was followed with a 2-1 win against Potters Bar Town.

Newly promoted Burgess Hill have had a mixed start to their first season in the Isthmian Premier league since 2019. Jay Lovett’s side have collected 7 points from a possible 12 in the league so far.

The first half was an even affair but Burgess Hill were more dominant with the ball. The Hillians forced well-timed blocks from Jake Burchell and Ian Gayle.

Lewes had a big shout for a penalty after a pull of the shirt which was waved away by referee Jake Woodman. The Rooks best chance of the first half came when Charlie Walker’s free kick whooshed over the bar.

Lewes manager Bradley Pitchard was clearly unhappy with the lack of possession the Rooks had in the first half. So, he made two changes to the midfield. Philippines International Mark Swainston replaced Mark Chadwick whilst Devonte West replaced Arezki Hamouchene .

Lewes broke the deadlock on the 47th minute. Ian Gayle leaped and smashed a bullet header into the net to give the Rooks the lead.

This goal gave the Rooks momentum. In the first half the Hillians were playing out from the back very well but Lewes weren’t pressing very well meaning Burgess Hill could break the lines ieasily. However, the half time break immediately saw a more energetic Lewes side.

Lewes extended the lead on the 72nd minute from another corner. This time Kaan Bennett headed home from Jabri Christmas’ corner.

Bennett was a constant threat in the second half who Burgess Hill found very difficult to deal with.

Lewes sealed the victory in the 86th minute when substitute Bille Clark ran through the Burgess Hill midfield and slotted in fellow substitute Walter Figueria who found the net with a composed finish into the bottom-right hand corner.

This victory marked Lewes’ fourth win a row in the Isthmian Premier League and means they are now sitting in fourth position. Lewes will look to bring this momentum into their FA cup clash with Flackwell Heath this Saturday.

Burgess Hill are also in FA cup action this weekend and have a trip to Wokingham. The Hillians will be looking to book their place in the second qualifying round of the FA cup after back-to-back defeats over the August bank holiday weekend.

After both sides being promoted from step 7 to step 6 both sides will be looking to continue their great form.

The jump from step 7 to step 6 is a huge difference on the pitch. With Tuesday floodlight games something that doesn’t happen in step 7. As well as all the extra cup competitions like the FA Vase and the Sussex Senior cup.

Despite, the big jump both sides have started like a house on fire and have seemingly adjusted to step 6 football like a duck to water.

The home side started away at Copthorne coming back to East Sussex with three points from the Fusion Aviation Stadium winning by three goals to one.

Ringmer followed up their impressive performance with a huge win in the Peter Bentley Challenge Cup away at Saltdean. Saltdean were relegated from the Southern Combination Premier Division last season meaning the sides were two leagues apart.

Tommy Haddon’s side continued their unbeaten start on Saturday with a 3-3 draw at home to East Preston. Last season’s top scorer in Division one Zion Mcleod netted a hat-trick against the blues.

East Preston would’ve been disappointed to only come away from the Caburn Community Ground (CCG) with a point as Will Fenner scored a equaliser to maintain Ringmer’s unbeaten record.

The visitors Jarvis Brook will provide a big test with both sides looking to maintain their unbeaten record.

Jarvis Brook started their adventure in step 6 football with a long trip along the West Sussex Coast to Selsey. Jake Baldwin’s side left the seaside with an impressive 1-5 victory. They followed up their fantastic win with another victory at home to Dorking Wanderers’ B team.

Jarvis Brook have signed three players from Oxted who won the Mid Sussex Premier Division who Ringmer will be aware of. Jarvis Brook have recruited the trio of Corbin Turner, Jimmy Hoy and Buster Hoy from Oxted.

Buster Hoy was a standout player in the Mid Sussex League last season scoring 21 goals in just 28 games. Ringmer will have to work hard to keep the striker quiet.

Buster and Jimmy Hoy have both continued their fabulous form from the Mid Sussex League last season. Jimmy scored a hat-trick in Brook’s demolition of Selsey. Buster Hoy also opened his account for the season as well.

A hat-trick from Jack Shonk saw Bexhill United gain their first win of the league season in an enthralling game with a 2-3 win over Varndeanians.

Jay-Skinner-Swain’s Bexhill side were looking to get all three points after a disappointing 0-0 draw with Midhurst on Saturday. The Pirates were unable to unlock the resilient Midhurst defence despite having a number of chances to win the game.

The two sides went blow for blow in an end-to-end game which eventually saw the pirates come out on top.

The Pirates started brightly Ryan Moir was a real threat on the right hand side and was winning the battle between the ‘Vs’ full back Adam Bukleb. United had several chances early on in the game and were unlucky to not be a goal up. Dan Rogers with the pick of the chances. His effort from six yards out was saved by Jordan Hawkins.

16-year-old starlet Theo Coombs was also another stand out player for the pirates. The attacking midfielder wasn’t afraid to show for the ball and linked up with right winger Ryan Moir superbly.

Despite, Bexhill’s early dominance it was Varndeanains who went into half time ahead. There was a question whether JJ Durrand’s header had crossed the line. However, the assistant referee Tom Philips was adamant that the ball had crossed the line and referee David Stappleton then blew his whistle to indicate that the goal had been given.

The second half was full of twists and turns. The first being a penalty being awarded to Varndeanians in the 55th minute. Several Bexhill players were furious with the decision but Tom O’Shaugnessy took his protests too far and was sin binned for his actions. Morris Dench stepped up to take the penalty but it was saved by Akaras in the Bexhill net.

The penalty save gave Bexhill extra fire in their belly to win the game. Referee David Stappleton then awarded a free kick to Bexhill ten yards outside the box for a foul on Charlie Curran. Jack Shonk stepped up and lashed it into the top corner making it 1-1.

Just ten minutes later, Jack Shonk followed up his superb free kick with another wonder strike to make it 1-2. Shonk picked up the ball on the half volley and lobbed Jordan Hawkins in the Vardneanians goal.

Vardeanians weren’t finished there though with ten minutes left on the clock JJ Durrand scored his second goal of the game. Durrand found some space after picking up a long ball and lashed it into the net giving both sides hope of picking up all three points.

The latest twist was five minutes later Bexhill Captain played an excellent ball which found Charlie Curran in the box who was brought down in the box. David Stappleton pointed to the spot with no hesitation at all. Jack Shonk stepped up and fired the ball into the net sealing his hat-trick.

The drama was not done yet though as Vardeanians were offered another lifeline. In the dying minutes David Stappleton pointed to the spot for the third time of the evening.

Varndeanains squandered their opportunity from 12 yards again as Morris Dench’s effort was saved again by Stef Akaras in sensational style.

With a few minutes to play the end-to-end action continued but the Pirates managed to halt any further V’s attacks and clinched the all important three points.

Varndeanians and Bexhill both have a two day turn around before they lock horns for their second game league game of the season on Monday night.

Varndeanians had their best ever campaign last season in the Southern Combination Premier Division. Lawrence Edwards guided the ‘Vs’ to a 13th place finish with 42 points.

However, Edwards has since gone onto pastures new joining fellow SCFL Premier Division side Shoreham. Varndeanians have since appointed Bradley Pant as his successor.

Their opponents likewise have seen a change in the dugout over the summer. Ryan Light resigned from his position as manager after just one season in his second spell in charge of the Pirates. Light managed to steady the ship after a difficult 23/24 campaign and guided Bexhill to a comfortable 10th place.

Bexhill appointed Jay-Skinner-Swain as Light’s replacement. Skinner-Swain was Bexhill’s first team coach last season as well as being the Pirates’ U23s manager.

Both sides opened their campaign in the FA cup Extra Preliminary on the 2nd August. Bexhill came out 3-1 winners over Sheerwater who apply their trade in the Combined Counties Premier Division South.

Varndeanians also faced oppostion from the Combined Counties league in Tooting and Mitcham. The South West London outfit have spent most of their history higher up in the non-league pyramid. Tooting and Mitcham defeated the Vs 2-1 in the first game of the Bradley Pant era.

When the two East Sussex sides met last season Bexhill came out on top on both occasions. The Pirates beat the Vs 3-0 at the Withdean Stadium in November and did the same at the Polegrove in March.

Both sides will want to taste three points for the first time this season too. The Vs and the Pirates both collected a point on Saturday.

Bexhill drew 0-0 with Midhurst at Eastbourne Town on Saturday. The pirates won’t return to the Polegrove until mid September due to it being used during the cricket season. Whilst Varndeanians drew 2-2 with Lingfield which was played at Steyning Town FC.