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Improved showing but Sidley crash out of cup

Ticehurst 4 - 2 Sidley United

Sidley United put in an improved performance against familiar opponents Ticehurst, but ultimately came easy from this Wisdens Sports Challenge Cup match with a 4 - 2 defeat.

On a heavy pitch, Sidley played the better football but found there was a lack of cutting edge up front early on. It was the opposite story for Ticeurst, who's long ball tactic paid off as one such ball put the Ticehurst forward in on goal after 7 minutes and he finished smartly past debutant goalkeeper Adam Skelton.

Ticehurst's second goal owed to a miscommunication at the back as Owen Ball attempted to let a ball go to the goalkeeper but a Ticehurst forward nipped in and poked the ball home on 31 minutes.

But Sidley galvanised themselves and pulled a goal back on 36 minutes, as good initial work from Adam Day was rewarded as the ball came back to him in the area and he steered the ball home. Sidley then levelled the scores on 41 minutes as quick thinking by Day at a free kick set up George Carroll, who thumped the ball home from a wide angle to bring Sidley level at the break.

Sidley hoped to push on in the second half but fell back behind on 51 minutes as the ball pinballed around the Sidley area and eventually bounced into the net. The game was fairly open and Sidley were still in the game until the controversial moment of the match in the 58th minute when Ticehurst were awarded a penalty for a foul in the area by James Walker.

The referee instructed Skelton to stand on the line, feeling that the goalkeeper was standing behind the line. He blew for the penalty to be taken, which Skelton saved well to his right but the referee blew and ordered a retake for Skelton not being on the line. The resulting penalty was scored leaving Sidley aggrieved. If he wasn't happy with Skelton's position, why did he blow for the penalty to be taken?

Sidley kept plugging away and the attitude from the players was certainly an improvement on last week but sadly they couldn't find a reply. The closest they came was a thunderous effort from sub Aaron Cochrane which the Ticehurst goalkeeper tipped over the bar.

An improvement on the previous week but Sidley are still searching for those elusive clean sheets which will bring about positive results. There is no game next week so our next match is on November 8th against Mountfield United in the league.

Sidley team: Skelton, Rankin, Walker (Cochrane), Ball, May, Day (Burchette) Bailey, Sanderson, Briscoe, Carroll, Dunstall

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