The weather was perfect for football, dry, bright, not hot and no wind. The pitch was level and firm, there was therefore an opportunity to play good football. The revolving reserve squad were without a number of key players however they were pleased that Jayson Sowter was able to help on his return from injury together with Kieran Patel. It was just a month ago when these two teams met with Ringmer taking the honours with a flattering score line. It was to Ringmer’s credit that on this occasion they treated the visitors with respect. Pease Pottage (PP) are going through a very bad time and they should be applauded for turning out, they are without a manager, a goal keeper, their chairman runs the line and a minimal bench.
Ringmer had the kick off up the slope and PP soon showed that they were not defeatist as they had the better of the first skirmishes. However Ringmer soon won a corner on the left after 8 minutes, Ben Courtnage played the corner short to Louis Munnery who in turn played it long beyond the far post for Jason Sowter to meet and send back towards his near post where Elliot Finney finished with a header leaving the packed defence flat footed (1-0).
This opening goal settled Ringmer who gradually became the more dominant through the midfield with surges by Jayson and Amro Shaker. It was one of these surges combined with some good interplay between Kieran, Rob Frost and Amro that found Amro an opportunity to sink the ball into the PP net on the quarter hour (2-0).
The game continued with Ringmer creating a multitude of opportunities from mid field without further addition to the score until three minutes before half time when a string of penetrating interplay found Rob in the right channel for him to surge forward and stroke into the PP net (3-0).
Whilst PP were reeling from conceding so close to half time Ringmer found Rob in the left channel who dispatched the ball as cleanly as his previous two minutes earlier (4-0).
During the half time interval, PP changed the outfield goal keeper with another outfield goalkeeper.
A problem with establishing a reasonable lead is that everyone wants to score and the discipline and work rates decline. Ringmer suffered from this condition for the first quarter of the second half, playing some good football but too many players trying to get on the score sheet. After nearly fifteen minutes of the second half David decided to make a substitution and change the organisation of the team, Amro was withdrawn from attack, Richard Hooper was moved to left back and Justin Wood pushed forward to make a five man midfield.
It only took six minutes to unlock the PP blockade when Ringmer won a corner on the left. Rob took a short corner to Justin Wood who crossed to find Ben Courtnage in front to add another goal (5-0).
Ringmer were awarded a penalty after Rob was brought down in the box, he was encouraged to go for his hat trick however he mistook it for a cross bar challenge, as PP thought they had escaped Rob slotted a through ball for Jayson to finish (6-0). The full time whistle shortly followed.
A fluid performance by Ringmer with a score line which this time could have and should have been more. Pease Pottage deserve our full support for their persistence, we wish them well for the future and hope they find stability.