Bexhill's top scorer suffers serious injury

Drew Greenall on the ball during Bexhill United's home match against Mile Oak last month. Picture by Simon Newstead

Drew Greenall, who has netted seven goals so far this season, snapped his Achilles tendon playing five-a-side football on Monday night.

Bexhill manager Ryan Light, who found out the news when Greenall phoned him from hospital, said: “He’s absolutely devastated and it’s a massive blow for us. I would’ve backed him to score 20 goals this season and we kind of built our shape around him as our number nine.”

Greenall was only playing five-a-side for fitness as he was unavailable for Bexhill’s Parafix Sussex Senior Challenge Cup first round game at Broadbridge Heath the following night.

Light explained that the injury happened, as they often do, very innocuously.

“He took a step forward and felt it snap,” he continued. “He said it felt like someone had stamped on his Achilles. He’s in a cast and he’s got to have an operation this week. He could be out for anything from four months upwards.”

Light added that he may well look for a replacement for Greenall, who joined the club last autumn and invariably proves a handful for opponents.

Fellow forward Jamie Morgan is suspended for the visit from Lingfield in Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division One tomorrow (Saturday), but Gordon Cuddington is expected to return and may well be pushed forward to lead the line.

Tomorrow’s game is another important one for Bexhill, who sit sixth in the table - two points and two places behind a Lingfield side which has won its last four league games, scoring 17 goals in the process. Kick-off at The Polegrove is 3pm.

“I see this as a watershed moment in our season,” said Light. “It’s one of those pivotal games where if we can get the victory, we go above them in the table and then the rest of the league fixtures in October are really winnable. If we could get a victory Saturday, maybe we can put a little run together and get us back in the mix.”

As well as Cuddington, Kyle Holden, Wayne Giles, Chris Rea and Connor Robertson should all be back having missed the midweek cup game.