Bexhill United enjoying highest position for nearly 25 years

Bexhill United Football Club is riding high at the top of the table in its highest position for nearly a quarter of a century.
Jack McLean tries to take on a Littlehampton Town opponent during Bexhill United's 1-0 victory last weekend. Picture by Derek Martin PhotographyJack McLean tries to take on a Littlehampton Town opponent during Bexhill United's 1-0 victory last weekend. Picture by Derek Martin Photography
Jack McLean tries to take on a Littlehampton Town opponent during Bexhill United's 1-0 victory last weekend. Picture by Derek Martin Photography

The Pirates have reached the Southern Combination League Division One summit - the highest position the club has been in since being relegated from the old Sussex County League Division One at the end of the 1993/94 season when playing under the name of Bexhill Town.

Bexhill manager Ryan Light said: “We’re really happy that we’ve climbed to the top of the table, but at the moment it doesn’t really mean a lot.

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See also: * Bexhill United beat Littlehampton Town to go top of the table* Bexhill United edged out by higher grade Burgess Hill Town* Bexhill United net 5-0 cup victory over Worthing United* Bexhill United close in on leaders after beating 10-man Wick“It’s nice on a Saturday night to look at (the table), but it probably means more to other teams than it does to us because all of a sudden they’re playing the team that’s top of the table.

“We’ve probably arrived there a little bit sooner than I would’ve liked, but now we are there, we’ll try to stay there.

“Teams will up their game a little, but hopefully it will give us a bit more confidence and swagger to get the job done each time.”

Just two points cover the top four and the two teams immediately behind Bexhill have played a game less.

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Ten of Bexhill’s next 11 scheduled league matches are on home turf, starting with the visit of Midhurst & Easebourne tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 3pm) before successive fixtures against third-placed Steyning Town and fourth-placed Alfold.

“We’ve got a fantastic run of fixtures at The Polegrove,” continued Light. “Steyning and Alfold will be a big week, but we’re not even looking ahead to that at the moment. We’ve literally got our eyes fixed on Saturday’s visit from Midhurst & Easebourne.

“If we go and be sloppy and slip up, it’s almost unforgivable. But we’re very confident at the moment, and there’s a lot of trust and belief in this side that we can dispatch the teams that are mid-table - and that’s what we’ll look to do again on Saturday.

“As I said before, it doesn’t really matter who we play - whether it’s Burgess Hill or Midhurst & Easebourne - we’ve got to try and play to the highest level we can every time we go on the pitch.

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“I don’t think our home performances have matched the heights of our away performances. We’ve been scintillating on the road, whereas at home we’ve been functional.”

Drew Greenall should return following illness, but Gordon Cuddington may be out for a few weeks with his illness and Lewis McGuigan is away for the next month or so.

“Lew will be a big miss for a few weeks,” added Light, who said McGuigan and fellow central defender Craig McFarlane ‘have been excellent for us’.