Football set to return to Rye

The new Rye Town football team which has made a flying start to the season

The newly-formed Rye Town Football Club will play its first ever home game, against The JC Tackleway in Macron East Sussex Football League Division One.

Kick-off is 3pm and hopes will be high for a Rye victory as the club tops the embryonic league table having won its opening two matches.

Rye followed up their 3-0 success away to Northiam 75 a fortnight ago with a 5-1 victory at Icklesham Casuals last weekend.

The Salts will host men's football for the first time in two-and-a-half years tomorrow

Rob “legohead” Wilson had a week to remember. Named man of the match against Northiam, he welcomed to the world his daughter Mila three days later and put the cherry on the cake by scoring two bullet headers against Icklesham.

Rye opened the scoring with 15 minutes played. Rob Levett found space and released Richard ‘Alfie’ Weller, who expertly diverted the ball into the stride of Charlies Stevens and he coolly hit the back of the net with a first time shot.

Rye went two-up inside 37 minutes through Wilson’s first header and he sucked his thumb in a celebration relating to his newborn.

Rye started the second period brightly and Weller was denied by the goalkeeper after being released on goal. Only 30 seconds later, the same player raced through and this time lobbed the oncoming goalkeeper, the ball trickling over the line despite the efforts of two jumping defenders.

Rye switched off during the next 20 minutes, but didn’t concede and actually scored another to make it 4-0. Stevens claimed his second with a brilliant strike from way outside the box which wrong-footed the goalkeeper.

After roughly 520 minutes without being beaten, Rye goalkeeper Shane Ridgers finally conceded a goal. A defensive mix-up allowed Val Newman a free strike at goal to make it 4-1 after 72 minutes.

Weller and George Ball smashed the crossbar, while Andy Wallbank struck the easiest chance straight at the goalkeeper when unmarked from Ben Heffernan’s pass.

Icklesham’s goalkeeper played really well to keep the score as it was, yet he was helpless as Wilson headed into the roof of the net with the last touch of the game.

Some good points and some bad, but two wins out of two is the start Rye wanted.

The Pikes Cleaning man of the match was Sammy Foulkes and the match was sponsored by Julian Apps of Harigoss Gundogs.

Rye: Ridgers, Wilson, Willis, Walker, Levett (Wall), Hurley (Gould), Foulkes, Heffernan, Ball, Weller, Stevens (Wallbank). Subs not used: Walker, Hibbs.

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