Our annual friendly with long-standing partners, Gardner & Scardifield, produced goals galore at Culver Road on Wednesday evening.

The visitors, who are proud supporters of sport across Sussex, came looking to avenge their defeat on penalties last year.

This was clear from the first whistle when they took an instant lead inside a minute after a lovely well-worked move, scoring at the near post.

Our side were putting together some good passages of play and controlling the ball well, but the deficit was doubled when the visitors pounced on a loose ball at the back post.

We responded well pulling one back from a free-kick which was eventually turned in following a scramble in the penalty area.

The hard-work to get back into the game was in vein when, straight from kick-off, Scardifield reinstated their two goal buffer with a fantastic effort from inside their own half making it 3-1.

In true end-to-end fashion we pulled one back again, one-on-one with the keeper to make it 3-2. However, despite chance after chance for Sussex, Scardifield had their two goal advantage back again shortly before half-time to make it 4-2.

Into the second-half and our Sussex side looked for a route back into the game quickly and some great link-up play saw us pull one back again, before eventually equalising from the penalty spot.

It was then not long before we took the lead for the first time with two well-taken, quick-fire goals, to make it 6-4.

The goalscoring however, was not over, as Gardner & Scardifield fought back late on and slotted in their fifth from just inside the box.

Our spirited side hung on for a narrow but thoroughly entertaining 6-5 victory, with the shield remaining proudly in our trophy cabinet for another year

(A selection of photographs can be found on Facebook - courtesy of Simon Roe Photography)
(Video highlights are available above and on YouTube - courtesy of Your Instant Replay)

To find out more about Gardner & Scardifield please contact:

Gardner & Scardifield
T: 01903 755774
E: sales@gardnerandscardifield.co.uk