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Let’s start with a formula - Merland Rise + Dodgy match official = dropped points. We huffed and we puffed and we nearly did it with MARK KNEE’s second half strike but up popped Luke Fontana to equalize in the second minute of stoppage time to the gleeful delight of his delightful family who had decided to berate us for daring to question the ability of their boy. Football eh, dontcha just love it?
‘Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello – what’s goin’ on ‘ere then? A 2-0 win for the Rebels at the Met Police, that’s what officer! Goals from MARK PULLING and CLAY LAMONT gave the Rebels three points in a game that saw a partially fit Ben Carrington return to the side.
Horsham away next and after we’d dozed off to allow our hosts to take an early lead and have a legitimate Owen Hill strike disallowed, we came back to claim all three points as MARK KNEE and MARK PULLING found the net.
We got away with it at home to Walton & Hersham. They were reduced to nine men and were 1-0 up, we equalized through MARK PULLING only for them to run straight up the pitch and score again. Lucky for us that we had OWEN HILL on hand to blast an unstoppable equalizer past the outstanding Gindre deep into stoppage time.
Easter Monday was the eagerly anticipated trip to Lewes. NKO EKOKU gave us the lead when Dominic Jean Zepherin fumbled a through ball before Lewes equalized just before half time. Paul Rogers scored soon after half time (at the wrong end) before OWEN HILL converted a Mark Knee cross. All hell broke loose almost dead on full time as a Lewes player was harshly adjudged to have brought down Owen Hill in the box. Up stepped Darren Freeman who blasted the ball against the Lewes crossbar and away to safety. The reactions of Freeman, Grice and Harvey saw red cards all round but the main protagonist clown goalkeeper DJZ got away with it. It was particularly funny to see “hardman” Harvey being chased off the pitch by an angry Worthing player. It wasn’t particularly funny to hear provocative comments being made over the public address system by a Lewes official and all the more galling, as we’d enjoyed good beer and good company with Lewes fans before the game itself.
Leatherhead at home next and they looked like a typically disinterested end-of-season side in sharp contrast to the lively side we faced in the away fixture. An early goal from NKO EKOKU and a late header from ASHLEY CARR secured three points and promotion was in touching distance.
The following Tuesday saw the most disappointing display of the season and to be fair to the players, probably their only real bad day of the season as we capitulated 3-0 to Lewes with no-one playing well. The darkest day of the season.
But disappointing as Tuesday was, Saturday was magnificent. The lads lifted themselves and in glorious sunshine secured promotion up at Hampton & Richmond’s magnificently named “Beveree”. After going a goal behind, we came back with strikes from SAM FRANCIS and STEWART HOLMES and secured promotion amid jubilant scenes. Other results were not going our way though and it would take a minor miracle to overtake Lewes for the championship.
Nothing more than a win would do up at Stag Meadow and in front of a big crowd, it hammered it down with rain after a thunderstorm. It was so severe that the second half was delayed for the players safety and when the game did resume it was in monsoon conditions, equally as bad as Boxing Day but with the league programme having to be finished by Saturday, the referee had no choice but to continue with proceedings. An entertaining game ensued and Slough even took the lead on 80 minutes but OWEN HILL came to the rescue again with a late strike and the spoils were shared. The league title was out of our grasp and the on looking Lewes players and fans were jubilant.
The following Saturday saw the visit of Ashford Town and it really was one of those “end-of-season” affairs with forgotten man GAVIN GEDDES making a goalscoring return and victory was only confirmed when substitute MARK KNEE gave us the three points in a 2-1 victory that secured second place.
All that was left now was The Sussex Senior Cup Final at Eastbourne Borough against a strong Albion side. In wet conditions, their extra fitness told as they finished 2-0 victors to lift the cup once more. There was a great turnout by Rebels fans who produced a great atmosphere to try and lift the side and give the departing Ben Carrington the send-off he so richly deserved.
A really exciting season in which ALL the players should be congratulated for playing their part. Semi-pro football is hugely demanding – on top of full-time jobs (which very often is knackering manual work), on top of wives, girlfriends, kids and mortgages these men give as every Tuesday and Thursday evening and Saturday afternoons to pull on the red shirt and do their bit. Yes, they get paid, but if you were to break it down into an hourly rate with all the traveling involved you soon see that they can’t be motivated by money alone. Thanks again.
And to Alan and his backroom staff who turned it all around – a memorable season only prevented from being a Championship-winning one by the width of a crossbar.
And I can’t wait for it all to start again!
League Record so far – P 46, W 26 D 14 L 6, F 87, A 45, Pts 92, GD +42
Players In – None
Players Out – None
The “We want Lloyd Back” Grumbleometer from the bus stop rating – Even they are happy (well for now anyway) 2/10
7th Feb 2004