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“Right lads, order in the industrial portions of deep heat – we’ve got 9 games in 28 days to play”. That’s a lot of football!
Poor old Croydon were well and truly put to the sword 4-0 in our first game of the month, adequate punishment for their awful ground I thought! Goals from SAM FRANCIS (2), CLAY LAMONT and NKO EKOKU (on debut) saw us easily win. Oddly enough one of the players on the pitch that evening would end up with a championship winners medal. Who do you reckon it was?
Saturday saw us travel to Croydon Athletic to sample the fine wares in their tea bar (or should that be cafeteria?). Not a great day for us. The coach broke down on the Shoreham Bridge and another had to be swiftly summoned, it absolutely chucked it down with rain and we all got soaked. And five minutes before half time the referee suffered heart palpitations (as we all do when watching the mighty rebels?), and he had to go off. Sensing their moment of glory, both Nick and Bernie stepped forward as qualified referees but were rejected in favour of some bloke off the local park. 0-0 it finished (eventually).
Merland Rise was next on the tour as we faced uber-bottom Epsom & Ewell. Having spent well over an hour on a broken down train at Reedham, I arrived just in time to see the basement side take the lead. We were really poor but not as poor as referee Andy Legg who was just absolutely hopeless. We equalized as DARREN FREEMAN scored a diving header (and he could have been no more than a foot off the ground – you’ve got feet man, use them!). Seconds after kick off Epsom scored the goal of the season – a 45 yard swerving, dipping volley and it was backs to the wall stuff from then on as Albert (their ‘keeper – Darren loved him) thwarted everything in his path. Mark Pulling got sent off for backchat before CHRIS DICKER slipped over while clearing the ball and it looped into the top corner. Gavin Jones appeared as a sub and looked useful but it wasn’t to be and we ended 2-2.
Marlow were next and they were hopeless. We easily won 4-0 with goals from SAM FRANCIS, MARK KNEE and DARREN FREEMAN (2), one from the penalty spot.
The following Tuesday saw us visit Queen Street, Horsham for our Senior Cup semi final. A comfortable 2-0 win ensued with goals from SAM FRANCIS and MARK PULLING. Bridges were managed by ex-Worthing manager Sammy Donnelly and his side contained former rebels Damian Webber, Danny Smith, Andy Alexander and Justin Simmonds.
A very windy day in corinthia saw MARK PULLING make the history books (possibly) and the national newspapers (definitely) as he scored a hat trick of goals all from corner kicks. Truly amazing stuff and especially impressive was the fact that when The Argus asked him to try it again he scored one and hit the woodwork with another before our next midweek game. Pulling’s heroics overshadowed the arrival of Stewart Holmes to the club, who joined us from Eastbourne Borough and was to prove a vital piece of our promotion jigsaw.
This saw the visit of Bracknell Town whose small but vociferous band of supporters had spent the afternoon in the taverns of our fine town. Nko went berserk when subbed and we ended up very lucky 2-1 winners as late goals from SAM FRANCIS (2) pinched the points.
Dirty Tooting visited next and their dislikable manager Richard Cadette was on top form as we overcame the Londoners 3-2. Goals from PAUL ROGERS, NKO EKOKU and MARK PULLING ensured victory despite the late dismissal of Shaun Grice.
The final game of the month was a Thursday night trip to Egham where Ashley Carr was introduced to the Rebels for the first time. The burly hitman was “helping out” and he aided us to a 2-0 win with goals from CLAY LAMONT and GAVIN JONES, who was starting his first game of the season.
League Record so far – P 36, W 21, D 10, L 5, F 71, A 33, Pts 73, GD +38
Players In – Ashley Carr (Burgess
Hill Town), Stewart Holmes (Eastbourne Borough)
Players Out – Andy Ducille (Eastbourne Borough
– END OF LOAN), Daryl “Disco Boots” Plummer (Southend
United – END OF LOAN)
The “We want Lloyd Back” Grumbleometer from the bus stop rating – It’s all gone quiet over there 3/10
7th Feb 2004