Scintillating 2s Slay Southwick

Lewes Mens 2s hosted bottom of the league Southwick 2s on a positively balmy mid February Saturday and didn’t disappoint as a 6-1 win took them to 83 goals scored this season.

From the off the 2s hassled and rushed Southwick into early mistakes, allowing Seb Daniels to tap in from five yards four minutes in after a smart baseline drive from Tom Clinch. Forwards Joe Rideout, Ben Wood, Sam Anderson smelt blood and it was good work from Joe Rideout to create the second as a Seb Daniels converted another tap in to put Lewes 2-0 up with just 10 minutes played.

Not wanting to miss out on the scoring action, the midfield of Oli Loader, Matthew Denham and Jamie Cooke pushed on and gave Southwick no time on the ball. It was good work from Oli Loader to set up Tom Clinch for the 3rd, a powerful strike which took a wicked deflection to loop past the Southwick keeper. 3-0 after 20 minutes played.

Lewes pushed on, but with victory looking likely, were a little too relaxed in their approach, allowing this seasons high standard to drop. However, a short corner scramble late in the first half saw Birthday boy Joe Rideout deftly turn in a Sam Anderson cross for 4-0 going into half time.

Unlike their 13-0 win vs Worthing 3s or the 12-1 drubbing of Horsham 4s earlier in the season, the second half saw Lewes 2s level drop and the game turn into a grubby affair with few chances.

A rare defensive lapse from the otherwise normally faultless Billie Palmer, Peter Thomas, Jamie Neill, Theo Whiting, Sam Rea and Guillaume Green let Southwick score a consolation before Seb Daniels completed his hat trick with a smart deflection from a Peter Thomas cross for 5-1.

Finally, in the dying seconds, a comfortable 6-1 home win was completed as Joe Rideout added his second, beating the keeper 1 vs 1 after Seb Daniels doggedly won the ball off the Southwick defence.

Next week the 2s travel to Eastbourne for a early 10:15 game that has the potential to all but secure promotion and set up a possible league win.

Goals: Seb Daniels x3, Joe Rideout x2, Tom Clinch.

MOM: Peter Thomas