BHTFC continued their 24 25 Sussex Championship title campaign at a sunny mild Home Call against bottom team Mile Oak.  After a strangulated and rather unremarkable 1st half Hill turned on the style to show why they are Title contenders.

Mile Oak are fighting for their lives at the foot of the table and it was totally understandable that they tucked in and pressed hard in the opening scrimmages. It meant that space and time were at a premium for the hosts.  Their planned worked a treat as Hill became frustrated leading to misdirected passes and loss of possession. Indeed, it was Oak who forced two excellent saves from the Hill keeper. The Hill bench increasingly becoming animated.  Ellie Livingstone at centre made all the right decisions during this time.  As half time approach Manager Tom Clingo threw on Alicia Haworth into the attack. It was an inspired move as within a minute Haworth stuck out a boot to force huge ricochet to loop over the keeper and into the net. It was the bit of luck Hill needed.

Harsh words were spoken at half time.

With those words ringing in their ears the whole team were a yard quicker. The team stepped up the pitch and played in the Oak half.  After a good move down the left the ball fell to Rachel Walker who timed a brilliant shot into the top corner. The goal standing after a long discussion between linesman and referee.  Football suddenly became easy.  Skipper Alice Horton was allowed to pull all sorts of strings releasing balls down both channels.  Brogan Kirk found a yard to smash home the 3rd.   Livingstone stepped up to smash a penalty home for the 4th and completed the Player of the Match performance with a with crafted and inch perfect curler for the 5th.  As time ebbed away Haworth iced the cake with a piledriver from 25 yards.

Hill move up to 2nd place in the league with games in hand over Brighton Seagals.  The two sides meet at the Home Call on Sunday 9th March 1.30 ko, in what promises to be a ‘hot’ afternoon here in Mid Sussex.  Hill Manager Tom Clingo looked a bit battered in his post-match saying ‘Tough afternoon I am still trying to compute what I have just seen. We were pretty poor to be fair and were lucky to go in one nil up.  After a contested 2nd we were very professional late on and it was pleasing to win. Mile Oak put everything into that performance so fair play to them.  As to next Sunday ‘we are really looking forward to the Seagals next week it’s a game that we will want to win!’

Ellie told the waiting media ‘Mile Oak made it really hard, and we were pleased to get the lead.’  As to the Title she said ‘as the new team to the league people doubted us but we stick together and find ways to win football matches!’

A massive shout out to Mile Oak who gave 110% effort to the cause, good luck for the rest of the season. However, it’s our brilliant Womens team who go marching on in the Sussex Championship league. 

Ellie Livingstone