Uckfield Town F.C

Report by Adam Michaels (adapted from facebook)

Once more, a much-changed Town took to their travels against top of the legaue Peacehaven, and once more a display of determination and guile acheived the 3 points to maintain their own promotion tilt.

Far from being undermined by the absences of last week's heroes from the 'Battle of Camp New Barn' - Rob Searle (work), Jake Bilal (holiday), Kelvin Brown (Lewes) and Stevee Davies (holiday), Town were able to include new addition and midfield general Tom Smith for his debut, Jamie Swancott to accompany him on his first start of the campaign in the centre of the park, Mason Knight on the right flank promoted to the starting line up, Sean Ardley back from injury and John pelham at right full back.

Not one for the purists, this encounter was blustery and disjointed , punctuated by flashes of individual brilliance and rooted in a never-say-die collective attitude.

Skipper Pete Morris went close to drawing first blood when he connected with Nick Hunnisett's corner, but Peacehaven's 'keeper repelled him from 6 yards. Andy McIntosh was then desperately unlucky minutes later when he found a yard of space to unleash a rocket of a left footer form 20 yards that beat the 'keeper but rattled the bar.

Sensing victory was in their grasp, Town set about the table toppers with even more gusto in the second period and the woodwork denied them again when a rejuvenated MOM Hunnisett curled a peach of a free kick onto the post.

Not to be denied, though, a stroke of fortune aided the opener when, for the successive second week, Hunnisett's corner sailed into the net.

James Goodby's reliably accurate set pieces created a number of goal mouth scramble opportunites for Ardley, McIntosh and Hunnisett, while Jack Savory's toe poke crossed the line only for play to be waved on - cue the disgusted 'scorer' flapping his arms and performing his customary squawk at the unimpressed official and in the process doing a near faultless impression of a Peacehaven seagull!!

A second would have sealed and 15 minutes from time arrived when another Hunnisett free kick rattled the post, but this time the battered grafter Ardley was at hand to, in his own words, ''nudge one in off the jap's eye'' from 2 yards.

A great performance and a real shift from every player. Smith and Swancott were remarkably settled and composed making their first starts to form yet another midfield partnership, Knight palyed with great maturity in an unfamiliar emergency right back role when Stuart Brinkhurst departed early through injury, Gary Trott was assured once more and has yet to concede during his second spell between the posts for the club, Pelham and Morris were authoritive in defence and midfield starlet Dave Welsh again demonstrated his potential in his late cameo with some neat touches including one outrageous back-heel.

TOWN: TROTT; PELHAM, BRINKHURST (SAVORY), P.MORRIS, J.GOODBY; KNIGHT, SWANCOTT, SMITH, HUNNISETT; ARDLEY (WELSH), MCINTOSH