MATCH REPORT: Vets vs Steyning Town

Rotherfield Vets 6-2 Steyning Town Vets

A beautiful autumn afternoon provided the perfect setting as Rotherfield Veterans looked to bounce back from the disappointment and humiliation of their previous outing. With a strong squad available and confidence boosted by the return of last season's Players' Player of the Year, Andy Garrett, who received his award in the changing room before kick-off, the Vets were determined to make a statement.

From the opening whistle, the contrast to the previous match was clear. Gone were the lethargy and misplaced passes, replaced by crisp ball movement, high pressing, and excellent communication. Rotherfield quickly took control of proceedings and dominated the opening 20 minutes.

The breakthrough came in the 6th minute. Garrett delivered a superb volleyed pass towards the back post, where Alex Cole was perfectly placed to finish with a delicate lob over the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.

Just five minutes later, the lead was doubled. A long clearance from skipper Dave Riley was missed by the Steyning centre-back, allowing the ever-dangerous Elliott Wilkins to race through and calmly slot into the bottom corner for 2-0.

Rotherfield continued to pile on the pressure. The midfield trio of Ben Mansford, Garrett, and the impressive John Penny took complete control, driving the team forward at every opportunity. The third goal arrived in the 22nd minute when Cole's pace took him beyond the defence. His dangerous cross was spilled by the goalkeeper straight into the path of Wilkins, who gratefully tapped home from close range.

Three minutes later, the score was 4-0 and the scorer was an unlikely one. Riley powered an effort goalwards from an outswinging corner, although there remains some debate over whether the sizeable deflection should see the goal credited elsewhere. Either way, the ball found the bottom corner and Rotherfield had raced into a commanding lead.

At 4-0 up inside 25 minutes, the Vets were flying.

It could easily have been five when Penny struck a superb effort from 25 yards that crashed against the post. Instead, it was Steyning who got themselves on the scoresheet. An inswinging free-kick exposed Rotherfield's deep defensive line, allowing a Steyning attacker to arrive unmarked at the back post and tap home.

Rotherfield's excellent first-half performance still had one more surprise to offer. Wilkins once again caused havoc down the channels before floating in a delightful cross that found Alex Oddy, who powered home a rare headed goal to make it 5-1 going into the break.

The second half was a quieter affair. With such a healthy squad available, several changes were made as Moore, Kemp, Fuller, Clibbens, and Tsang all entered the action and provided fresh energy. In perhaps the most remarkable tactical move of the afternoon, Garrett showcased his versatility by moving from central midfield to centre-back and then later to left wing.

While the substitutions disrupted some of Rotherfield's rhythm and allowed Steyning more possession, it was the home side who struck again. Wilkins completed his hat-trick, although this goal may also be subject to debate. After rounding the goalkeeper, his effort ended up in the net via the defender's boot, with uncertainty remaining over whether the ball had already crossed the line before the touch was applied.

To their credit, Steyning never stopped competing and continued to battle until the final whistle. Their perseverance was rewarded late on when a looping header drifted beyond Mark Taylor, who had otherwise enjoyed a very solid game in goal, to make the final score 6-2.

A comprehensive and thoroughly deserved victory for Rotherfield Veterans, who responded to their previous disappointment in exactly the right manner with an attacking, energetic, and clinical performance.

Next up: Rotherfield Vets travel to Crawley Athletic on 4th October, for what can only be described as the rather unsociable kick-off time of 5:00pm.

Starters: Taylor, Ashton, Riley, McGuire, Chick, Garrett, Mansford, Penny, Cole, Oddy, Wilkins

Finishers: Moore, Kemp, Fuller, Clibbens, Tsang