Crowhurst are top of the league - after 14-0 victory

Crowhurst went back to the top of the East Sussex Football League courtesy of an emphatic 14-0 victory on Saturday.
It was another goal-laden weekend in the ESFLIt was another goal-laden weekend in the ESFL
It was another goal-laden weekend in the ESFL

Jan Bailey and Allan McMinigal scored four apiece, Dominic Clarke netted a hat-trick, Luke Woodley chipped in with two and Robbie Jupe also got in on the act as the Crows were in rampant form away to sixth-placed Northiam 75.

Battle Town slipped to second on goal difference despite winning 5-2 away to fourth-placed Bexhill Town - their 11th straight victory in all competitions.

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Glen Carrick (2), Dean Boyd, Callum Thomsom and Trystan Mayhew were on target for Battle, while Olwethu Peterson and Dominic Sinden struck for Bexhill.

Eighth-placed Rock-a-Nore are now seven points above the Premier Division' s bottom two following a 3-1 success at home to seventh-placed Hawkhurst United.

The Rocks' third league win of the season also lifted them within a point of their victims having played two fewer matches. Jason Donoghue scored for the Hawks.

Goal difference also separates the top two in Division One after leaders Bexhill AAC and second-placed Sidley United II both won 4-1 away from home.

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AAC made it six successive league wins by getting the better of Battle Town II, despite Aston Sweetman finding the net for Battle.

And Sidley, who have played a game more than AAC, chalked up their sixth consecutive victory in all competitions by overcoming third-placed Rye Town.

Sean Baldwin, Ashley Elphick, Simon Tomlinson and Alex Williams were on the scoresheet for the Blues. Sam Hesmer scored for Rye, who are now six points behind their conquerors, albeit having played a match fewer.

Fourth-placed The JC Tackleway recorded their eighth success on the bounce in all competitions with a 2-1 triumph at home to Sedlescombe Rangers II.

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Strikes by Kale Hakos and Andrew Olorenshaw lifted Tackleway within three points of Rye with a game in hand. Alvin Scott got the Sedlescombe goal.

South Coast Athletico climbed back into the top five after returning to winning ways via a 5-0 victory at home to Peche Hill Select.

A David Burch double, and one each from Connor Benton Powell, Jack Harris and Ben Hart earned the Chopbacks their fourth league win of the season.

It's equally tight at the top in Division Two, where Little Common II now lead the way by one goal on goal difference from Westfield II.

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With Westfield not playing, Common's 4-0 win at home to fourth-placed Sandhurst proved just enough to take them to the head of affairs.

Sam Slayford's double, and one apiece from Attilio Field and Andrew McTear extended Common's unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions.

Northiam 75 II would have gone top had they won away to Victoria Baptists, but instead they're two points off the pace in third following a 2-0 defeat.

Joshua MacDonald's double lifted Victoria up two places to sixth and dealt a major blow to the title hopes of a Northiam side which has played twice more than the top two.

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Fifth-placed Catsfield moved level on points with Sandhurst on the back of a 2-1 victory away to Hooe - their first success since November.

The finishing of Jacob Jones and Dan Kearley won it for Catsfield, in spite of Conor Loake finding the net for a Hooe team which has slid into the bottom two. Hooe are just a point behind the two clubs immediately above them, however, with games in hand.

Iain Stewart-Pownall plundered a hat-trick as Bexhill Rovers boosted their hopes of climbing off the bottom via a 7-2 success away to Herstmonceux.

Adam Beeching's double, and one apiece from Joe Summerbell and Jake Garnell capped a fine afternoon for Rovers, who are now just three points adrift of Hooe.

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Three teams are level on points at the summit of Division Three after somewhat contrasting wins for Welcroft Park Rangers and AFC Hollington.

Welcroft Park have hit the front on goal difference thanks to their 10-1 victory at home to Bexhill AAC II, in which Bill Coles helped himself to four goals, Jamie Bundy three, and Marley Smith, Reece Shaw and Darren Weller one each.

Hollington started the day above Welcroft Park, but ended it just behind them despite winning 2-1 away to Mountfield United.

A Matthew Tidmarsh goal for fifth-placed Mountfield couldn't prevent Hollington recording their eighth league win out of nine this season.

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Hollington have a game in hand on title rivals Welcroft Park and Ninfield, which could prove decisive in the final analysis.

The one scheduled Division Four fixture, between third-placed Parkfield and fifth-placed Orington, was postponed.

Crowhurst II have climbed to the summit of Division Five after taking their points tally to 28 from a possible 30 with a 3-2 win at home to Herstmonceux II.

Anton Neil, Terry Robinson and Harley Millward got the goals that took Crowhurst above previous pacesetters Westfield III on goal difference having played two fewer matches. Curtis Eyres and Robbie Hodgson replied for fourth-placed Herstmonceux.

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Third-placed Hampden Park kept themselves very much in the hunt after four Jake Barker goals helped fire them to a 5-1 victory away to Hastings Comets II.

Ashley Griffiths was also on target for still unbeaten Park, who are three points off the pace having played the same number of games as Crowhurst.

There was also a smattering of cup action last weekend, including two ties in the county competitions, both of which ended in defeat for the East Sussex League representatives.

Premier Division outfit Wadhurst United lost 8-1 at home to Hurstpierpoint in round two of the Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup.

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And Division Three side Ninfield went down 5-0 away to Lavant II in their twice-postponed Sussex Bluefin Junior Challenge Cup third-round encounter.

Meanwhile, Division One team SC Pass+Move Arrows prevailed 3-0 at home to Premier Division club Robertsbridge United in round two of the ESFL Graham Ormston Premier Travel Chauffeurs Challenge Cup.

Curtis Coombes bagged a brace against his former team and Chris Scott also struck as Pass+Move set up a home quarter-final with Rock-a-Nore.

Jay Easton grabbed the only goal as South Coast Athletico II triumphed away to Division Four rivals Sedlescombe Rangers Development in the Hastings & District FA Lower Divisions Cup.

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Standings (played-points) - Premier Division: Crowhurst 12-31 (+40 goal difference), Battle Town 12-31 (+32), St Leonards Social 12-22 (+5), Bexhill Town 12-21 (+13), Punnetts Town 12-20 (+18), Northiam 75 13-14 (-39), Hawkhurst United 14-13 (-4), Rock-a-Nore 12-12 (-8), Wadhurst United 12-5 (-22), Robertsbridge United 9-3 (-35).

Division 1: Bexhill AAC 11-28 (+35), Sidley United II 12-28 (+20), Rye Town 11-22 (+12), The JC Tackleway 10-19 (+10), South Coast Athletico 10-14 (-1), SC Pass+Move Arrows 7-12 (+4), Peche Hill Select 9-7 (-16), Battle Town II 11-3 (-28), Sedlescombe Rangers II 11-1 (-36).

Division 2: Little Common II 12-25 (+21), Westfield II* 12-25 (+20), Northiam 75 II 14-23 (+9), Sandhurst 13-18 (+6), Catsfield 14-18 (-10), Victoria Baptists 12-14 (-6), Herstmonceux 13-14 (-17), Hooe* 11-13 (-13), Bexhill Rovers 11-10 (-10). * = points adjusted.

Division 3: Welcroft Park Rangers 10-24 (+40), AFC Hollington 9-24 (+37), Ninfield 10-24 (+14), Icklesham Casuals 11-15 (-13), Mountfield United 11-13 (-11), The JC Tackleway II 11-10 (-12), Bexhill AAC II 12-0 (-55). Peche Hill Select II withdrawn.

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Division 4: Sovereign Saints II 12-25 (+27), Ticehurst 12-24 (+12), Parkfield 12-24 (+10), Hastings Comets 12-22 (+17), Orington 12-17 (+8), Sedlescombe Rangers Development 14-15 (-34), Battle Town III 11-9 (-31), South Coast Athletico II 11-6 (-9).

Division 5: Crowhurst II 10-28 (+62), Westfield III* 12-28 (+44), Hampden Park* 10-25 (+59), Herstmonceux II 10-19 (+16), Welcroft Park Rangers II 11-15 (+5), Burwash 12-13 (-11), Hastings Comets II 13-7 (-57), D&S Hastings Youth 14-0 (-118). Sedlescombe Rangers IV withdrawn. * = points adjusted.

Saturday January 22 fixtures - Premier Division (2pm): Punnetts Town v Bexhill Town, Robertsbridge United v Crowhurst, Rock-a-Nore v Wadhurst United.

Division 1 (2pm): Peche Hill Select v South Coast Athletico.

Division 2 (2pm): Sandhurst v Hooe.

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Division 4 (2pm): Battle Town III v Hastings Comets, Ticehurst v Parkfield.

Division 5 (2pm): Burwash v Hastings Comets II, Crowhurst II v Hampden Park.

ESFL Graham Ormston Premier Travel Chauffeurs Challenge Cup quarter-finals (1.30pm): Battle Town v Hawkhurst United, Bexhill AAC v St Leonards Social.

ESFL Wisden Sports Challenge Cup quarter-finals (1.30pm): Catsfield v AFC Hollington, Herstmonceux v Westfield II, Mountfield United v Welcroft Park Rangers, Ninfield v Little Common II.

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ESFL Division Four and Five Challenge Cup quarter-finals (1.30pm): Welcroft Park Rangers II v Sovereign Saints II, Westfield III v South Coast Athletico II.

Hastings & District FA Junior Cup (1.30pm): SC Pass+Move Arrows v Sidley United II.