Ringmer rue rotten luck – and controversial calls – at Rotherfield

The Blues struggled in the first half near the Sussex-Kent border and though they improved vastly in the second half, they were left scratching their heads as to how Ed Easton’s equaliser at 1-0 did not count.

There was time for a goal apiece afterwards and though Ringmer pushed all the way to the end, the game ended in unfortunately ill-tempered circumstances.

Tommy Haddon’s side arrived at the MSFL Premier Division’s 12th-placed side with just one change from their previous outing at Holland Sports, with Luke Colwell dropping out with an ankle complaint to be replaced by Rhys Taylor.

On paper, this fixture was expected to see the Blues add a fourth straight win to their impressive recent run, but as was realised at Holland Sports, it is never that easy. Indeed, Rotherfield posed a combative threat on their home patch, which boasted possibly the best grass pitch in the division.

The hosts’ line-up was bolstered by Crowborough AFC players Daniel Gray, Sviatoslav Latyk, Dilan Nlendi, Jack Turner and Alex Joy, all of whom have been involved in the Crows’ under-23 side this season, with Gray, Latyk and Nlendi also involved in the first team’s SCFL Premier Division title fight.

With both teams launching forward with clear intent early on, there was a thrilling start under ominous skies. Ringmer had the first great chance of the game and thought they were 1-0 up for a split-second, as Ed Easton cracked a brilliant shot onto the crossbar from 20 yards and George Coleman tapped in from six yards but was flagged offside.

Moments later, the momentum swung the other way and Rotherfield grabbed the lead by exposing a temporary fault in the Ringmer backline. A piercing through ball threaded a gap between George Maybury and Dan Fox, and Gray took full advantage for the hosts, racing through and stroking a finish past Xhemal Bako in the 14th minute.

The Blues were bemused by their error but set about trying to correct it as they kept pressing and probing with shots fired in by Easton, Jake Barber and Taylor, but none doing enough to trouble goalkeeper Sym Kyshtoobaev. Taylor and fellow winger George Coleman had the chance to put plenty of crosses in, but these never quite fell to the right man, with Rotherfield defending in numbers and always there to stop any dangerous efforts.

Soon, though, another twist came and the referee was at the heart of the action. With Maybury down and asking for treatment, the referee took exception to physio Louise Jarman’s attempts to enter play and entered a debate with the Ringmer dugout, which resulted in assistant manager Jon Hart being sent off.

That was not the only controversial call of the remaining moments of the half, with Curtis Wilton also marauding into the box late on and being felled by a Rotherfield defender, only for the referee to wave away any penalty claims.

Ringmer were fast becoming frustrated with the officiating as a result, while the match reporter’s rusty ball retrieval skills did nothing to help matters.

With half-time arriving as the score remained 1-0, there was much to do from a Blues perspective.

The sides returned with added impetus, and Ringmer set about redoubling their efforts as Taylor and Jacob Ashwood kept plugging away on the left, and Coleman and Fox on the right. It was in the box where the Blues’ issues remained, with Easton, Barber and Jamie Blackford swarmed whenever they received possession.

The introduction of Sheldon Grimes turned the game on its head, though, as the experienced midfielder beefed up the Ringmer midfield to stop the hosts wriggling free of the Blues’ stranglehold.

Grimes’ committed tackling and direct passing added an extra impetus, while his ability to run the channels between defence and attack enabled Ringmer’s revised back three to flourish.

These changes opened up the game, and Rotherfield almost capitalised in a rare attack as Gray raced clear again to force a save from Bako and Alex Joy fired wide of the open goal under pressure from Taylor.

Nonetheless, Ringmer were well in the ascendancy and it seemed a matter of time until they levelled up the game.

And then, it came. In the 79th minute, Grimes burst forward from midfield, played a neat one-two with Coleman and was away in the six-yard box. Five yards from the by-line, Grimes squared for Easton, who arrived at the perfect moment to smash home an equaliser for his 14th goal of the season. Or so everyone thought.

To Ringmer’s disbelief, Rotherfield’s linesman stuck his flag up after the goal had gone in, with defender Jack Turner’s protestations enough for him to be convinced. With the referee not in line, he opted to go along with the offside call, and it remained 1-0.

Five minutes later, with Easton taken off with a leg injury and the referee continuing to be involved with an interesting interpretation of the drop ball law as he threw back to both goalkeepers, Rotherfield took advantage of the situation.

A counter-attack resulted in a pinball in the Ringmer box and home skipper Sam Saunders pounced to lift the ball over Bako and into the top left corner. Finally, though, fortunes turned just a little in Ringmer’s favour in the final few minutes.

In the 88th minute, Barber hot-stepped clear of the home defence and was hauled back by Turner in the box. Taylor made no mistake from the penalty spot, powering into the bottom right corner to give the Blues a glimmer of a chance.

Try as they might, with constant crosses and set pieces, Ringmer could not get the correct connection.

Rotherfield – in slightly combative fashion – held on for the three points, but the Blues were deflated. It did not seem fair that for all their effort, Haddon’s side came away empty-handed, and the debate about decisions rolled on long into the night.

As far as the title race goes, the result may have ended Ringmer’s chances to claim silverware this season as they remain second but are now six points behind Reigate Priory with just one match in hand.

Balcombe and Westfield in third and fourth respectively can go ahead of the Blues if they win their games in hand, while Eastbourne United Association Reserves and Oxted & District also have the opportunity to do so if they can weather busy fixture lists.

All Ringmer can do is concentrate on their own business, and a big fixture awaits in their last home game of the season this Saturday. It is also Sponsor’s Day at the club, and the chance to celebrate the contributions of all supporters of the club over a season that began way back in August.

Cuckfield Rangers are the visitors, with a 1pm kick-off at the Caburn Community Ground (BN8 5RB).

Ringmer AFC: Bako, Fox, Ashwood, Wilton, Maybury, Webster (C), Coleman, Blackford, Easton, Barber, Taylor. Subs used: Northeast, Grimes, Brown, Balameh

Words: 1,213

By Will Hugall