Men's 2 vs Lewes M4

Hailsham 2s welcomed Lewes 4s to the new and improved Shamex Stadium for what proved to be a hard-fought and entertaining contest, finishing with a dominant 5–1 win for the home side.

The first half began evenly, with both teams creating chances early on. Lewes applied pressure through a series of short corners, but Hailsham’s defence stood firm. Kirk Manning was on hand to deflect a goal-bound effort over the bar, while goalkeeper Tom Lodge – recently stepping into the role – made several key saves to keep the visitors at bay. Lewes made Hailsham sweat with a Goal disallowed, deemed too high on a short corner.

The deadlock was broken when Chris Hayes made a strong solo run into the D and slotted home in open play. However, Lewes responded quickly with an equaliser, making it clear the game was far from over.

There were several standout moments in the first half – notably Sam Banfield earning his first green card of the season after introducing a Lewes player to the new turf up close. Returning veteran Matt "Woody" Wood impressed with some slick play, despite learning that sliding tackles are no longer allowed – to his evident disappointment.

Following an energising half-time team talk from Josh Higgs, Hailsham came out with renewed focus and upped the pressure. John Bartlett put Hailsham back in front with an impressive slap hit from near the baseline – a rare clean goal not involving his foot. Higgs followed up with a goal of his own, before Chris Hayes added another to his tally. (We'll gloss over Bartlett's cheeky attempt at poaching that one.)

The fifth and final goal came from Higgs again, this time assisted by Tim Fox – who, by all accounts, was shocked to find himself so deep in Lewes’ D he might have needed oxygen.

Michael Green also made it onto the card list – perhaps living up to his surname?

Despite a solid game, Kirk Manning took a ball to the ankle defending a short corner, which might explain his later “dribbling in circles.” That display earned him the Popularity Prize.

Meanwhile, Man of the Match went to Finn Kelly for a strong all-round performance and a crucial assist.