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Seaford Town 2-1 Hailsham Town - SCFL Division One (MATCH REPORT)

Seaford Town 2-1 Hailsham Town - SCFL Division One (MATCH REPORT)

Finn Honeywood18 Apr 2022 - 13:30
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Cal Connor rises as Seaford come back from the dead in Easter miracle

Seaford Town rounded out their home campaign in dramatic style after grabbing a 93rd minute winner against Hailsham Town at the Crouch. Having gone behind early against a stubborn Hailsham side, goals from Alex Saunders and an eventual stoppage time winner from super-sub Callum Connor were enough to seal a memorable comeback for Paul Wise's Seaford side.

The Crouch's curtain call for the season got off to a nightmare start, with Hailsham taking the lead after less than 30 seconds through winger Charlie Honey. With the Seaford backline having failed to clear their lines amidst Hailsham's first advance on goal following kick-off, the ball eventually fell to Honey on the right side of the box, who lashed an effort past Mike Platt at his near post to give the Stringers an early lead. A shock to the system for the hosts, with Ryan Reid's Stringers looking to spoil the occasion for Seaford following the confirmation of a playoff spot over the weekend.

The home side gradually began to settle both in defence and going forward, and after beginning to assert themselves in the game following a lacklustre start, Seaford managed to find an equaliser in the 25th minute through attacking midfielder Alex Saunders. With a floated ball being glanced into the path of Simon Piper in behind the Hailsham defence, the winger was able to square the ball to the onrushing Saunders, who was on hand to pick out the bottom corner with a finish to level the scoreline.

Having slowly stepped up the tempo following the restart, Seaford started to look up the pitch, with Hailsham's direct approach being nullified under the control of an assured Seaford defence. The home contingent were convinced they should have been awarded a penalty just after the hour mark when defender George Maybury looked to be bundled down in the area by Hailsham 'keeper Jack Louick. Protests were ignored by the referee, however, with the home side forced to look for other avenues to take the lead.

Hailsham’s best chance to retake the lead came only minutes after the penalty shout, with striker Jake Barker finding himself in possession in the box with Mike Platt out of his goal, yet his subsequent effort was denied courtesy of solid defending from Maybury. Despite a lack of clear-cut chances for both sides in the battle for the winner, pressure continued to build up as full time approached, with Hailsham's resilience providing a tough battle for Seaford in the closing stages

Finally, with the referee signalling for less than a minute to play, up stepped Seaford talisman Callum Connor, who bagged the winner 3 minutes into stoppage time with a sweeping finish following a scrappy period of play in the final moments. Ensue impeccable limbs from the home end, with Seaford going on to round out their home season with a fantastic win.

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