THIS EVENING’S MATCH PREVIEW – LEWES FC AWAY (KICK-OFF 7.45PM)

There’s vital points up for grabs this evening as second placed Dulwich Hamlet make to the trip to the Dripping Pan to take on the rock-bottom Rooks.

(NB Pitch inspection due at 11.30am)

After losing top spot to Hampton & Richmond Borough recently Dulwich Hamlet go into this evening’s game at Lewes knowing that victory will allow them to overleap the Beavers and reclaim the leadership. However, for the Rooks the points are just as vital, if not more so, the club currently four points adrift of second bottom Brentwood Town and have played five games more than the Essex men. A massive 13 points separate Darren Freeman’s team from Needham Market who occupy the last position of supposed safety. Though with Farnborough set for automatic relegation given their precarious financial state and Burgess Hill Town’s ongoing battle with their local authority over works to bring their stadium within ground grading rules, the task for the Rooks maybe made less arduous by the woes of others.

To say it was a disastrous start to the season for the Rooks must be something of understatement. With a reduced playing budget after heavy investment in the Dripping Pan infrastructure including the Rookery 3G complex, the first eight games of the campaign produced just three points and not a single victory. That all changed on a balmy, and frankly barmy, night at the Beveree as the Rooks swooped, inflicting the Beavers’ heaviest defeat so far. With Joe Hicks red carded for the hosts on the half-hour, Lewes took full advantage going ahead through the ageless Jay Lovett two minutes later. The venerable Lovett was again on the scoresheet as the Rooks struck again on 57 minutes, adding further goals through Leon Redwood and Troy Williams to leave Hampton shell-shocked.

If the Rooks fans thought a corner had been turned, they were in for a rude awakening. Three days later they were dumped out of the FA Cup by Ryman League North Division newcomers Phoenix Sports and that was just the start of a nightmare run of results culminating in the departure of manager Steve Brown in September. A 5-1 home thrashing at the hands of Brentwood Town was following by a 2-1 reverse in the local derby at Burgess Hill, the straw that broke the camel’s back as Brown’s resignation was tendered and accepted.

Lovett, along with Martin Hinshelwood and development squad manager Steve Eke stepped into the breach for the visit of Billericay Town, the Rooks within a whisker of a much needed point until Onome Sodje’s 82nd minute winner. The interim management team was unable to stem them run of defeats as single goal defeats to highflying Tonbridge Angels and in-form Needham Market left the Rooks still mired in the relegation zone, whilst the club made a swift exit from the Alan Turvey Trophy in a delayed first round tie away to Farnborough.

On 13th October came the news that a new manager had been appointed as Darren Freeman was installed in the Dripping Pan hot seat. The new number one certainly had a large dollop of Sussex pedigree, having guided Whitehawk through their meteoric rise from Sussex County League to Conference South. However, it was not to be an auspicious start as the immensity of the task ahead for the incumbent was shown in a 4-0 demolition away to Grays. Narrow defeat to Burgess Hill Town followed before a Vas Karagiannis helped Leatherhead to 4-3 in dingdong game at the Dripping Pan.

The Rooks recovered to clinch a point at Met Police, before shutting out free scoring Hampton in an FA Trophy only to go out 2-1 in the replay thanks to Charlie Moone’s last gasp winner. Though a heavy defeat at Harrow ensued (1-4), the fighting spirit was evident as Tonbridge Angels had to rely on Nathan Elder’s 88th minute winner to escape with the points at the Longmead Stadium, lightning striking again as Ricky Sappleton turned their home game with Kingstonian on its head at the death, scoring in the 86th & 90th minutes to wipe out the lead given the Rooks by Henry Muggeridge.

Defeats to struggling Staines Town (0-3) & promotion challengers East Thurrock United (1-4) followed, yet as Freeman continued to rebuild the Rooks squad so the light at the end of the tunnel seemed to grow a little brighter. James Fraser rescued a point at home to another of the promotion hopefuls, Leiston, as he found the net with mere seconds left on the clock. Then an afternoon that the longsuffering Dripping Pan faithful had awaited so long, win number two of the campaign. It may have been against doomed Farnborough; it may have been by just a single Philip Appiah goal but how sweet it must have been to taste victory after more than four months wait. Though Christmas brought defeats at home to Enfield Town (0-2) as well as a Boxing Day battering at the hands of Bognor Regis Town and their hat trick hero Jason Prior, another win would not be so long coming. The victims this time Merstham, the place of execution the Dripping Pan, the executioner Trevor McCreadie swooping in the 90th minute with the only goal of the game.

In their next outing the Rooks looked to be on course for an unprecedented second straight win as they led 1-0 at Wingate & Finchley. That was until sustained pressure from the hosts saw a penalty conceded with six minutes left and Billy Healey step to convert for a share of the points. Remarkably of the starting XI that afternoon only Henry Muggeridge and Alex Laing had started that season opener away to Leatherhead so many months ago!

Though the chance to keep the unbeaten run going was interrupted when their away game against Hendon was postponed due to a frozen pitch at Harrow’s Earlsmead Stadium, the Rooks lost no momentum at the weekend as they sprung a new striker on Canvey Island. Bermudan Jonté Smith, signed only a day in advance of the match, was the new hero of the Dripping Pan as he bagged a brace to give the Rooks hope of making a miraculous escape from their perilous position.

This evening’s game kicks off at 7.45 pm at The Dripping Pan, Mountfield Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2XA Tel: 01273 470820. For directions click here

MATCH DAY PRICES

• Adults £11
• Concessions £6
• Under 16s GO FREE

Dogs: Please note that for Health & Safety purposes Lewes Football Club operates a strict policy of not allowing dogs (apart from guide dogs) or other pets into the ground on match days.