East Sussex Football League: Five-star Westfield surge into county cup quarter-finals

Westfield II joined fellow Premier Division side Punnetts Town in the last eight of the county knockout competition courtesy of a superb 5-0 third-round win away to Hurstpierpoint on Saturday.

The Westies led by a Jay Tomlin goal at the break before pulling away in the second half with two Matt Darby strikes, one from substitute Ethan Alexander and another Tomlin finish.

Westfield’s reward for defeating Mid-Sussex League Championship opposition is a home last-eight tie against the Mid-Sussex League Premier Division’s bottom club, Ridgewood, in the new year.

Elsewhere at the weekend, five top-flight teams progressed to the quarter-finals of a Macron Store Hastings East Sussex Football League knockout competition.

Premier Division sides Bexhill AAC, Hollington United, Punnetts Town, Rye Town and Sandhurst advanced to the last eight of the Macron Store Hastings Cup last weekend.

And the quarter-final line-up is completed by a trio of Division Two outfits in the form of Bexhill AAC II, Catsfield and Westfield III.

While AAC received a walkover at home to neighbours Sidley United, Hollington, Punnetts, Rye and Sandhurst scored 21 goals between them in their second-round encounters.

Rye netted five times without reply during the second half to run out 7-1 winners away to The JC Tackleway, a team who they drew against in the league seven days previously.

Sam Hesmer's brace, and one apiece from Sam Henham, Sebastian Kane, Harley Osborne, Lennon Powell and Cameron Thompson did the damage for Premier Division leaders Rye. Kale Hakos provided the Tackleway response.

Sandhurst were 6-4 victors in a 10-goal thriller at home to a Jesters Town team which had beaten them 5-2 in the Premier Division the previous weekend.

Hat-tricks from Alfie Field and Nathan Moseley ended Sandhurst's run of four games without a win.

Zak Boutwood's treble and a Lewis Neech finish earned in-form Hollington a 4-1 away success against Division One side Ninfield, whose goal was a first-half Corey Scott penalty.

Punnetts triumphed 4-0 at Little Common II, from Division Two, to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches. Josh Albert, Ryan Molyneux, Mark Phillips and Jamie Salvidge got the goals.

Westfield were the only side to claim a higher-division scalp, the Division Two outfit overcoming Division One team Hawkhurst United 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

During the game itself, Sam Way's goal for Westfield was matched by Mark Mitchell for a Hawkhurst side which had knocked out Westfield's second team in round one.

Leo Oliver's brace and a Rhys Oliver strike ensured Bexhill AAC II prevailed 3-2 in the battle of Division Two's top two away to Wadhurst United.

In the other all-Division Two affair, Catsfield edged past Hooe 1-0 to halt a sequence of five matches without a win. Jacob Jones' second-half goal proved decisive.

Moving on to the league action and SC Pass & Move maintained their five-point lead at the top of Division One with a 3-1 win away to Battle Town II.

A hat-trick from substitute Connor Wood gave Pass & Move a seventh league win out of eight and put them in a strong position at the midway point in their league programme.

Second-placed Rye Town II, who have played a match fewer than the leaders, kept in touch via a narrow 2-1 home victory over St Leonards Social.

The goals of Taylor Field and Rob Levett took Rye's points tally to 16 from a possible 21, despite Terry Smith finding the net for Social.

Northiam 75 climbed a position to third after a 7-3 success at home to Herstmonceux continued their unbeaten league record.

Bobby Bowles (2), Oscar Garcia-Cruz, Stephen Housago, Jordan Turner, Chris Aldous and Dean Hilton-Huish were the Northiam marksmen, while Adam Bartlett (2) and Devon Mighty responded for Herstmonceux.

Victoria Baptists jumped up from fifth to third in Division Two courtesy of a 9-0 triumph at Sedlescombe Rangers Development.

A Kyle Daines hat-trick, two apiece from Jamie Bunn and Jack McLean, and a Joe Bellett strike did the damage for the Baptists, who are unbeaten in their last six contests across all competitions, winning five of them.

Parkfield also advanced two positions, from ninth to seventh, on the back of a 2-0 win in the Eastbourne derby away to Jesters Town II.

The goals of Neale Blackham and Craig Fullerton, plus a second successive clean sheet, gave Parkfield just their second win of the campaign.

There are new leaders in Division Three after Mountfield United replaced Crowhurst III at the head of affairs.

Mountfield extended their unbeaten league record to eight matches as two Harry Compton goals and a Jon Novis strike secured a 3-0 away victory over Orington.

Crowhurst in fact dropped to third - a point behind Mountfield having played once more - after conceding a late equaliser to draw 2-2 away to Ticehurst in a match they led 1-0 at the break.

Danny McGahan nabbed a point for the hosts, whose other scorer was Shane Bumstead. Nathan Dolby and David Churchwood were on target for the Crows.

The JC Tackleway II also moved above Crowhurst, on goal difference, following their 9-0 home success against Battle Town Development.

Anton Neil led the way with a hat-trick, Harley Millward and Wes Peoples struck twice each, and Ricky Baldwin and Mark Blanche also got in on the act.

The battle of the bottom two ended in a 4-1 triumph for Hastings Athletic at home to Westfield IV, stretching the gap between the sides to six points.

Murphy Mitchell, Taylor Phillips, Steven Rowlands and Karim Selmes-Taylor all scored to hand Athletic their second win of the term. Bobby Baldock replied for the Westies.

The last remaining 100 percent record in the league's five divisions was ended as Division Four high-fliers Pevensey & Westham were held to a 3-3 draw at Hastings Comets.

Pevensey's six-match winning start in the league was brought to a halt by a Comets team which is now out of the bottom two after chalking up its fifth point of 2024/25.

The goals of Joe Sherriff (2) and Stuart Potter put Pevensey 3-2 up at half time, but Comets, whose scorers were Jordan Bull, Brandon Smith and Danny Croft, rallied to earn a notable draw.

Pevensey have dropped a position to third, but are four points behind leaders Northiam 75 II with three games in hand and two adrift of The JC Tackleway III having played two less games.

Northiam went marching on with a 7-0 win away to Hawkhurst United II. Julian Carney, Adam Gerken and Alex Neville all scored twice, and Nick Batehup got the other.

Tackleway stretched their unbeaten start to nine matches by seeing off Hastings Athletic II 18-0 at Bexhill Road.

Ashton Loft helped himself to five of the goals, Rikki Matthews, Andrew Olorenshaw and Jamie White all claimed hat-tricks, and one each from Taylor Buckingham, Louie Coglan, Ryan Harffey and James Robinson completed Tackleway’s haul.

Bexhill AAC III leapfrogged Sovereign Saints Development into the top four after beating them 6-1 away from home.

Reece Starr came off the bench to grab a hat-trick, Ethan Rise bagged a brace and Andrew Matthews also netted for AAC. Chris Williams nabbed a consolation for Saints.

Robertsbridge United II put a stop to four consecutive league losses, albeit all against top-four opposition, by emerging 3-2 victors at Icklesham Casuals.

Benjamin Hack, James Hopkinson and Ryan Spiers were the Robertsbridge goal heroes, while Kieron Buss and George Stoodley were on the scoresheet for Icklesham.

Standings - Premier Division (played-points): Rye Town 9-19 (+6 goal difference), Hollington United 7-16 (+21), Punnetts Town 6-11 (+3), Jesters Town 7-10 (+2), The JC Tackleway 7-10 (+1), Westfield II 7-8 (+4), Sandhurst 8-8 (-7), Sidley United 8-7 (-12), Sedlescombe Rangers 7-5 (-5), Bexhill AAC 6-5 (-13). Bexhill Town withdrawn.

Division 1 (played-points): SC Pass & Move 8-21 (+17), Rye Town II 7-16 (+15), Northiam 75 6-14 (+17), Ninfield 5-13 (+13), Herstmonceux 6-9 (+1), Hawkhurst United 6-6 (-11), St Leonards Social 7-4 (-14), Battle Town II 8-2 (-12), Crowhurst II 7-1 (-26).

Division 2 (played-points): Bexhill AAC II 7-17 (+13), Wadhurst United 7-13 (+9), Victoria Baptists 7-12 (+13), Westfield III 7-11 (-2), Little Common II 8-10 (+1), Catsfield 8-9 (0), Parkfield 8-9 (-3), Jesters Town II 6-9 (-7), Hooe 6-7 (-1), Sedlescombe Rangers Development 8-1 (-23).

Division 3 (played-points): Mountfield United 8-20 (+13), The JC Tackleway II 8-19 (+26), Crowhurst III 9-19 (+15), Ticehurst 9-14 (+2), Burwash 6-11 (+4), Robertsbridge United 8-7 (-4), Orington 7-7 (-6), Battle Town Development 6-6 (-9), Hastings Athletic 9-6 (-15), Westfield IV 6-0 (-26).

Division 4 (played-points): Northiam 75 II 10-23 (+28), The JC Tackleway III 9-21 (+41), Pevensey & Westham 7-19 (+43), Bexhill AAC III 7-16 (+20), Sovereign Saints Development 9-14 (+16), Robertsbridge United II 8-12 (+3), Hawkhurst United II 10-7 (-20), St Leonards Social II 8-6 (-20), Hastings Comets 7-5 (-8), Icklesham Casuals 8-5 (-13), Hastings Athletic II 7-0 (-90).

Fixtures – Saturday November 16 (kick-off 2pm unless stated)

Premier Division: Bexhill AAC v Westfield II, Punnetts Town v Sedlescombe Rangers, Rye Town v Jesters Town, Sandhurst v Sidley United, The JC Tackleway v Hollington United.

Division 1: Battle Town II v Northiam 75, Crowhurst II v St Leonards Social, Ninfield v Hawkhurst United, SC Pass & Move v Rye Town II.

Division 2: Catsfield v Westfield III, Hooe v Bexhill AAC II, Sedlescombe Rangers Development v Parkfield, Wadhurst United v Jesters Town II.

Division 3: Burwash v The JC Tackleway II, Hastings Athletic v Ticehurst, Mountfield United v Battle Town Development, Orington v Robertsbridge United, Westfield IV v Crowhurst III.

Division 4: Hastings Comets v Hastings Athletic II, Hawkhurst United II v Robertsbridge United II, Northiam 75 II v Icklesham Casuals, Pevensey & Westham v The JC Tackleway III (4pm), St Leonards Social II v Bexhill AAC III.

ESFL Challenge Cup (Divisions 1/2), 1st round (4pm): Little Common II v Victoria Baptists.