A Late Lingfield Match Report

Steyning Town returned to the Peter Humphrey Memorial Ground on Saturday, aiming to bounce back from last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Peacehaven as they faced Lingfield FC in league action. That draw, marked by a late equaliser, a red card, and a series of heavy tackles in the closing minutes, left the Barrowmen frustrated after letting what should have been three points slip away. With captain Dion Jarvis once again leading the side, Steyning were determined to respond with a stronger performance on home soil.

There was, however, a notable change to the lineup. Top scorer Stan Bridgman, who has been a consistent threat in front of goal this season, began on the bench for the first time. Even so, against a Lingfield side that had managed just one win in nine outings, Steyning were expected to take control and reaffirm their early-season momentum. The hosts looked sharp from the first whistle. Within three minutes, Brewer found himself through on goal after an excellent ball forward, but his low strike was well stopped by visiting goalkeeper Webb-Olley. A minute later, Blencowe tested the defence again, forcing another save and winning a corner. From the ensuing delivery, Steyning’s early pressure paid off, captain Dion Jarvis reacting quickest in a crowded box to nod home and give his side a 1–0 lead inside six minutes.

Steyning continued to dominate possession, pressing high and pinning Lingfield deep inside their own half. At the other end, goalkeeper M. Bromage was largely untroubled, comfortably dealing with a speculative effort from Feeney-Hill on ten minutes before Steyning surged forward once more in search of a second.

Midway through the half, Lingfield began to grow into the game. Green flashed a shot over the bar on 24 minutes, while Jacobs went close soon after, dragging his effort wide as the visitors began to find a foothold. Still, Steyning carried the greater threat, Oladokun threading neat passes through midfield and Hoarty causing constant problems with his pace down the right, forcing Webb-Olley into another save to deny a promising run.

Jarvis nearly doubled his tally with a low effort on 42 minutes, before a yellow card for Steyning briefly halted the momentum. Moments later, the hosts were punished when Lingfield found an equaliser from a corner, heading home at the near post in the 44th minute to make it 1–1.

But Steyning’s response was immediate. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Hoarty delivered a perfect cross from the right flank, met by Jarvis, who powered in his second of the night to restore the advantage.

At the interval, Steyning led 2–1 a deserved scoreline after a commanding first-half display.

Steyning Town carried their momentum into the second half, immediately putting Lingfield under pressure. Within a minute of the restart, Evan Hoarty fired over the bar after a strong individual run, an early statement of intent from the home side. Ten minutes later, Steyning threatened again. Conrad Honore, lively in midfield, let fly from distance but sent his shot just over the bar as Steyning continued to dictate play. Their persistence was rewarded shortly after the hour mark when Honore turned provider, threading a perfectly weighted pass through to Alex Brewer, who finished calmly into the bottom left corner to make it 3–1.

However, the two-goal cushion lasted only moments. Lingfield hit back almost immediately, Bromage pulling off two fine saves in quick succession before Jeff Ovan-Kessie pounced on the rebound to cut the deficit to 3–2. The match’s intensity showed no signs of slowing. Hoarty remained a constant threat down the flank, driving forward with purpose in the 68th minute but unable to find the target. Soon after, Honore was shown a yellow card for pulling back a Lingfield attacker as tempers began to rise.

The contest then boiled over on 72 minutes when Lingfield’s Ovan-Kessie, scorer of their second, was shown a straight red card after a flare-up inside the box, leaving the visitors to play the remainder with ten men. Steyning sought to make their advantage count, Rance clipping an effort narrowly wide on 80 minutes before Oladokun produced a crucial sliding tackle to halt a Lingfield counterattack. The visitors’ frustrations continued to mount, with Agbinone booked for a rash challenge on substitute Stan Bridgman, who moments later headed just over from close range.

Discipline remained an issue for Lingfield in the dying moments, a substitute receiving a second yellow for dissent in the 88th minute, followed soon after by another booking for Kai Neil-Grey for time-wasting. Despite a tense finale, Steyning held firm to secure a hard-fought 3–2 victory in a fiery encounter, their composure and early dominance proving the difference on a night of high drama at the Peter Humphrey Memorial Ground.

MotM: Lats Oladukun with keeper Mitch Bromage