Cup Wins

The first round saw an away tie against Rushlake Green at the beginning of December with the game ending in a 2-2 draw. The 2nd team were clearly the better footballing side but failed to turn their midfield supremacy into goals and far too often they banged long balls down a crowded middle instead of using the wings to draw out the packed Rushlake Green defence. Over-elaboration by the forwards, combined with determined home tackling kept the score down to 2-1 with the goals coming from Colin Relf and Derek Bilsby, then with three minutes to go Mick Hills headed the ball past Dick Crisford to present Rushlake Green with an own goal equaliser. Derek Perkins in midfield and David Hull at left-back were the stand-out players.

The replay at Icklesham Recreation Ground did not take place until February 3rd when the second team again looked the more polished side and although leading by only 3-2 at half-time, eventually ran out comfortable 7-2 winners. The game was a personal triumph for David Johnson, the third XI left-winger who only came into the side on the Thursday night and set a club record for an outside-left by scoring five goals. He was given some good passes and used them very effectively. The other two goals were both scored by John Sanders. A non-stop performance by right-half Derek Perkins was the foundation of the Icklesham superiority in midfield.

In the second round at the end of February, the team were again drawn away, this time to Robertsbridge United II of Division Two of the East Sussex League and proved much too strong for their opponents with a 7-0 victory with their higher standard of combination play proving a good advertisement for the Hastings League. Against the wind in the first half, the 2nd XI played well and led 4-0 at the break and with the game won, their football fell away after the interval. David Johnson scored two more goals with Colin Relf, John Dunk, John Sanders, George Roberts and a John Parsons penalty completing the scoring.

The semi-final again saw the side drawn away, this time against Etchingham United with the game being played on Friday, April 27th. For the first twenty minutes, Etchingham United were constantly on the attack with the Icklesham goal being peppered with shots, but Jim Brunger was on top form in goal. After twenty-two minutes, Icklesham suddenly broke away and a shot from centre-forward, John Dunk sped into the net. Etchingham continued to play good football and were soon back in the Casuals penalty area. This time an extremely hard shot was partially stopped by right-back, John Moon but the ball spun past Jim Brunger as he went the wrong way. Despite some good play by both teams in the second half, no further score was registered.

In the final, just two days later, the second team were outplayed and under pressure for long periods against Dallington, but hung on to an early lead due to a combination of good defence, good luck and bad tactics by Dallington, who shot at Dick Crisford’s goal from long range instead of exploiting their speed and skill.

Dallington unfortunately had several players injured on the Thursday night and started with only nine men. While they were short, John Parsons scored a good goal and the side held out until half-time. In the second half Dallington pressed for much of the time, hitting a post and bringing out the best in a solid Icklesham defence. The 2nd team forwards made little progress against a hard but fair Dallington back-line, however, with ten minutes to go, seventeen-year-old left-winger, David Johnson, playing in his first cup final scored his thirty-first goal of the season with a hard low shot, to ease the tension.