Steyning smash Seaford for NINE in FA Vase

Seaford Town exited the FA Vase in humiliating fashion after they suffered a tormentous 9-1 defeat to Steyning Town in the first round of the competition.
Hat-trick hero Harry Heath receives the matchball after Steyning's 9-1 win / Picture: Steyning Town FCHat-trick hero Harry Heath receives the matchball after Steyning's 9-1 win / Picture: Steyning Town FC
Hat-trick hero Harry Heath receives the matchball after Steyning's 9-1 win / Picture: Steyning Town FC

Confidence was flowing among the away contingent before the game, hoping to get a result against higher-league opposition following a good run of form in the league.

However, their ambition proved to be shortlived, as they were rampantly dispatched by a Steyning side who went on to take complete control of the game.

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It was Seaford who looked the brighter of the two sides in the opening stages, and with only seven minutes on the clock they took the lead thanks a well-timed ball from Alex Saunders on the right which found Jack Webber in enough space to finish under the Steyning keeper and give the visitors the lead.

The home side did not let the early goal affect them, as they went on to equalise just before the twenty-minute mark thanks to a direct piece of play on the left flank, which eventually found George Cousins in the area who was on hand to apply the finish.

From here on in, the floodgates well and truly opened for Steyning.

They took the lead shortly afterwards, thanks to a tidy first time finish from Harry Heath following another long ball over the top. This would turn out to be the first of three for Heath, who went on to record a hat-trick in the space of only seven minutes. His second came what seemed like only a few moments later, when again Steyning were able to find copious amounts of space on the left hand side, with Heath arriving in the box to extend the lead to two.

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He completed his treble soon afterwards, following a mishap by Seaford’s Ben Dartnall was seized upon by Heath, who made no mistake of finishing past Josh Measor in the Seaford goal.

The rest of the first half saw little in action from either side, with both the home team and the visitors evidently bewildered following such an instant turnaround.

Damage limitation was the aim for Seaford in the second half, with Steyning showing no signs of slowing down as they looked to further extend their seemingly unassailable lead.

They had a fifth goal ten minutes after the restart, when a corner was bundled in the back of the net by captain Alex Gathern. Steyning had a sixth on the hour mark thanks to a long distance effort from Max Howell which found the bottom left corner.

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A period of respite followed for the away side, who simply could not find any answer to Steyning’s relentless attacking pressure and overall control of the game. With ten minutes to play, the home side were still not done yet.

Cousins had his second of the game after he was able to make space for himself on the left side of the area, and subsequently finished from a tight angle to make it seven. Seven became eight only moments after the restart, after good play from the Steyning left back gave substitute Josh Tuck the chance to add to his side’s tally.

The ninth and final goal for Steyning came from the spot, where Tom Bold was able to capitalise after Measor was at fault for a challenge in the area.

While it could’ve been more all things considered, 9-1 turned out to be the final score, with the final whistle bringing an end to a game which Seaford will undoubtedly wish to forget and put behind them immediately. An uncharacteristic performance simply described as ‘embarrassing’ after the game by Seaford Town manager Craig Pooley, who evidently had little to say following a defeat of this magnitude.