2019/20

Crawley Devils 0 - 5 Sidley United - MSFL Championship - Saturday 7th December 2019

Sidley United produced a five star performance as they won convincingly at high flying Crawley Devils to cement their lead at the top of the table. 

The home side, considered to be one of the Blues' main title rivals prior to kick off, began with some neat passing football but without creating a goal scoring opportunity while Sidley looked to get the ball up to their forwards at the earliest opportunity. 

On 25 minutes the Blues took the lead as a corner was turned into the net by a Devils defender attempting to clear. And the lead was soon doubled as Danny Ellis won the ball from a dithering defender and slid in Charlie Cornford to score on 32 minutes. 

And a confident Sidley had the game all but won by half time as Sean Baldwin beat the offside trap on 41 minutes and ran through to slot beyond the home goalkeeper.

The home side did have the ball in Sidley's net early in the second half but it didn't stand as a long range shot was touched home by a player in a clearly offside position . 

A competitive half saw a number of free kicks awarded to both sides and it was from one of these that Sidley got their fourth goal as Zac McEniry headed home Dom Bristow's delivery on 59 minutes. 

Knowing the game was up, Crawley were thankful to their goalkeeper for making 3 or 4 excellent saves to keep the score down. However he could do nothing to stop Ellis making it 5 as he cheekily back-heeled the ball home on 83 minutes.

A comfortable win in the end and the fourth consecutive match in which the Blues have scored 5 or more goals. Next week they take on Premier Division outfit Rotherfield for a place in the Quarter Finals of the Sussex FA Intermediate Cup. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Scrace, Hempe, Walker, McEniry, Wells (Westlake), Bristow, Ellis, Carey, Cornford (Jones), Baldwin (Elphick). 

Sdley United 6 - 1 Mile Oak II - MSFL Championship - Saturday 30th November 2019

Charlie Cornford plundered a four goal salvo as Sidley United enjoyed a comfortable afternoon in the Mid Sussex Championship. 

The Blues were 9 - 0 winners when the sides met on the opening day of the season and the floodgates opened early here as a deflection took Cornford through on goal to finish on 11 minutes. 

Playing on the left, Cornford was always a threat and he got his second on 28 minutes after a clever run got him through again and he dinked a lovely finish over the visiting goalkeeper. 

Mile Oak couldn't get past the halfway line and it was no surprise when Cornford completed his hat-trick on 42 minutes as he got through once more and finished well. Sean Baldwin then stuck a left foot finish on 44 minutes to give the Blues a comfortable advantage at the break. 

Just 30 seconds into the second half Cornford rolled home Sidley's fifth goal via the inside of the far post. But as per the previous week with the game effectively over at this stage the second half lacked the same tempo as the first. 

Oak goalkeeper Bako Xhemal made a couple of good saves to deny Cornford and debutant Callum Jones while for the second week in a row Danny Ellis was denied by the woodwork before the pick of the goals was scored by Ash Elphick on 82 minutes after a very clever dummy by Lee Carey played him in on goal and he finished low into the far corner of the net. 

Frustratingly the Blues' clean sheet disappeared on 87 minutes as Luke Mighall hooked home via the post for the visitors but this was a minor disappointment on an otherwise comfortable afternoon as Sidley consolidated their place at the top of the table. 

Next week Sidley travel to third placed Crawley Devils.

Sidley Team: Rogers, Walker, Elliott-Noye, McEniry, Saunders (Jones), Wells (Westlake), Bristow (Elphick), Ellis, Cornford, Carey, Baldwin. 

Sidley United 5 - 1 Hurstpierpoint - Mowatt Cup Second Round - Saturday 23rd November 2019

Sidley United progressed to the Quarter Finals of the Mowatt Cup with a convincing victory at home to league rivals Hurstpierpoint. 

Just as in the league encounter between the sides earlier in the season though it was the visitors who struck first as Sam Hayter was left unmarked to head home a corner on 10 minutes.

But Sidley responded immediately and were level less than a minute later. Good work by Charlie Cornford on the left saw him put the ball in to Lee Carey to tap home. 

The Blues thereafter had the better of the chances but had to wait until the 30th minute to hit the front after a good move down the right saw Sean Baldwin square for Cornford to turn the ball home.

Sidley had a number of chances to extend the lead but with the score 2 - 1 at half time the game was still in the balance. 

However just three minutes into the second half Josh Elliott-Noye headed home a corner from close range to increase Sidley's control and after that it was a case of how many goals the Blues would score. 

Danny Ellis hit the bar after a free-flowing move and Baldwin missed a great chance to score when through one on one. Hurstpierpoint had a couple of corners but the stuffing was finally knocked out of them when a good move down the right saw the ball rolled across for Ash Elphick to tap home on 82 minutes.

The icing on the cake was the fifth goal on 88 minutes as a similar move down the right this time allowed Carey to tap home unmarked in the middle as Sidley ran out convincing winners. 

The Blues will be at home to either Balcombe II or Polegate Town in the Quarter Finals. Next week it is back to league action as they welcome Mile Oak II to Hooe Rec. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Scrace, Hempe, Walker, Saunders, Elliott-Noye, Wells, Ellis (Westlake), Cornford (Taylor), Carey, Baldwin (Elphick). 

East Dean 1 - 6 Sidley United - Sussex FA Intermediate Cup Second Round - Saturday 9th November 2019

Sidley United made it through to Round Three of the Sussex FA Intermediate Cup with a comfortable victory at West Sussex League side East Dean. 

The Blues began with a high intensity and were soon in control as Sean Baldwin struck in the 6th and 10th minute to give them a 2 - 0 lead. 

However that was all the goals in the first half as East Dean looked to stay in contention. 

The home side looked to have brought themselves back into the tie at the start of the second half as Aaron Hand scored in the 46th minute. But Sidley recovered from that sloppy start and Charlie Cornford grabbed two quick-fire goals on 52 and 55 minutes to effectively end the game as a contest. 

Dom Bristow added a fifth on 63 minutes before Rosh Wells got the sixth goal on 67 minutes. Manager John Carey made a first appearance of the season off the bench as the Blues comfortably saw out the match. 

"We're on a bit of a roll at the moment" said Carey after the game. "I'm a bit disappointed to concede to be honest but it was a good performance from the boys overall."

"We're full of confidence at the moment and we want to keep this run going when we get back to the league next week. I'm made up for them though, it's been another good day for us."

Sidley will be at home either to MSFL Championship rivals Polegate Town or Premier Division side Rotherfield in Round Three. Next week the Blues are back in league action as they travel to Copthorne II looking to cement their place at the top of the table. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Scrace (Walker), Elliott-Noye (J Carey), McEniry, Saunders, Bristow, Wells, Ellis, Cornford (Elphick), L Carey, Baldwin. 

Sidley United 3 - 0 Ashurst Wood - MSFL Championship - Saturday 26th October 2019

Sidley United made it three consecutive clean sheet victories in the Mid Sussex League as they beat 10 man Ashurst Wood. 

Missing regular goalkeeper Joe Rogers, full back Louis Walker took over the gloves as Sidley sought revenge after the 3 - 1 defeat earlier in the season. 

The opening exchanges were fairly even with Sidley creating the better chances, the best coming when Zac McEniry hit the crossbar with a header from a long Charlie Cornford throw. 

The game turned on 35 minutes when Wood midfield Dan Franks was shown a straight red card for violent conduct against Lee Carey. That served to further strengthen Sidley's control of the match and they took the lead right at the end of the half as McEniry finished from close range. 

The wet and windy conditions made it difficult for both sides in the second half but Sidley adapted better and got a second as Danny Ellis poked home after a good move down the right on 63 minutes. 

The third goal came on 78 minutes as Tom Saunders flicked home a clever free kick routine for his first Sidley goal. Immediately following though Ashurst Wood were awarded a penalty for a push in the area. However Walker was determined to keep his clean sheet and made a great save, diving to his right to parry the spot kick. 

Sidley had a number of chances to extend the scoreline but failed to add any further goals against a physical Ashurst Wood side.

After the match manager John Carey said "It was a good win today in tough conditions against a difficult side to play against. We were the better team from start to finish".

"October has been a great month for us with 3 wins, 12 scored and 0 conceded. I couldn't ask for more from the players; they are getting the rewards for the hard work they are putting in every week."

Next week Sidley travel to their nearest challengers Peacehaven & Telscombe II. 

Sidley Team: Walker, Scrace (Hempe), Elliott-Noye, McEniry, Saunders, Bristow, Wells, Ellis, Cornford (Westlake), Carey (Elphick), Baldwin. 

Ridgewood 0 - 3 Sidley United - MSFL Championship - Saturday 19th October 2019

A brace from Sean Baldwin helped Sidley United inflict a first defeat of the season on Ridgewood as they boosted their own title chances. 

On a heavy pitch Sidley began on the front foot, pressing high up the pitch and pinning Ridgewood in their own half, enjoying more of the pressure. 

Baldwin hadn't scored since the end of August but ended his drought on 35 minutes as he beat the offside trap and slotted the ball through the legs of the Ridgewood goalkeeper. 

Like buses, a second for Baldwin duly followed as just 5 minutes later Charlie Cornford crashed a header against the crossbar and Baldwin reacted quickest, holding off two defenders to roll the ball home. 

Having dominated the first half, Sidley grabbed a third six minutes into the second half as Danny Ellis touched home a free kick by Rosh Wells. 

With the game effectively won, Sidley dug in and defended resolutely as Ridgewood started to string some passes together without ever really looking like mounting a comeback. 

The Blues did temporarily go down to 10 men as Ellis was 'Sin binned' for having too much to say to the referee. However they were determined to hang onto the clean sheet and almost added a fourth towards the end as Ash Elphick shot just wide of the post. 

A comfortable win in the end for Sidley who look for another victory next week and also revenge against the only side to have beaten them this season when they entertain Ashurst Wood. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Scrace, Davies, McEniry, Elliott-Noye, Bristow, Wells (Elphick), Ellis, Cornford (Walker), Carey, Baldwin. 

Sidley United 2 - 1 St Francis Rangers - SCFA Intermediate Cup First Round - Saturday 12th October 2019

Sidley United are through to the Second Round of the Sussex FA Intermediate Cup thanks to sub Ash Elphick's late goal. 

The Blues started well against their fellow former County League opponents and took an early lead as Charlie Cornford's strike from the edge of the area found the back of the net on 5 minutes. 

But that early goal didn't lead to a one sided half as St Francis dug in and began to make inroads themselves down their right hand side. Despite Sidley having more of the first half chances, the best one fell to the visitors as they struck the post before Sidley scrambled the ball clear. 

A slow start to the second half from the hosts allowed St Francis to take control of the opening minutes after the restart and they soon levelled the scores as a cross from the left was steered home at the back post by Svetozar Popov on 48 minutes. 

The game was very even and both sides played with a good energy. St Francis almost went in front when from close range the ball was poked away from Blues goalkeeper Joe Rogers but came back off the post. 

Sidley continued to look threatening up the other end themselves and they went back in front when a corner was palmed by the goalkeeper straight to Elphick who lashed gome on 88 minutes. 

St Francis pushed forward seeking the goal that would have forced the game into extra time but Sidley defended resolutely and saw out the game to set up a trip to West Sussex in Round Two to face East Dean. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Scrace (Davies), Hempe, McEniry, Saunders, Elliott-Noye, Wells, Cornford (Elphick), Ellis, Carey, Baldwin. 

Nutley 0 - 6 Sidley United - MSFL Championship - Saturday 5th October 2019

Sidley United cruised to a comfortable win at basement side Nutley as they extended their lead at the top of the Mid Sussex Championship. 

They endured a frustrating opening half an hour though as despite controlling the game they saw chance after chance to open the scoring go begging. 

However they finally broke through on 35 minutes as Zac McEniry headed home a corner and the floodgates then opened. 

Danny Ellis got the final touch on another corner to double the Blues' lead on 42 minutes. Then a foul on Arron Scrace in the area saw Sidley awarded a penalty which was confidently tucked away by Lee Carey on 45 minutes. 

And in the third minute of stoppage time, some good work from Ellis saw him roll the ball across for McEniry to finish from close range. 

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with Sidley on top but unable to find the net early on until Ellis got his second when he poked in McEniry's goalbound header on 78 minutes. 

And the best goal was saved for last as Ellis won the ball off a defender and thumped a shot into the top corner on 89 minutes to round off the scoring. 

A comfortable win for the Blues and pleasing to record a clean sheet as well. Next week Sidley are in cup action as they welcome St Francis Rangers to Hooe Rec in the Sussex FA Intermediate Cup First Round.

Sidley Team: Rogers, Davies (Elphick), Scrace (Westlake), McEniry, Saunders, Elliott-Noye, Bristow, Wells, Ellis, Carey, Baldwin (Taylor). 

Sidley United 3 - 2 West Hoathly - MSFL Championship - Saturday 28th September 2019

Sidley United remain top of the Mid Sussex Championship after surviving a late comeback attempt as they beat West Hoathly 3 - 2. 

The Blues dominated the first half and after missing a few chances which included hitting the bar they finally took the lead as Charlie Cornford found the bottom corner from inside the penalty area on 20 minutes. 

A curling strike from Rosh Wells from the edge of the penalty area on 30 minutes doubled the home side's lead and they really should have been 3 or 4 ahead by the end of the half. However as the clock ticked into added time the referee missed a clear push on Chris Copley which allowed Hoathly's Dave Juniper to run through and slot past Joe Rogers. 

Incredibly though Sidley still managed to go in at the break two goals ahead as within seconds of the restart Danny Ellis hooked the ball into the top corner with the final kick of the half. 

Kicking into the strong wind in the second half the Blues struggled to control the game as much as in the first although they still had chances to extend the lead which went begging. 

Substitutions from both sides failed to really spark the game into life and although the quality was not as good as the first half it seemed as though Sidley were more likely to score than the visitors. 

Knowing that the wind was against them as the game wore on, the Blues tried to play out from the back but this often put them in danger and from one such poor attempt Mark Buckland caught Rogers well off his line and lobbed him on 85 minutes to bring Hoathly back into the match from almost nowhere. 

And Sidley had to survive a final scare as a corner saw all Hoathly players including the goalkeeper come forward but as the ball sailed over the bar the referee blew the whistle and Sidley claimed all three points. 

Manager John Carey said after the match "we played some lovely stuff in the first half and West Hoathly only got into our half once and we were unfortunate it led to a goal. In the second half we came out well for the first 15 minutes but then we went to sleep."

"Over the course of the game though I thought we were by far the better team and deserved the points. We go onto next week now so hopefully we can get ourselves another 3 points and get a winning run going."

Next week the Blues are on the road as they travel to basement side Nutley looking for another 3 points. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Walker, Hempe (Davies), McEniry, Copley, Bristow, Wells (Westlake), Ellis, Cornford (Scrace), Carey, Baldwin. 

Sidley United 2 - 2 Peacehaven & Telscombe II - MSFL Championship - Saturday 14th September 2019

A stirring second half comeback earned Sidley United a point as they drew with Peacehaven & Telscombe II. 

The Blues began well and in the early stages looked solid but they fell behind when a smart one-two got Tom Stevenson in on goal and he finished past Joe Rogers to put the visitors in front on 17 minutes. 

And despite playing much better than the previous week it looked as if the Blues might suffer successive defeats as Stevenson struck an excellent free kick to double Peacehaven's lead on 28 minutes.

Sidley had chances to reduce the arrears but Ash Elphick and Tom Saunders were off target as they went in behind at the break to the only two strikes the visitors had at goal. 

But the second half was a totally different affair as Sidley took the game to their opponents and deservedly got a goal back as Arron Scrace beat the onrushing goalkeeper to a ball forward and poked it into the net on 65 minutes. 

Sidley thought they had levelled shortly afterwards when, after some terrific work by Danny Ellis, a ball was half cleared to Dom Bristow whose excellent strike from outside the area found the back of the net but the linesman flagged for an offside in the middle which obstructed the goalkeeper's view much to the frustrations and doubts of the Sidley faithful. 

As Peacehaven sat in to defend, visiting goalkeeper Dane Tasker put in a man of the match performance as he made no less than three very good saves to deny Sidley as time started to run out. 

Undeterred a dominant Sidley kept coming and won a penalty on 85 minutes as Zac McEniry won a header before being clattered by the goalkeeper. The ever reliable from the spot Gary Hempe stepped up to send Tasker the wrong way and level the scores. 

However despite the visitors slowing things down as much as possible, there was little stoppage time added and Sidley ran out of time to find a winning goal that their performance probably deserved. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Davies (Walker), Scrace, McEniry, Saunders, Elliott-Noye, Bristow, Wells, Elphick (Hempe), Ellis, Baldwin. 

Ashurst Wood 3 - 1 Sidley United - MSFL Championship - Saturday 7th September 2019

Sidley United slipped to a first defeat of the season on a frustrating afternoon in East Grinstead. 

On a less than ideal 3G pitch, the Blues showed promising early signs but soon started giving away cheap free kicks which put them under pressure. 

They fell behind when the referee spotted a push in the area by Josh Elliott-Noye and awarded a penalty which was tucked past Joe Rogers by Chris Clark on 25 minutes. Elliott-Noye was perhaps lucky to then only be shown a yellow card after the referee booked him for elbowing an opponent. 

However Sidley rallied and had chances to get level before they did just that on 36 minutes as Zac McEniry powered home a header from a free kick. The Blues were well on top for the rest of the half but were unable to take one of their chances to get in front. 

Early in the second half Sidley again made a number of chances but fell behind on 55 minutes as a good move down the left ended with a cross into the area where it was headed home by Matthew Scutter.

The third home goal followed on 66 minutes as a blocked clearance saw the ball fall to Eddie Tester and his shot eluded Rogers as it crept under the crossbar. 

Sidley kept pushing forward and changed shape, pushing McEniry up front, but they couldn't find the killer ball and ultimately came away empty handed. 

They will be back at home next week as they welcome Peacehaven & Telscombe II to Hooe Rec. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Davies (Scrace), Hempe, McEniry, Saunders, Elliott-Noye (Elphick), Wells, Cornford (Dighton), Ellis, Carey, Baldwin. 

Sidley United 4 - 1 Hurstpierpoint - MSFL Championship - Saturday 24th August 2019

Sidley United continued their winning start to life in the Mid Sussex League as they came from behind to beat 10 man Hurstpierpoint.

The Blues started slowly though and fell behind on 6 minutes as a cross from the right was headed into the top corner by Kevin Budge. 

That stirred the Blues into life and they started to get on top with Stef Davies in particular enjoying plenty of space on the right. 

Sidley levelled on 28 minute with a terrific goal as a free flowing move was finished with a thumping volley by Sean Baldwin. And Blues quickly went in front on 32 minutes as Baldwin scored with a powerful near post finish from a tight angle. 

Well on top now the third goal came just 2 minutes later as Lee Carey turned the ball home from close range to put Sidley well in control at half time. 

The game could have taken a different course but Hurstpierpoint struck the post early in the second half instead of the back of the net after a break. But the visitors then went down to 10 men as Nick Chellel was shown a second yellow card for a cynical challenge on Charlie Cornford who was breaking through on goal. 

It didn't take long for Sidley to make the man advantage count as another neat move ended with Don Bristow scoring his first Sidley goal with a strike from just inside the penalty area on 65 minutes. 

Further chances came for the Blues as Hurstpierpoint tired with goalkeeper Gannon making three very good saves and Zac McEniry was perhaps unlucky to be awarded a free kick instead of a penalty after he was fouled but in the end the Blues had to settle for a 4 - 1 scoreline. 

Next up is a trip to Ashurst Wood as Sidley look to continue their winning run in the Championship. 

Sidley Team: Rogers, Davies (Scrace), Hempe, McEniry, Saunders, Elliott-Noye, Bristow, Cornford (Westlake), Ellis, Carey (Ham), Baldwin. 

Mile Oak II 0 - 9 Sidley United - MSFL Championship - Saturday 24th August 2019

A ruthless Sidley United hit the front of the Mid Sussex Football League Championship Division as they crushed Mile Oak Reserves.

After the frustration of the previous weekend when Polegate Town were unable to raise a side, Sidley wasted no time in getting to work here as Lee Carey opened the scoring after 3 minutes and Sidley dominated the play thereafter.

However the first half lent no clues as to the final score as Oak almost levelled, forcing Joe Rogers into a smart stop. After seeing a number of chances go begging, Sidley did double the lead in the 40th minute through Sean Baldwin to give the Blues a commanding half time lead.

And in the second half the floodgates soon opened as Baldwin grabbed the third on 49 minutes before Ash Elphick made it 4 - 0 on 60 minutes.

The home side looked beaten but Sidley were in no mood to take their foot off the pedal and Arron Scrace grabbed the fifth and six on 75 and 83 minutes.

In the final minute of the 90 Baldwin completed his hat-trick but there was still time for Casey Ham to rub salt into the wounds with two stoppage time goals.

"It was a great start to the season" manager John Carey said after the game. "The attitude of the lads was spot on, even at 5 - 0 they wanted more and kept pushing forward when it would have been easy to have sat back."

"I have always said that one day we would knock a side for double figures as we create so many chances in most games. Unfortunately for Mile Oak we took most of ours today. I thought the clean sheet was really well deserved too as the back four were solid all game."

A statement of intent from the Blues who begin the season with their largest win since reforming in 2014. Sidley will take on last season's Division One champions Hurstpierpoint at home next weekend.

Sidley Team: Rogers, Hempe, Walker, McEniry, Saunders, Bristow, Wells (Ham), Ellis (Westlake), Elphick (Scrace), Carey, Baldwin. 

Sidley United vs Polegate Town - MSFL Championship - Saturday 17th August 2019

Match not played as Polegate Town unable to raise a side. Walkover win for Sidley United.