Sports put their frustrations from the previous week behind them with a very good performance away from home at Clanfield. A solitary goal from Mike Spaull was enough to secure all 3 points.

With the wind blowing end to end this was certainly a tough day for football and Easington did well to be 0-1 up at half time before dominating the second half assisted by the wind. Late changes to the starting line had to be made as Nathaniel Lewars and Antoni Torres were late arriving from Birmingham to the game… quite a trek to Clanfield… Andrew Stidder and Mike Spaull both came into the side and posed a threat alongside Joe Eyre up top in the first half.

The first half was an even affair although the home keeper Jamie Zoltan was certainly the busier of the two. Zoltan made a fantastic save to keep a header from Tom Smith out whilst he also had to be alert to thwart Andrew Stidder in a one on one as the pair got to a through ball at the same time. Sports took the lead in the 18th minute. Tom Smith won the ball in midfield and released joe Eyre down the left. He then took on his defender before slotting a side foot pass across the edge of the 6 yard box for Spaull to side foot home from the opposite flank.

Sports continued to pass the ball well in the blustery conditions in the second half. The wind however, did affect balls into the box and so there were few clear cut chances. Sports also had one moment of desperate defending after a poor clearance allowed the Clanfield attack to attack quickly. A ball was smashed low and hard across the goal but the Clanfield striker missed his tap in chance. There were still chances for Easington to extend their lead but again Zoltan was on fine form. He made a brilliant save to tip a lobbed effort away from the goal from Stidder whilst again saving well from Antoni Torres.

The midfield trio of Tom Smith, Callum Convey and Charlie Hill looked particularly balanced and provided an ideal platform to turn defence into attack all game. Frustratingly then for Manager Darren Beckett will be the sending off of Tom Smith in the 82 minute for a clumsy and tired tackle which was his first and last late tackle of the game. Smith will now pick up a 3 match ban which will force Beckett to make changes again for the Freeland match this weekend.

Easington ended the game delighted with the result, but again, this makes the disappointing result against New College even more frustrating after a fine team performance this weekend.

Easington play Freeland at home in the next round of the County Cup Kick off 3pm at Addison Road this weekend.

Team vs Clanfield Rimmer, Travers, Fitton, Rose, Grant, Smith, Convey, Hill, Stidder (Lewars), Eyre, Spaull (Torres). Beckett unused sub.