AFTER a stellar season which has seen the Stringers score 108 league goals in 28 games (of which only 26 were actually played!), averaging over 4 goals a game, Hailsham Town have won the Southern Combination Football League Division Two, and with it, earned promotion back to senior football.
The Stringers started April with a 2-0 win away at Chichester City B thanks to goals from Marcus Richmond and Sammy Townsend, before suffering defeat in the final of the Sussex FA Intermediate Cup when an injury-time winner sealed the cup for Westfield.
The Stringers bounced back quickly the following Saturday with second half goals from Mitch Ford, Sammy Townsend and Michael Lloyd seeing off ADC Brighton Rangers – the only side to beat the Stringers in the league this season.
Hailsham were then due to face Southwater, who were unable to fulfil the fixture meaning the points were awarded to the Stringers, with Capel, who were due to be Hailsham’s final opponents, also forfeiting their last five games of the season.
With work still to do, Hailsham delivered; A Tuesday night trip to West Sussex saw Storrington thrashed 8-1 (Richmond 3, Ridgway 2, Mills, Jarvis, S Townsend), before, on Saturday 25th April, Hailsham travelled to TD Shipley, who still had an outside shot at the title themselves.
A tight game saw the hosts take the lead, before Marcus Richmond netted for Hailsham before the break, and second-half goals from Connor Townsend and Harry Worsell sealed the win and with it the club’s first title since the 1975/76 season.
The Stringers wrapped things up on Monday 27th April against Brighton Electricity – applauded onto the pitch by their opponents at Peacehaven, before seeing captain Harry Mills lift the league trophy after a 5-0 win with goals from Toby Brett (2), Michael Lloyd, Connor Townsend and Marcus Richmond.
