As comfortable as a 3-0 scoreline could ever suggest. Town got off to the best possible start with Macca's fine free kick beating 16 year old Jamie Bryant in the Ringmer goal. Bryant was standing in for the usual keeper who'd picked up a nasty injury the previous week and a very respectable performance the young un put in too. The Boswell Barmy Army was put right in it's place early in the proceedings when a mild piss take at Jamie's expense was soundly rebuffed by Mum who was right behind his goal - and right behind him.

Ringmer - who'd started off well in Country Bumpkinship Div one (Sussex County League for those who don't know - even at this early stage of the season clubs are complaining about games in hand already) were never in the game which Town controlled comfortably throughout. Dave King had hardly anything to do in goal while it got busier and busier at the other end as Town's superiority really started to count on the the hour mark as Ringmer tired.

Rudds got Town's second on 69 minutes when he put away a cross from Stuart Playford. Jonesie wrapped proceedings up on 88 minutes when he lobbed the advancing keeper from outside the box. Town might well have had another 4 or 5 in that last half hour - but who's complaining.

This win earned Town £1000 - and while that might pay for a David Beckham haircut or two - it's all useful dosh in the kitty at this level of the game as the FA have at last decided to put something back into where a successful England team (and weren't they just that on Saturday night - hopefully no more 4-2 reminiscences!) actually starts from. VCD Athletic or Chichester City await in a fortnight (winner gets £7500 - WELL worth having) - does a team called VCD Athletic have supporters?? Win that and it's a crack at Newport IOW who we owe something.

Those of you who also read my reports in the Non League Paper, will alas be disappointed this week, as our game was one of those drawnout of the hat for non inclusion due to lack of space.

See you at the meandering slopes of Rothwell next Saturday.

SS

Cecil Street with that horrendous slope would be more at home in The Himalayas than the DM League. And - with Town misfiring in an indifferent first half and turning round to face that hill with a 1-2 deficit - things looked a little dodgy at the interval.

Neither side played particularly well in the first half. Town included Lee McRobert in the 11 shirt - while a conspicuous absence was Paul Ruddy who was just that when the team coach left The Pilot Field at 9.45 am - absent. Lee had a pretty good game but will probably need a few more games under his belt to slot in with his new and not so new team mates. As for Paul's non appearance - nobody had any idea what the reason behind that was. Adam Flanagan, who'd been doubtful with a hamstring/groin problem, played the 90 minutes and looked ok.

Town had the first decent effort on goal when a good move on the edge of the box saw Stuart Myall fire narrowly wide from long range. Play quickly swept up the hill where Duncan McArthur conceded a free kick just outside our box. Dave King appeared to be unsighted with the resulting free kick - a look at the video shows what looked like Jonesie running across Dave's line of sight as the free kick which didn't seem to be hit with any great power went inside the near post.

Town were level in no time - 19 minutes gone and Tony Burt went up for a free kick and his looping header went across the face of the goal and in off the far post to the delight of the 20 odd Town supporters behind the goal. It was end to end stuff after that without being a particularly good game. The Rothwell 4 headed straight at Dave when he might've done better - while a good flowing move at the other end saw Jonesie's effort just over the angle of corner and post.

Came out of the blue when Rothwell regained the lead - a long punt by the keeper was completely abandoned by our defence and an unmarked Jason Turner slotted home from close in.

The second half was a bit like that exhibition at Tonbridge with Town taking charge for much of the 45. Playing up hill, they dominated proceedings and equalised with a goal similar to Rothwell's second. A Dave King punt up the middle found Jonesie - but he had a bit more to do than his Rothwell oppo and held off two defenders and lobbed the advancing keeper for a well taken goal. 68 minutes gone - a pass back from Jonesie found Duncan who saw the keeper off his line and lobbed him perfectly from way out to see Town take a 3-2 lead. All done and dusted on 72 minutes when Jonesie cut back into the box, beat two defenders and slotted home Town's 4th from just inside the area - a fine individual goal.

A dominant first half was enough to see Town maintain their excellent start to the new season and while they lost Duncan McArthur just before half time with a repetition of his back trouble - and didn't look as penetrative in the second half - that opening 45 was their best Pilot Field performance so far.

Town had to weather a storm in the opening minute in the shape of an almighty scramble in Dave King's penalty area - but once that danger was seen off, Bashley offered very little up front. Lee McRobert looked in good nick - that signing is looking better and better. Chris Honey was on the bench after his holiday (he'd played for the reserves on Saturday and scored in Town's 6-4 win). Paul Ruddy didn't feature - subsequent enquiries revealed he'd not been well thus missing the bus to Rothwell on Saturday.

Referee Ian Gosling was as nit picky as ever - he let Paul Jones get pulled about all night while blowing up for things which seemed minor in the extreme - and a booking for Adam Flanagan baffled most of us present. The gate of 368 was ok I suppose - bearing in mind the travelling support was in low single figures - if that high.

1-0 on 17 minutes - good cross from Simmo to Lee McRobert who's looping header was too good for the Bashley keeper. Shortly after that, a Tony Burt header from a corner was headed off the line with the keeper well beaten. The lead was soon doubled by Duncan's run and shot from the edge of the box which didn't have much behind it but was well placed into the corner of the net. Lee could easily have had a hat trick by half time as Town continued to dominate.

Terry White replaced Duncan at half time. I suppose with the team playing so well, he's happy to stay on the bench, but that means he doesn't get fit and sure enough, it took him a while to get into the game in a disappointing second half. Jonesie had a good chance to make it 3-0 on the hour but the keeper blocked his effort. Two valid penalty claims were waved away by the referee - perhaps players have contributed by all the diving antics - but Jonesie stayed on his feet despite being blatantly pulled back - and Gosling was the only person not to see it. That was the second shout - the other was for holding of McRobert.

Town are now the last unbeaten side in the division as Chatham lost 1-2 at Tonbridge. Grantham lost 1-2 at Rugby and initial indications are that Fisher and Dorchester are the sides to watch out for. Both won tonight, Fisher 1-0 at Histon while Dorchester beat the Stains by the same score - hope our neighbours are enjoying their ride home as I write.

SS

All rather unreal this FA Cup tie which was preceeded by a minute's silence as we all cast our minds back to those unbelievable events in New York on Tuesday. And with it all having been initially dominated by thoughts of events on the international stage - everything became firmly focused on Shane Mott, the City 11, who suffered a double leg fracture in a 50/50 challenge with Rudds on the edge of the City box. The game was held up for 30 minutes while a Paramedic car and then an ambulance went onto the pitch before the badly hurt lad who's distress was clear for all to see and hear was taken to the Conquest Hospital. Speaking personally - it brought back memories of when Garry Wilson suffered a similar injury 12 years ago. Just hope that the Chichester lad's able to resume playing which Garry wasn't.

As for the football - Town were always struggling to overcome a determined Bumpkinship outfit who'd started off looking quite sharp up front. The referee made a couple of initial howlers - awarding City a free kick when Yatesie had won the ball cleanly and then waving away claims for a penalty when Jonesie was shoved - that's three claims turned down in successive games now. Lee Preston in the Chichester goal was man of the match and his tip over save to deny Lee McRobert was first class stuff in the 35th minute.

Town turned the screw in the second half and there was only the one team in it. City held out till the 56th minute when Simmo got on the end of a half hit cross/pass from Tommy O and knocked it in from inside the 6 yard box. It was all one way traffic after that with Dave King having virtually nothing to do in the Town goal. A combination of profligacy in front of goal with Simmo the main culprit and Preston's rear guard action kept it at 1-0 till late in the game when Steve Ferguson converted a Yatesie cross from close in and a matter of minutes later, Chris Honey was set free down the middle and rounded the keeper for Town's 3rd. Both Fergie and Chris had only been on a minute or two each - being late subs - and it could well be both scored with their respective first touches.

Big cheer at the end for the City keeper who in addition to keeping the score respectable had shown himself well capable of dealing with all that the Boswell Barmy Army could chuck at him. He must have done ok cos it was the Barmy Army that was the first to acknowledge his performance.

With this game seemingly heading for a 2-2 stalemate - just about the right result too - Chris Honey, who'd only been on a couple of minutes, conceded a free kick on half way. Dave King gathered in the resulting lob into his box and unleashing a throw out of monumental proportions that carried over the half way line, set Chris on his way as the Banbury defence was caught napping. Chris did supremely well to hold off the regrouping defence and fired a shot past the United keeper just inside the post for a winning goal that caused huge celebrations amongst us travelling Town supporters behind the goal.

Town hadn't really played that well in the first half on a bumpy pitch. Reasonable attendance by DM Eastern standards - and a happy home mob when they took the lead on 12 minutes. Yatesie lost the ball in attack - it was passed back into an empty space where, er, Yatesie should've been - and a good run into the Town area saw the ball placed past Dave King for a well taken goal. Town didn't create a lot in attack - they were missing Duncan McArthur and Adam Flanagan (both injured) - and while Banbury didn't look like adding to their early score, it came out of the blue when Town equalised with a well made goal. Mylie set Lee McRobert free down the right, Lee got to the bye line and squared the ball up for Simmo who's shot took a huge deflection on it's way into the net.

2-1 on 55 minutes - a good little exchange of passes between Yatesie and Macca saw Macca advance on the Banbury box where he unleashed a great effort to give Town the lead. Another well created goal.

Banbury put Town under pressure 15 minutes or so into the second half and were rewarded with a penalty following a foul inside the box by Stuart Playford. Dave King went the right way but the penalty was too well placed - to the delight of the vociferous home support behind his goal. Town created a couple of good opportunities after that - Jonesie scuffed a good chance with just the keeper to beat while Mylie couldn't quite control a fine Macca lob over the defence.

Dave King and his defence dealt pretty comfortably with what Banbury chucked at them - and then, with the game looking likely to end all square - came that bit of Honey magic to keep us top of the Eastern Division.

SS

What a game this was. So many times matches tipped to be classics are anything but - this one had everything under the Sun as top took on second. Fisher - relegated last season - were by a long way the best side we'd come across at this still relatively early stage of the season.

But in defence they were given a right roasting in the opening stages and - to mixed emotions on my part - - Jonesie gave us that 3rd minute lead after the keeper had beaten out Duncan McArthur's fierce shot . Mixed emotions? Well - I was frantically looking for Phil Donaldson to do the match report notes for me and didn't have the camera ready when we took the lead. Sorry Paul! That's three of your goals I've either partially filmed or now missed altogether.

Fisher were lucky not have had at least one player sent off as early as the 10th minute when they got stuck right in with some very heavy stuff. Too heavy for Paul who had to be substituted with only 25 minutes gone. He first got crocked by the keeper who would surely have gone if Paul had been bearing down on goal. Sadly - it wasn't Mo Munden in goal for Fisher - we were all looking forward to renewing our close relationship with the Gob of Kent but he didn't show up.

2-0 in the 8th minute - handball just inside the area and the resulting penalty put away by Simmo to the delight of the sizeable mob behind the goal. Both sides were playing plenty of decent football with Town creating a little more in the area while Dave King had to get down to scramble away a low shot. Fisher looked good going forward but Town also looked the part in attack with the excellent Chris Honey putting in yet another top rate performance. How George Wakeling can't start Chris is beginning to baffle people - nice problem for the management!

Yatesie had the best chance to extend the lead when a cross found him in space but his control let him down at just the wrong time. Town would've gone in happy with a 2-0 lead at half time though.

A real slugging match for the second 45 with Chris Honey magnificent once again. All those boo boys must be squirming a bit now. One run in from the touchline saw him hold off a defender before firing just wide of the far post while Stuart Myall would surely have headed in Lee McRobert's cross if he'd been 3 inches taller.

Fisher back in the game on 70 minutes when Town didn't deal with a corner and the loose ball was fired home from close in. Those last 20 minutes were truly nerve wracking and if we're going to get games like this again then the club might like to start selling blood pressure pills with programmes. Town survived one almighty scramble in the area before clearing their lines. After a good 7 minutes stoppage time - referee Wooldridge (who, incidentally handled a difficult game very well) finally blew his whistle and Town arms were raised.

Early days yet - but results like this are what a promotion campaign is all about.

Are we sick of the sight of Newport or what? That's five games against them without a win - with this match being a pretty abysmal one all round. And that was our unbeaten start to the season ended as well. Nobody likes losing - least of all against this bloody lot who are rapidly turning into another Crawley or Sittingbourne - and we like losing even less when the game is effectively wrapped up by as bad a refereeing decision as you'll ever see.

Town had survived a first minute scare when a low cross caught everyone out including the Newport 9 who couldn't react quickly enough. After that they had matched Newport for the opening 45, Yatesie and Duncan had had respectable efforts on goal, a Duncan free kick had caused panic stations in the Newport box and they had looked still well in the game and in with a chance of clawing back a 0-1 deficit conceded on 30 minutes when a long punt caught the defence napping and the Newport 10 fired into the roof of the net.

Controversy on 45 minutes when Town expecting a free kick for handball in their area found themselves having to defend one instead when Duncan brought someone down a split second after the handball. With referee Hoare and his assistant both missing the initial offence, salt was rubbed in the wound when a quality free kick was hammered into the roof of the net via the underside of Dave King's crossbar. Lee McRobert then lost it completely and received a red card for offering his observations on Referee Hoare's decision in rather too frank a manner.

Neither side played particularly well - Town were missing Paul Jones - but then Newport had to regroup with two substitutions in the opening 20 minutes. Simmo missed a great chance to pull a goal back early in the second half but his effort went wide and that was the last time Town threatened the Newport goal. Both sides finished with 10 men when the Newport 14 got a second yellow card late on for time wasting.

So - concentrate on the league - and it's a tough one on Friday night when Dorchester are at The Pilot Field. Let's hope George and Terry can get the boys back into the right frame of mind.