East Sussex Football League season ends - here's how the roll of honour ended up

The Crows won both games of their double header against Ticehurst on Saturday after defeating Parkfield last Thursday to finish three points above runners-up Herstmonceux.

Crowhurst defied a late-season fixture pile-up which saw them handed six league matches in May alone, plus a cup final, to overhaul a Herstmonceux side which had led for so long.

Adam How's brace and one each from Dayne Beaumont and James McGrath gave Crowhurst a 4-1 win in the first match against Ticehurst, for whom Darren Nicol replied.

And they secured top spot in style by running out 6-0 victors in the second game thanks to McGrath's double and one apiece by Beaumont, Frazer-Bates, Ronnie Curtin and Anton Neil.

Ryan Jinks and Neil had scored twice each, with Frazer-Bates and McGrath also on target, in Crowhurst's success by the same score against Parkfield two days beforehand.

What's more, Crowhurst were also involved in the last of the league's cup finals last Wednesday night.

And on this occasion they were edged out 3-2 by Ticehurst in the ESFL Division Three/Four Challenge Cup decider at Hailsham Town FC.

Danny McGahan and George Brown were among the scorers for Ticehurst, while Neil and Ben Thorpe netted for Crowhurst.

So the Crows ended a remarkable campaign with two trophies, having last month retained the Hastings & District FA Lower Divisions Cup.

Rye Town II ended up four points behind Herstmonceux in third place following a 3-0 defeat away to Mountfield United on Saturday.

The goals of Aaron Brindley, Steve Fortsch and Jon Novis earned Mountfield a first victory since December 3 and lifted them above Hastings Comets out of the bottom two.

Three days earlier, Mountfield ended a 10-match losing run with a 2-2 draw at home to Catsfield.

Fortsch and Novis were again on target in that encounter, while Jacob Jones scored twice for the Cats.

Catsfield then contested another 2-2 draw at the weekend, this time at home to fourth-placed Sovereign Saints II.

Jones again netted twice in that contest as Catsfield crept above Orington to finish sixth, with Phillip Chandler and Alfie Morris on the scoresheet for Saints.

Bottom-of-the-table Westfield III ended their programme on a high note by triumphing 2-1 at home to Bexhill AAC II on Saturday, leaving them two points adrift of Comets.

Already-crowned Premier Division champions Rye Town wrapped up their season in style with two more wins in the space of four days.

They firstly ran out 3-0 victors away to Westfield II last Wednesday courtesy of goals from Charlie Stevens, Sam Hesmer and Sam Cooper.

Rye followed that with a 10-0 success at home to Robertsbridge United on Saturday, with Stevens plundering a four-goal salvo.

Armandis Briedis and Sammy Foulkes bagged two each and Tom Barlow and Arthur Karapetyan also struck as Rye finished seven points clear of runners-up Bexhill Town.

Bexhill AAC, another team who have had a hectic few weeks playing catch-up with their fixtures, ended up third after collecting seven points in the final four days of the campaign.

AAC won 2-1 in the second game of their double header away to sixth-placed Westfield on Saturday after drawing the opener 1-1.

Rosh Wells scored for AAC in both fixtures and Oscar Hammond joined him on the scoresheet in the second game.

AAC had previously banged in seven goals for the second time in four matches as they ran out 7-1 winners away to Robertsbridge last Wednesday.

James Magraw helped himself to a hat-trick, Hammond netted twice, there was one for Ben Ferguson and an own goal made up AAC's tally.

Guy Ballard grabbed the consolation for Robertsbridge in a defeat which confirmed they would finish bottom of the standings.

Third-placed SC Pass+Move Arrows received a walkover at home to fifth-placed Wadhurst United in the last Division One fixture of the season.

Bexhill Rovers triumphed 7-2 away to Icklesham Casuals in the final-day battle of the bottom two in Division Two.

The result made no difference to the final positions, though, as Rovers ended a point below their victims, even though their goal difference was far superior. Thomas Cumber and Jon Fitton scored for Icklesham.

Premier Division side Punnetts Town lost 2-1 away to Seaford Town U23 in the Eastbourne FC Challenge Cup last Wednesday, despite Connor Middleton netting.

So that's it for a season in which plenty of unfavourable weather - and the postponements that it caused - made for a hectic final few weeks for a number of teams.

The clubs and players will now enjoy a well-earned break before the 2023/24 campaign kicks off at the start of September.

Standings

Premier Division (all played 20 matches): Rye Town 53pts (+44 goal difference), Bexhill Town 46 (+23), Bexhill AAC* 36 (+25), Crowhurst* 34 (+44), Punnetts Town* 34 (+16), Westfield II 30 (0), Sidley United* 27 (-7), St Leonards Social* 18 (-30), Hawkhurst United 13 (-42), Rock-a-Nore* 11 (-13), Robertsbridge United 5 (-60). * = points adjusted

Division 1 (all played 15 matches): Sandhurst 38pts (+27), The JC Tackleway 36 (+41), SC Pass+Move Arrows 26 (+12), Little Common II 13 (-23), Wadhurst United* 8 (-16), Battle Town II 5 (-41). * = points adjusted. South Coast Athletico, AFC Jesters withdrawn

Division 2 (all played 18 matches): Ninfield 43pts (+25), Hollington United II* 38 (+32), Peche Hill Select 36 (+5), Victoria Baptists 23 (0), Northiam 75 22 (0), Sedlescombe Rangers II 22 (-2), Hooe* 21 (-6), SC Pass+Move Arrows II* 17 (-3), Icklesham Casuals 13 (-41), Bexhill Rovers* 12 (-10). * = points adjusted

Division 3 (all played 22 matches): Crowhurst II* 53pts (+51), Herstmonceux* 50 (+45), Rye Town II* 46 (+23), Sovereign Saints II 39 (+14), Parkfield 34 (-6), Catsfield* 31 (+5), Orington* 31 (+4), Ticehurst* 29 (+2), Bexhill AAC II* 17 (-21), Mountfield United* 13 (-28), Hastings Comets 12 (-33), Westfield III 10 (-56). * = points adjusted

Division 4 (all played 18 matches): Welcroft Park Rangers II 45pts (+42), Sedlescombe Rangers Development 39 (+19), Westfield IV 34 (+13), Battle Town III 28 (+10), Robertsbridge United II 24 (-4), Hawkhurst United II 23 (-12), The JC Tackleway II 21 (+7), Burwash 21 (-14), Hastings Athletic 15 (-24), SC Pass+Move Arrows III* 12 (-37). * = points adjusted

Roll of honour

Premier Division: champions - Rye Town, runners-up - Bexhill Town.

Division 1: champions - Sandhurst, runners-up - The JC Tackleway.

Division 2: champions - Ninfield, runners-up - Hollington United II.

Division 3: champions - Crowhurst II, runners-up - Herstmonceux.

Division 4: champions - Welcroft Park Rangers II, runners-up - Sedlescombe Rangers Development.

ESFL Graham Ormston Premier Travel Chauffeurs Challenge Cup: winners - Crowhurst, runners-up - Punnetts Town.

ESFL Wisden Sports Challenge Cup: winners - The JC Tackleway, runners-up - Peche Hill Select.

ESFL Division Three/Four Challenge Cup: winners - Ticehurst, runners-up - Crowhurst II.

Hastings & District FA Intermediate Challenge Cup: winners - Westfield, runners-up - Crowhurst.

Hastings & District FA Junior Challenge Cup: winners - Peche Hill Select, runners-up - Wadhurst United.

Hastings & District FA Lower Divisions Cup: winners - Crowhurst II, runners-up - Catsfield.

Macron Store Hastings Cup: winners - Bexhill Town, runners-up - Rye Town.

Robertsbridge Charity Junior Cup: winners - Sandhurst, runners-up - Orington.