The Anvils shorn of six regulars due to a Stag etc had to shuffle the pack for this encounter with Hailsham Town. Both sides had some early chances with Michael Belli and Lee Thomas having shots either to high or to wide, whilst for the Stringers full back Charlie Shearing and a Rhys Anderson freekick proved equally nondescript, shortly after Stuart Lewis set Marcus Goldsmith who in turn could only scuff his shot into the arms of the Anvil keeper Andy Greaves. After these early attacks the Anvils then started to come into their own with Mike Spence setting Myles Pitt free with a glorious crossfield ball that had the youngsters shot just clearing the bar, come 19 and the break thro finally came when Kieran Greig playing out of position was bought down in the box, penalty given, with Oli Leslie the arch penalty supremo tucking the ball home past keeper Sheldon Levett’s left hand. 1-0 Anvils.

Levett was called into action just after again when tipping over a Belli shot from outside the box, come 26 and the Anvils went further in front when from a Dan Sullivan cross the hard working Thomas was on the end of it to blast home, thus giving the Anvils a two goal cushion. 2-0 Anvils.

For the Stringers still battling away, had another Anderson freekick from outside the box shoveled away by Greaves, as they continued to probe away at the makeshift Anvil back line. With Thomas continuing to graft away, he then set up Ben Brooker for a shot that also went well wide, then himself suffering from the same malady just after, on 40 another skirmish in the Stringers box with the ball pinging around before being hacked clear. With half time almost reached came the possible game changer, when from a Goldsmith corner another scuffle, this time in the Anvil box resulted in Lewes Parsons getting the final touch, thereby reducing the Anvil lead to a single goal as half time was reached. 2-1 Anvils.

An early second half attack by the Anvils bought its reward, when a combination of Thomas and Brooker set Leslie free to cut thro a hesitant Stringer defence and slide home the third goal, and surely the points with it. 3-1 Anvils.

But as we all know 'its a funny old game' and so it would prove to be, by 50 it was apparent that the homesters were beginning to call the shots, with subs Sam Connolly and Liam Johnson joining the fray, and come the hour the latter Johnson got free to reduce the arrears to a single goal. 3-2 Anvils.

Movement on the Anvil bench as Thomas and Leslie were replaced by Rob Lake and Kerran Boylan in an effort to 'shore up' or squeeze another goal, the latter of the subs Boylan, then had a fine chance when breaking thro and facing a one on one with keeper Levett, but possibly not fully tuned in lost out to the keeper. On 71 it was level yet again when the wily Sam Divall found a gap in the tiring Anvil defence to restore parity for the Stringers and hopefully gain their very first point of the season and raise themselves off the 'bottom rung'. 3-3.

The last 20 had both sides going for the winner as the game reached new heights of excitement as chances for both sides continued to go amiss, with both keepers earning their corn, and spectators on the edge of their seats, but no more goals to report as the game finally ended.
FT 3-3.

Team: Andy Greaves, Brad White, Sonny Barton, Mike Spence, Kieran Greig, Dan Sullivan, Myles Pitt, Michael Belli, Oli Leslie (Kerran Boylan), Ben Brooker (Adam Hutchins), Lee Thomas (Rob Lake).
MOM: Kieran Greig Attn: 57