Ide Hill suffered their second heavy defeat in two games on Saturday, this time against the other league contenders Kings Hill in grim and stormy conditions out in Kent.
Ide Hill went in to the game missing four of their normal starting eleven, including their goalkeeper, and struggled badly against a well drilled and strong Kings Hill team. In conditions that meant most of the other games in the league were called off, Ide Hill kicked with a strong wind and driving rain in the first half on a sodden pitch and looked to compete and battle their way to a result.
They went behind after a relatively even opening, Brad Howe sweeping home from a counter attack after 20 minutes. Craig Jackson equalised 10 minutes later, lobbing the keeper from long range with the help of the wind when the ball broke loose from a tackle. However, what could have proved a springboard to build from was quickly thrown away after the restart, Bailey Pearce tapping home when a swirling long ball caught out the Ide Hill defence.
Jackson saw another close-range header cleared off the line and Callum Heath and Barry Ryan were looking dangerous in flashes. Ide Hill went in to the break 2-1 down though, hoping that they could get the next goal and fight there way back in to the game. But going in to a strong wind with a weakened side began to tell more after the break, Bailey Pearce grabbing his second on the hour when his shot squirmed beneath the keeper and in.
Ide Hill then made wholesale changes in the last 30 minutes and capitulated further, shipping goals 4,5 and 6 in that passage with Max Morgan grabbing a hattrick. Jack Edmeads had a good chance to pull one back when the goalkeeper kicked straight to him, but his one on one was slotted wide. Young Kane Fitton made his debut up front for Ide Hill in the second half in tough conditions, with some willing running and strong play providing some flashes of light on a bad afternoon for Ide Hill.
Ide Hill remain in 4th but following 2 chastening results, will need to dust themselves down quickly if they want to turn the season back round to the positive air it took on through the autumn. They will be looking to welcome back some of the regulars and arrest the slide next week when they visit Bromleians, where they will need to perform much better as a team.
