With City clear of any lingering relegation fears and Ringmer comfortably in mid table there was a youthful look about both sides with the City youngsters coming out well on top to gain revenge for defeat to the same opponents on the opening day of the season.

Only skipper Alex Ward and defender James Ford played in the August fixture with Ward missing most of the games in between through injury while Ford has been the only regular member of a side that has used more than 60 different players during the course of the season.

However this was a day to relax and enjoy the spring sunshine with Jack Eves and Russ Hardwell combining to set Mike O’Neill up for a seventh minute opener with a goal that was the blueprint for three more almost identical strikes. A ball through the middle eluded the Ringmer defence for the City player to run on and push the ball past the hesitant Dan Davies in the home goal.

Chamal Fenelon repeated the move on 33 minutes and City were well in control until Marc Whiteman pulled one back just before the interval. The former Manchester United apprentice seized on his 49^th goal of the season as the ball came back off the City crossbar.

Ringmer were briefly back in the game but City continued to create chances and on the hour Hardwell was put through to make it 3-1.

City defender Danny Walker then cleared off the line to deny Whiteman his 50^th goal of the season but within minutes Hardwell was through again onto a pass from Ward to give his side a 4-1 cushion.

Ringmer substitute Amro Shaker wriggled through the City defence to make it 4-2 with just about 10 minutes remaining but the visitors survived the closing exchanges without any further scares to record their sixth away win of the season.

City Chairman, John Hutter admitted he was relieved that the side had avoided relegation. ‘It’s been very hard this year from the moment our manager Mick Catlin left just before the season started. First he went to Wick and then to Andover and took players with him each time. The replacement management team didn’t really work out but Adie Girdler’s come back in and helped avoid relegation and put things in place for a much better season next year. These lads have won four of the last seven games and will carry on getting better. We’ll be adding to the depth of the squad in the close season and with the move back to Oaklands Park things should start buzzing again.’

Report written by Trevor Wallis