Crawley Down Gatwick

The move from Boxing Day morning to Wednesday evening could have fallen on its face due to the weather but the rain was not that heavy and the wind eased, a bit. In our last visit to The Haven, we were lucky that Crawley Down Gatwick had left their shooting boots at home as our goal was peppered with shots from a team that was pushing for promotion and we escaped with just a 3-0 defeat. This time we arrived in good form and played well in the windy conditions to earn a 1-0 win.

The conditions were not conducive to a festival of good football with a soft pitch and a strong crosswind. So, it was no great surprise that the opening quarter hour was full of a lot of possession but with no clear chances being created. It took until 18mins and a free kick for Crawley Down that was delivered into the box but volleyed wide for any chance to be created. On 21mins Josh McArthur Nolan was attacking the edge of the box on the left and then subjected to a brutal challenge that could have been worthy of a red card as opposed to the yellow card shown. Richie Wetton took the direct shot that was saved. A minute later Louis Gates was breaking down the right and slipped the ball to Jamal Robinson-Davids but they cleared it behind for a corner. The ball was floated into the six yard box on the wind and scrambled out for a second corner. Same delivery and after picking up the second ball and having possession around the box the ball was won back and cleared by Crawley Down.

On 26mins Haydn Dickinson took possession of the ball in a central position but could not find enough power in his shot to trouble the keeper. A quick break forward by Crawley Down needed Jack Webb-Olley to be alert and come to collect the ball. Two minutes later Crawley Down had another good break forward but as Webb-Olley closed down the ball was run out behind. A Crawley Down corner from the left downwind showed the problem of delivery in the conditions as it flew long over the penalty area and out for a throw. The best move of the match so far came on 38mins as Wetton going down the left slipped the ball to Jay Simpson. As Simpson made his way into the box to shape for a shot the ball bounced up, hit his hand, and the referee considered it to be hand ball. The rules used to be a lot simpler on this. Our back three of George Branton, Stephen Hodge and Tyrone Magala-Bryan were playing well and showing our squad strength this season that neither Tom Green nor Luke Richardson being absent had weakened us. Hodge showed great determination to close down a Crawley Down attack on the left and shield the ball to earn a free kick.

As we entered the final five minutes of the half, a free kick from the right by David Heaton was met by a group of players and suddenly the whistle was blown. Confusion all round and clarification from the referee that he thought there had been a head injury did not help. Having some possession around the Crawley Down Simpson played the ball out to McArthur Nolan on the left that was put out for a throw. The resulting long throw from Wetton into the box put some pressure on their defence but they coped and cleared the ball. Into added time and Dickinson went into a strong challenge and worryingly stayed down. Play was allowed to continue until the ball went out. As both physios came on to attend to what looked like a serious injury, given we were already in added time, a sensible suggestion to call it half time to avoid players standing around in the cold wind was ignored. Thankfully, Dickinson was not as badly hurt as first feared but had to be replace by Jason Stripp for barely a further minute of play. All square at half time.

After half-time the wind had strengthened and once again a Crawley Down corner was carried straight out at the start of the half. On 49mins Robinson-Davids had the ball on the right, fed it through to Simpson who fended off a challenge to set up Gates for a cross. The wind was making the final balls hard and Gates’s cross went behind. On 59mins it was time for a change and Robinson-Davids was replaced by Jimmy Williams. Another half chance came on 61mins as Gates crossed into the box as Crawley Down scrambled the ball away. On 66mins came the first full chance of the game as Williams crossed the ball from the right to Wetton and with the goal in sight, he dragged his shot horribly wide of the left post. Frustration all round especially for Wetton, given that he has scored some good goals this season, as he was replaced by Toby Hill in a planned substitution. Simpson got clear on the left and bearing down on goal the ball got away from him to run out for a goal kick.

It was looking like a goalless draw or a single goal to win it as we headed towards the last fifteen minutes. However, on 72mins Simpson had the ball around the D, fed the ball out to Gates on the right, and from his cross Hill headed home for 1-0. Crawley Down were still struggling with the wind as a cross on 74mins drifted behind but two minutes later the wind carried the ball towards the goal and Webb-Olley had to tip the ball over the bar. Stripp cleared the resulting corner as the defence held firm. On 80mins, the lads lost possession on the edge of the Box and Crawley Down made a rapid break down the right and a heart in mouth moment as the resulting shot flew across the six yard box and out. A slight strain forced Gates off and brought on Toby Allen with just a couple of minutes of normal time remaining. As we entered four additional minutes, Simpson had a shot from the right that nearly slipped away from the keeper’s grasp. A great chance for an equaliser came from a long ball to the edge of our box that was headed on and then found a Crawley Down player who could not have put the ball out behind any better if he had been one of our lads. A real chance squandered in a game of few chances. Having run their defence ragged, Simpson came off to give Ellis Newbold a chance to come on and harass them further. One final corner was well defended and shortly after came the final whistle.

A big cheer as we put one over on our local rivals and extended the great run of wins and clean sheets. The lads have only failed to score in one League match so far and it just shows the benefit of keeping clean sheets has in picking up three points. The win does not change our position in the table as we remain in 10th place but have closed the gap to Eastbourne United to six points while both teams have played twenty games. A point further up is Eastbourne Town on whom we have a game in hand. Next up is a tough fixture against Crowborough Athletic who are currently only in second place on goal difference to Newhaven but with a game in hand. It is a match-up between two in-form sides as over six games Crowborough are second best and we are joint fourth.

Congratulations go to Stephen Hodge for his great defensive performance in keeping Crawley Down at bay and is the deserved Man of the Match.