MATCH REPORT: Crawley Athletic vs Vets
Played under a beautiful Indian summer's evening, Rotherfield Vets took on a Crawley side who had the wood over them twice last season. So much so, they turned up without any warm-up balls!
With Millroy & Wilkins realizing that two games in two days may be more than they can take on, and Garrett needing to thwart Norman Price, there were late changes to an already strong squad. To use cricketing parlance, it was a great toss to win, with Skip deciding Rotherfield should play with the sun behind them.
Crawley started the game, enjoying a lot of the ball and, as predicted, were trying the long diagonals into the Vets' version of the guy from Gol. Skip and Magoo were repelling these, causing frustration early on for the home side.
As the half went on, Crawley started to try and play through the midfield, but when these attacks broke down, the visitors showed their threat on the break with the speed of Cole and Oddy supporting Evans. It was from one of these counters that the deadlock was broken: a quick break from King to Cole saw Evans released down the right, and his early effort surprised the keeper, who, potentially blinded by the sun, did his best impression of the keeper from Bend It Like Beckham.
Crawley continued to try and play and the midfield three of Penny, Mansford & Burton gave as good as they got. The wide players got no joy out of Chick and King either. The second goal was a very well worked goal, again on the counter. Evans finishing brilliantly from a wide angle to double the lead.
Crawley’s frustration saw players bemoaning a lack of runs in behind. They did create a number of chances form outside the box but these didn’t trouble Taylor in goal or were straight at him.
Defending in the sun second half was a challenge: those facing the sun had as much luck seeing the ball as one S. Wonder would have. Crawley put their foot to the floor and the visitors struggled to string passes together as there was wave after wave of attacks.
It wasn’t until the 70th minute that the deficit was halved. A strange free kick was given on the edge of the box and whilst the wall stayed firm, the ball took a wicked deflection wrong footing Taylor and 2-1 it was. Crawley smelt green and white blood and continued to try and create chances: the back four stayed firm.
As time went on the threat of an equaliser increased and so it came. All the stats at that point would have pointed towards a Crawley win, but the backs to the wall defending was a masterclass, as was Taylors brilliant save from another free kick.
With minutes to go Rotherfield threatened a couple of times on the break and then Cole dispossessed their CB to release Evans, who found the VO2 to stay ahead of his marker. His initial shot was saved and the ball fell wide……. Evans did well to finish from a tight angle t complete his hat trick and pandemonium amongst the three on the bench and on watching fan.
That was that then. Three points, warm showers and a lovely pint of Guinness. Same again next week?
Starting IX:
Taylor, King, McGuire, Riley, Chick, Penny, Mansford, Burton, Cole, Oddy, Evans
Finishers:
Velici, McKeown, Tsang, Fuller
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