MATCH REPORT: CROWHURST

Rotherfield travelled to Hailsham College, the rearranged venue for their match against Crowhurst.

The opening exchanges was very much a case of getting used to the small 3G pitch. The Greens welcomed the return of Jack Turner after his injury spell and he played along side the consummate Callum Ridley.

It was within 25 minutes when the afore mentioned Ridley, drove forward from the back and sent Dan Gray onto a ball that left him 1v1 against the Crowhurst keeper Elliott Stokes. Gray managed to play the ball round him and take into an empty net.

The lead was short lived as 5 minutes later, Alex Kerslake got the ball caught under his feet and had the ball stolen from him, and the Crowhurst forward slotted home to draw level.

Now into the second half, and the hosts started fast. After a handball against Rotherfield where the referee was able to play an advantage, the Crowhurst attacker managed to drive through the defence and hit his effort across the goal into the far bottom corner on the hour mark.

Crowhurst scored their next with a fortuitus moment as Stokes miss kicked his goal kick, however it still had too much pace for Jack Edwards to control and the ball bounces off his feet to a wide Crowhurst player. He then drives forward and plays a cross from the left wing but his delivery evades all players and ends up going into the Rotherfield goal.

At this point Crowhurst had been in control of the contest, but Rotherfield had a spell of 10 - 15 minutes where they dominated. Connor Morrow had chances to get more goals. He had a chance to play a ball across goal, to debutant Ethan Laughton-Zimmerman but Morrow opted to shoot, which Stokes saved. Moments later, Morrow was in a similar position with the ball, where he fizzed in a low cross, but no Rotherfield player could get on the end of it.

Then towards the final stages of the match, Morrow was again involved in the action where he had an effort hit the bar.

Then on the very last moments of the game, Rotherfield were awarded a penalty for handball. John Sinclair stepped up to score from the spot but it was the very last kick of the game. Final Score 3-2.

Team: B. Ridley, Teague, Turner, C. Ridley, Kerslake, Sinclair, Edwards, Milroy, Gray, Peevor, Morrow.

Bench: Dunn, Blackstone, Laughton-Zimmerman, Kent, Clarke