CHC move into third place in the league with a 5-3 win away to Mid Sussex

Report by Steve Innes
Crawley arrived for the game early, very early. A quick pit stop in Starbucks to begin the warm-up was very much needed on a cold and rainy day.

Crawley started well and the forward line press of Jonny Lewis-Brown, Steve Innes and Kieran Fuller were containing Mid-Sussex to their own 25 yard line with no outlet, this created numerous chances for Crawley.

Midfielders Carl Wright, Brendan MacCaoilte, JayTee Carter, Dan Evans and Jonny Reigate were intercepting everything and creating break away after break away, but a couple of good saves from the middies keeper and wasteful passing meant Crawley hadn’t dented the score line.

Mid-way through the first half Crawley won a short corner and Kieran Fuller dispatched one low and straight through the goalkeeper to score, who had moments before produced a wonder save from a Fuller flick that was heading for the top left corner of the goal.

Crawley continued to press and had all the play in the first half until a long ball forward from Mid-Sussex was controlled by their lone forward who dazzled a couple of the Crawley defenders and won a short corner which they expertly converted.

The first half fizzled out with both sides looking to have a conversation at half time about how to improve things in the second half.
The second half started as the first had with Crawley coming out firing and after a couple of half attempts on goal the ball fell at the stick of Steve Innes who, with just the keeper to beat expertly played the ball off the defender in a trick shot fashion to send the ball into the top corner, the celebration was more of a conversation between Wright and Innes, “it definitely wasn’t going wide” said Innes with a sheepish look.

Mid-Sussex had a clear game plan after this goal and that was to push up and create a hostile atmosphere on the side with the fans getting involved trying to put more pressure on the Crawley back line of Mark Brightwell, Luke Kellaher and Joe Radoux, this back fired as the pressure meant that Crawley found more space than they had previously and were creating even more opportunities going forward.

After some slick work down the left hand side from Jonny Lewis-Brown and Eliot Hooley-Jones, the double barrelled dream team won a short corner and Kieran Fuller step up and did what he does best and sent the ball home into the corner of the net and silenced the five rowdy fans on the side-line.

The game then became a real back and forth contest with Mid-Sussex finally getting into the game and created another chance which was then converted into a short corner after a bad foul, they again slotted this to bring the game back to only one goal deficit, 3-2 and game on.
This didn’t last long as Crawley then went straight up the other end and after some great two touch hockey from Reigate, MacCaoilte and Wright found Evans who won a short corner. Fuller stepped up again and produced his best drag flick yet to send the ball a blistering pace into the roof of the net.

Crawley continued to press on the counter as Mid-Sussex pressed forward and again some quick passing from Wright in midfield found Evans in the area who squared to Innes past the keeper, Innes controlled the ball and calmly took the ball past the sliding defender who then decided to use his feet to stop the ball, Innes converted anyway after continuing to play on only for the whistle to be blown as the ball crossed the line, short corner was given but luckily after consultation with the other umpire the decision was upgraded to a penalty flick and Fuller again dispatched giving the keeper no chance.

Crawley, looking to hold out for the three points dropped slightly deeper and Mid-Sussex ended up getting a third goal after some nice passing in the area to give Luke Murphy in the Crawley goal no chance.

Crawley moved into third place in the table to the delight of the away fans that had come to watch and the disappointment of the home fans who went quiet very quickly. The away support was much appreciated and we hope to see you at the home game next week against top of the league Herne Bay.

Murphy, Brightwell, Kellaher, Radoux, MacCaoilte, Evans, Reigate, Wright, Innes, Lewis-Brown, Fuller.
Subs - Hooley-Jones, Carter
MOM - Kieran Fuller
DOD - Jonny Lewis-Brown
Scorers – Kieran Fuller x 4 Steve Innes (just about)