Crawley 2’s 7 – 2 Brighton 5’s

After last week’s good performance, Crawley were looking build on that and get their first points of the season on the board. It was not looking promising with only 9 players pitch side with 5 mins till push back, but eventually everyone turned up!

Crawley started really well and dominated the opening phases but were unable to make the possession or 3 short corners count. From the last short corner, Brighton counter attacked and a lifted shot which was going wide was expertly deflected goalwards by the Brighton centre forward giving them a 1-0 lead.

Crawley kept their heads, and carried on as they were, and this time got there rewards, with Liam Mulcalhy converting from short range and then Alex Coote tapping in at the near post from a short corner routine to make it 2-1. Crawley continued to apply pressure and from another short corner were awarded a penalty stroke after the ball struck the defenders foot on the line. Jamie Westwood, stepped up, his usual unflappable self and buried the flick (never in doubt) and Crawley went in 3-1 up at the halftime.

The 2nd half saw more of the same from Crawley despite Brighton’s best efforts. Jamie Westwood feeling in clinical mood, converting another short corner into the top right of the goal and then waltzing passed several defenders at another short corner to bury another.

Brighton kept at it, and it required the usual brave (with no sense of self-preservation) defending from Ian Berry to keep them at bay and a good save from Chris Rockingham. James Fuller had a golden opportunity to score after Oliver Robinsons excellent defence splitting pass but instead twisted his ankle and had to be helped from the pitch, thankfully it later transpired it wasn’t as bad as feared.

Crawley were briefly down to 10 men as well when Alex Foxcroft (Just come on for Fuller) was sent off for a filthy tackle but it didn’t show and when back to full strength, Alex Foxcroft made amends with some excellent intricate play with Simon Teale down the right to win another short corner which Ryan Banton (the better Banton) put in after the ball went loose. Ryan was not content with his first goal in over 3 years and then went and scored another! Brighton did not give up and continued to play and scored a consolation goal to make it 7-2.

It was a great result and performance and things look good for the season. Thanks to umpires Scott Gibbons and Neil Smith for taking time out of their day to officiate.

Team

C Rockingham, R Banton, I Berry, J Westwood, S Teale, O Robinson, Priyesh Patel, Kane Paterson, A Coote, A Foxcroft, L Mulcalhy, J Fuller

Scorers

Jamie Westwood x 3
Liam Mulcahy x 1
Alex Coote x 1
Ryan Banton x 2