CHC 2's win 5-1

Crawley entertained a South Saxons at Hazelwick; putting their unbeaten record on the line once again.

Captain, Scott Gibbons had a plethora of options this week; with 15 in the squad against a bare 11 opposition, he demanded a high intensity game. Crawley started on the front foot, Gibbons sliding in Elliott Hooley-Jones who had his fierce effort ricochet off of the goalkeeper’s helmet and wide, but soon the boys in maroon were caught napping and Saxons grabbed an early goal.

Chris White beaten as the forward slipped the ball beyond him.

Crawley woke up and decided to play, Karl Bass and Will Doherty applying midfield pressure but the Saxons defence scrambled away again and again to stay ahead.

Eventually the pressure did toll, Seb Watson catching the keeper’s attention and leaving Bass half the goal open to slam his shot firmly into.

Crawley maintained a high work rate and didn’t let up. Nick Bennett, JT Carter and Matt Park providing outlets and the former especially catching the eye with some accurate distribution (and one aerial that left the playing area entirely and finished up on the football pitch).

Watson showed Bennett how to play the perfect aerial soon after and Rob Payne gave his best Usain Bolt impression to somehow beat the keeper to the ball, but unfortunately was forced wide and the chance broke down.

However, Crawley were rewarded for their endeavor before half time; Gibbons picking one defender’s pocket and turning inside another before smashing the ball past the goalie and high into the net.

After the break Crawley were better organised. The committed Ian Berry and the composed Indy Saraw seeing off danger comfortably and the tireless work from Andy Burton and man-of-the-match, Mattie Fish kept the game firmly under Crawley’s control. Dom Stowell looked to pull the strings and his work saw Hooley-Jones scramble past the keeper, stop the ball on the line and then have the time to recover his balance and turn home.

After that it was a rush of Maroon chances, Payne was brilliantly denied a goal by the diving keeper, Hooley-Jones fired wide after a one on one and then Watson was kept out by the defender’s foot after rounding the goalie. Fortunately this was spotted by the umpires and a penalty stroke was awarded. In the absence of the ice-cold James Fuller and with Bass on the bench, skipper Gibbons stepped up, and much to everyone’s surprise dispatched with confidence to the right hand side.

The scoring was rounded off by the clinical Bass, controlling the errant push out himself and finding the bottom corner to give the home side a deserved 5-1 victory.

Next week Crawley face a trip to a decent Brighton team as they look to keep the pressure on the other teams at the top of the league.

Crawley team: White, Berry, Bennett, Saraw, Burton, Park, Carter, Fish, Bass, Doherty, Payne, Gibbons (c), Watson, Stowell, Hooley-Jones