Bad luck and missed opportunities result in draw against Loxwood

The Crows came into this won having won 4 on the spin and in fine form at the start of the season.

They entertained a much changed Loxwood side, who had proven to be a league banana skin last season.

The game got off to a scruffy start, neither side particularly able to get a foothold into the game.

Loxwood had a huge slice of luck. Salter went to ground as he attempted a challenge/block and the referee blew for a penalty, the big number 9 sending Martin Grant the wrong way to open the scoring 12 minutes in.

The Crows began to rally, starting to play some neat football as we’ve become accustomed to over the past year or 2.

Killick forced a scrappy save from the Loxwood keeper, but unfortunately he smothered the ball before the rebound 22 minutes in.

The next 10 minutes saw The Crows streaming forward more often, with a penalty shout turned down on 35 minutes - something that the majority Twitter refs who saw the footage believed to be a bad call.

More good work a minute later, this time Forster drifting out wide to the right hand side, crossing for Murrain who could only put the shot wide.

Harvey Killick was slipped through in similar style to his 2 goals at Bexhill earlier in the week, jinked in on his left foot, but his effort on 43 minutes was comfortably saved.

1-0 down at the break, and feelings of bad luck around The Community Stadium.

The second half came and The Crows started brightly, with a number of early chances including Rory Salters ghosting run unnoticed at the back post, but again the keeper saved as he couldn’t generate quite enough power to hit the equaliser.

As the 72nd minute came, The Crows were well on top, and on another day the match would have been finished off by now, Forster smashing a trademark long range effort in, the keeper fumbled (again) and Salter just couldn’t get there in time for the rebound.

And then it happened, and it was Harry Forster with the finish, smashing it low and hard to the keepers right, back in the game, 1-1.

Minutes later, the ill disciplined Loxwood were given a red card, something that had been coming for a long time with some bad challenges and plenty of time wasting adding to their card count on the day.

As the game drew to an end, Lucas Murrain came close, and Ollie Styles narrowly missed the chance to finish a Salter cross and the game finished 1-1.

Full time: 1-1
Man of the Match: Harry Forster