Crowborough Athletic FC (0) 2-5 (4) Whitehawk FC
Saturday 12th September ‘09
Sussex County Football League Division One
Crowborough Community Stadium 3:00pm kick off

Crows: R Gordon, L Leppard, C Ransome, D Adams (capt) (N Millroy 75), S Whibley, K Everest (J Pallett 60), A Shade (T Saunders 53), T Nowell, S Carrington, S Treleaven, S Reid.
Subs Not Used: B Head (GK)
CRO WHK
5 Shots On Target 7
6 Shots Off Target 5
4 Corners 8
16 Fouls Committed 16
1 Offside 5

Attendance: 68.
Half-Time: 0-4.
Goals: C Ransome (pen) 77’
N Millroy 83’.
Man of the Match: L Leppard.

By Anthony Scott

A great second half from Crowborough Athletic wasn’t enough as big-spending Whitehawk made them pay for a disappointing first half.

Crowborough started well, when Thom Nowell’s ball played in Sam Carrington, who laid the ball to Aaron Shade on the edge of the area, but his strike was well pushed wide by the diving Paul Agu.
Then Whitehawk broke the deadlock just 10 minutes in. Danny Davis’ short corner found Wes Tate, whose chip in picked out the unmarked Ryan McBride, who headed the ball away from Rob Gordon and into the net.
Things got worse for the Crows just 2 minutes later. Jay Lovett played the ball down the line to Taylor, who crossed in to McBride, who volleyed the ball beyond the diving Gordon and into the top near corner.
On 21 minutes, Whitehawk increased their lead further. Tate turned past Scott Whibley to go one on one with Gordon, and the ex-Crows player slotted the ball in.
After the half-hour, Crowborough came close, as Shade played in Scott Treleaven, who laid the ball back to Shade, but his effort went narrowly wide of the far post.
The visitors made it 4-0 just before the interval, as Tate headed in from close range.

McBride then completed his hat-trick after the interval, as he drove the ball away from Gordon and into the net.
However, Crowborough then woke up and began to play football, and came very close. Carrington beat Danny Bird, and drilled the ball on the volley away from Agu, but only to rattle the near post.
Then Treleaven played in substitute Tom Saunders, who went one on one with Agu, but only for his shot to be saved by the feet of the keeper.
On 72, Treleaven ran onto a ball over the top, but his lob over the advancing keeper went onto the roof of the net.
Boro deservedly scored a goal on 77. Davis pulled down Carrington for the referee to award a penalty. Chris Ransome stepped up to send Agu the wrong way and drive to the right side of the net.
Luke Leppard then did very well to shrug off Tate as the Whitehawk player took the ball around Gordon, but Leppard did excellently to deny the striker.
Crowborough then again reduced the deficit, as Carrington beat Bird, but only for his drive to be tipped onto the post by Agu, and substitute Nathan Millroy won the ball back to cannon the ball away from the sprawled keeper and into the top far corner.
The hosts then came close to adding a third, as Carrington played in Sam Reid, but his low effort was pushed around the post.
Late on, Davis’ volley was somehow judged to have struck Nowell on the arm, for a Whitehawk penalty. Tate stepped up, but only to see his effort rattle the bar.

Crowborough now travel to St Francis Rangers on Tuesday, before hosting Storrington in the John O’Hara Cup First Round Saturday.