They say you can score to early in as football match and this was certainly the case on Saturday when Crowborough welcomed a young Chichester side to the Crowborough Community Stadium. Fresh after two very good performances the Crows made a few changes to the starting line up, bringing in Paul McCa- rthy at centre back to partner Kevin Ev- erest, Ben Head returned in goal after injury to get some game time and Scott Taylor started wide on the left with Sam Carrington available again up front and with Scott Treleaven, Crows looked strong.
Having scored within 23 seconds through Sam Carrington’s effort after good work by Scott Taylor on the left , it looked like the Crows were going to continue on the recent scoring spree . Chichester however had other ideas and may well have been level by half time had the defence not been alert and one very good block by Ben Head on Morgan Forry.
The second half saw Paul McCarthy go off and some re-organization at the back and within eight minutes Josh Case had fired a delightful free kick over the wall and beyond home keeper Head to bring the scores level at one apiece. The Crows were shaken and worse was to follow as after a mix up at the back the Chichester number nine, Joe Grommett, ran through for a easy tap in on sixty four minutes and followed up just four minutes later with another opportunist strike to put the visitors in a seemingly unassailable lead. Crows responded well and in a do or die spirit, launched attack after attack with Scot Taylor now moving into a more central position in midfield and Carrington and Treleaven strong running beginning to unsettle Chichester’s defence, Elliot Wood had also joined the fray giving the visitors a new problem. With about nine minutes to go from a free kick on the right from Luke Carpenter’s cross Wood gets up and Carrington heads past the visitors keeper Ender to reduce the deficit. Crows were going for broke and with time running out skipper Chris Ransome on as foray from the back brilliantly places the ball just inside the post to level three all. We now have two periods of extra time both sides had chances , certainly in the second period Crows were on top but eventually it went to a penalty shoot out, with Crows scorers, Treleaven, Barton, Carrington, Ransome had his shot saved, Ben Head immediately responded saving well from sub Joe Manners , then the visitors Goal keeper tried his luck and his casual spot kick hit the post, so it was fittingly left to Scott Taylor to score the winning penalty to put Crows in the next round to send the fans home happy. Credit to Chichester for their part in an exciting game.