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First Team
Matches
Sat 15 Aug 2015
Chessington & Hook United
J Duke (47')S Harrison (75' Sent Off)
1
1
Crowborough Athletic FC
First Team
W Clarke (40')
MISSED CHANCES MEAN A REPLAY.

MISSED CHANCES MEAN A REPLAY.

Malcolm Boyes17 Aug 2015 - 18:59

In a game that should have been settled first time, but wasn't, means we now have a replay to look forward to on Tuesday night.

We won the last time we got them back here for a replay.
The Crows travelled to a ground on Saturday that they last played a first team fixture at some eight years ago, then it was an FA Vase tie at Chalky Lane and we came back with a 2-2 draw and were more than satisfied with that outcome.
However, the feeling everyone had who were there to support the Crows after the game had finished, was that we should have won this tie by a large margin and a replay should not have been necessary this time around.
In the game eight years ago, we were lucky to escape with a draw, and whilst before this game we would have settled for a draw maybe, having witnessed the match it would have been stopped very early on if it was a boxing match.
In the first half especially, the Crows totally dominated possession, with Ridley to the fore in everything the Crows did well in offensive mode. In the 2nd minute the Crows created the first great chance, with Clarke putting over a great cross to the back post, only for Boddy to fire over from close range.
Little did anyone know at the time but this was to become the norm throughout the first 45 minutes, chances being created by the Crows playing some great football but the chances just not being taken that came their way.
Carrington was causing the home defence problems with his movement and willingness to find the space behind the full-backs, as well as his willingness to battle for everything with the home side's two centre-halves when he had to.
Clarke, Ridley and Carrington, on at least three occasions, should really have done better with the chances that came their way in the first 30 minutes, however, their efforts were either wide of the mark, saved or were miss-hit, when a more calmer and assured finish was required.
Due to the pressure the Crows were exerting on the Chessington & Hook United defence, this led to quite a few free-kicks being given away by them and in the end some hand-bag action led to Carrington and the Chessy goalkeeper, Hewitt going into the referee's book.
Eventually, the pressure did tell, Boddy playing the ball down the line to Ridley, who beat his marker and drove in to the penalty area before pulling the ball back into the path of Clarke, some 16 yards out, for him to drill the ball into the net for a 40th minute, 1-0 lead to the Crows.
During the half-time break, the only thing that concerned the Crows faithful was that would they rue those missed chances and would those misses come back to haunt the away side.
However, the second-half started with the Crows kicking down the slope, which the Chalky Lane pitch has, and this gave the away fans the confidence to believe that the away side would carry on from where they left off.
Those hopes though were dashed in the 47th minute when Chessington equalised, a corner was not cleared well enough when the opportunity arose and the ball fell at the feet of a Chessington defender, who drilled the ball through a crowd of players and into the Crows net to make it 1-1.
Still, with plenty of time left, if the Crows carried on the way they had been, chances a plenty would arrive like London buses. Sure enough, they did, however, sadly like the first-half they were missed.
You do have to give credit though to the Chessington goalkeeper and his defence for giving everything they had, legally most of the time, illegally at others, as they through themselves at the ball every time it looked like we'd score.
Efforts were cleared off the line, we hit the bar, the post and their 'keeper made three great saves whilst Hampson, at the other end, was a virtual spectator.
Ellis was then booked for the home side in the 63rd minute, a minute later, Carrington had to go off feeling dizzy, to be replaced by Biddlecombe and after 72 minutes the home side were reduced to 10 men, Harrison receiving a second yellow for preventing the taking of a quick throw-in.
Chances were still be created by the away side, however, they were not taken and after 80 minutes Taylor went off to be replaced by Death. Still the Crows went in search for the winner but unfortunately, it doesn't arrive.
In the dying minutes, Jagger and Duke receive yellow cards and Ransome comes on for Clarke but with no further scoring it ends 1-1 and it's back to the Community Stadium for a replay on Tuesday, 18th August 2015, with a 7:45pm kick-off.
By the way, we won the FA Vase replay eight years ago 4-3 after extra-time, a similar result in our favour this time will do for me.
The Crows stand out player, for me anyway, was Callum Ridley, therefore, he was my choice for our Man of the Match.

Match details

Match date

Sat 15 Aug 2015

Kickoff

15:00

Attendance

102
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