CROWBOROUGH Athletic will feel disappointed they did not pick up all three points on Monday against struggling St Francis Rangers.

The visitors were unlucky not to add more goals to the solitary effort from Wayne Clarke in the first half.

St Francis came close to taking the lead early on, as Pete Martin played the ball to Richard Greenfield on the right, whose drive from inside the area was well pushed away by the diving Ben Head in the Crows goal.

Borough broke the deadlock after 19 minutes, when Thom Nowell floated a corner in from the right and found the feet of Tom Boddy, whose drive beat scrambling Rangers keeper Simon Lehkyj, only to be cleared on the line.

The clearance, however, found Clarke on the edge of the area and he drilled the ball through a mass of players into the net, away from the motionless Lehkyj.

After that, Borough nearly doubled their lead when Mike Culverhouse found space on the left wing and took the ball past Sam Palmer, but his drive from 20 yards was comfortably held by the keeper.

On 36 minutes, it should have been 2-0. Jonathan Hampson found Culverhouse on the left, and he played the ball into the area to Dave Adams, who flicked on to Clarke, but from eight yards out he volleyed the ball over the crossbar.

Moments before half-time, St Francis twice came close to levelling.

First, Martin took the ball away from the returning Dan Tear to go one on one with Head, but his drive was excellently saved by the legs of the keeper.

In stoppage time, Martin again caused problems for the Crows defence as he advanced goalwards, following a ball through the centre of the defence.

He took it around the stranded Head, but was only able to fire the ball wide of the near post with Hampson doing well to cover the empty net.

St Francis Rangers did equalise moments into the second half, but in controversial fashion. Greenfield crossed the ball in, and it was flicked on to Martin at the far post, whose shot from close range was excellently pushed out by Head.

However, the ball rebounded back off the arm of the striker before finding the net, but the referee allowed the goal to stand.

On 58 minutes, Borough went close to regaining the lead after Scott Treleaven had launched the ball into the penalty area from a throw-in, and Jonathan Trotter rose above the committed Lehkyj.

He headed it over the keeper, only for Palmer to cover the goal line and clear the ball away.

After that, Head fired the ball forward, and it was flicked on by the towering Adams to Jake Forward, who ran through on goal, but blasted narrowly over the top far corner from the edge of the area.

Crowborough, pressing for that elusive winner, again went close on 81 minutes.

Adams again helped on a long ball from the defence, this time to sub Charlie Ottway, who, one on one with Lehkyj, tried to lob the keeper, but he tipped the ball wide of the goal.

With less than five minutes to go, Borough should have taken the lead.

Adams did brilliantly to beat Palmer down the left, and his cross picked out Clarke six yards out, and he got in front of his marker, only to volley the ball against an upright.

In stoppage time, St Francis nearly came away with all three points when Martin laid the ball off to Daley Clark 25 yards out. Clark drilled the ball first time goalwards, but the outstanding Head produced a top-draw save by tipping the ball against the bar and away.

Man of the match: Mike Culverhouse.

Squad: B Head, D Tear (E Willoughby 73), J Hampson, T Nowell, T Boddy (capt), J Trotter, S Treleaven (S Saunders 74), J Forward, D Adams, W Clarke, M Culverhouse (C Ottway 73).