Little Common wait in the wings to visit us.
For the second Tuesday evening on the trot the Crows had to go in to extra-time to fend off their visitors in a cup competition. Last week it was Eltham Palace in the SCEFL Challenge Cup and this time it was Shoreham FC in the Sussex FA Principal RUR Charity Cup.
Another similarity to the Eltham match was that a late goal was scored in the final minutes before the whistle blew. Last week it was Eltham who took the match into extra-time, this time it was the Crows, Barton heading the ball into the Shoreham net in the 91st minute, therefore, equalising Gaskin's goal scored in the 9th minute, a cross which became a goal when it deceived Smith and went into the net.
There's no doubt that the extra 30 minute period was the best part of the match overall for excitement, just as it was the week before and once again the Crows ended up with four goals in the credit column.
The Crows have shown many times this season that they are fitter than their opposition and they definitely had to prove that again against Shoreham, especially when substitute Zac Atwood had to leave the pitch a couple of minutes into extra-time. The Crows having made all their substitutions, two in the first 45 minutes, had to play the rest of the match with ten men.
Not that anyone watching would have thought they were down to ten players as they upped their effort and work rate to a whole new level and which left Shoreham struggling to keep up at times as the home side started to dominate possession of the ball and chances.
Eventually, the Crows went 2-1 up in the 100th minute, a move involving Crabb and Muggeridge sees the latter control the ball some 16 yards out on the angle before rifling the ball past Stroomberg into the Shoreham net. The celebration routine by Muggeridge is not something I would suggest others replicate as it definitely looked like an injury waiting to happen and it's marvellous what someone can do when instinct cuts in rather than rational thought.
Most teams down to 10 men and winning 2-1 would have probably closed the door, put the cat out and rested on their laurels, determined not to let the opposition into their domain. However, the Crows aren't like that and Muggeridge again tried to put the home side further in front in the 108th minute, without the same result this time though.
Credit to Shoreham though, they didn't give up and they used their physique and style of play to grab an equaliser in the 113th minute, Denyer heading in from a near post corner, 2-2 and penalties seemed to be on the cards.
The Crows these days just don't seem to know the word defeat or settling for anything else than a win and though with only ten tired players on the pitch, pushed forward in search of what we all hoped would be a third and decisive goal.
The Crows did make it 3-2 in the 115th minute, there's a bit of debate who was brought down in the Shoreham area, some say it was Carrington, some say it was Treleaven, all we do know though is that up stepped Treleaven to blast the penalty in to the top corner of the net past Stroomberg's right hand side.
Still there was time for the Crows to get a fourth goal, Muggeridge eventually putting the ball away in the 123rd minute after a solo run saw him burst into the area before slipping it passed Stroomberg with some style and panache, queue another goal celebration of some repute, 4-2 and the game was won.
As for the first 90 minutes, the Crows should have been 2-0 up before 5 minutes had elapsed, both efforts came from Perry but were wasted and the Crows paid the price when they went 1-0 down. Having to make two substitutions in the first 45 minutes didn't help the cause, Slocombe and Pearson going off before we'd hit the 35th minute and Shea and Atwood coming on to replace them.
The Crows had plenty of possession and chances during the first 45 minute period, they just did not take them, whilst the away side defended stoutly as befits the make up of their side, plenty of brute force and strength, especially in the central defensive area.
That's not to say Shoreham didn't have their chances and Smith in the Crows goal had to make three 1 on 1 saves from efforts by Gaskin, the Shoreham centre-forward. He was their main threat throughout the night and credit must go to the Crows back three for a tremendous stint they put in on Tuesday evening.
It really could have been 3-3 at the break but it was just 1-0 to the visitors and the Crows knew they'd have to battle harder and convert their chances if they wanted to progress in the RUR Cup.
The second half mirrored much of the first half with the Crows looking the most likely to score but they often came up against the human brick wall that made up the Shoreham defence and when the Crows did break through the Musselmen didn't mind living up to their nickname and using a degree of physicality that eventually earned them three yellow cards over the 120+ minutes.
Stroomberg in the Shoreham goal kept us at bay with some good saves and some of you may remember him being on loan with us previously from Lewes FC, now he's at Middle Road on loan and performed very well.
In the end all is well that ends well and we progressed through to the quarter-finals and on a date to be confirmed, Little Common will be paying us a visit. Whether Wes Tate, who used to be with us of course, will be able to play is not known as he's only just recently joined them and may well be Cup-tied in the RUR Charity Cup.
As for Man of the Match, there were many candidates and you couldn't fault any of the Crows for the performances each and everyone of them put in, never giving up and for not thinking they were beaten at any point over the 120+ minutes.
In the clubhouse after the game many names were put forward by people as their nomination, Dan Smith for three excellent saves, Muggeridge for his two goals and extra-time performance, Barton and Carrington for their work in midfield and Tear, Boddy and Trotter for their rear-guard action but in the end, Boddy received the most nominations, so well done Tom, much deserved and in the week he got engaged as well.