Crows prove a bridge too far for Sheppey.
Personally for me, this was one of the best matches of football I've seen for some time, both sides played their part in a thrilling encounter that ebbed and flowed from end to end for the whole 95 minutes and where both teams had periods of domination in the opponents half.
Despite the game being important to both teams when it came to league placing, neither side had any intent in making it a tight, dour affair where caution was the order of the day and taking risks was considered out of order by the respective management teams.
The Sheppey fans said they had a few players out from their usual starting eleven, as did the Crows, Attwood was out due to illness, Treleaven, Tear and Walder were also missing due to injury so changes had to be made from our last home fixture against Fisher FC in the league.
The tempo of the game was set right from the first whistle and it has to be said that the away side started far brighter and better than the Crows. They put the Crows under pressure from when they kicked off and Ellis had to make a good save before even 1 minute had been completed on the clock.
The "Ites" passing and movement in the first 20 minutes made it look like the Crows were still in second gear as they constantly got at the defence of the Crows and it was no real surprise when Sheppey scored after 5 minutes, Ellis made a good save and from the resulting corner Ellis was called in to action again to save a header from a Sheppey player, only for the ball to be rifled into the back of the net by Bradshaw.
With the Crows 1-0 down many were left wondering if, and how, the Crows were going to get back in to this game as the away side dominated possession and therefore, the chances created.
In a rare attack by the Crows in the 14th minute, Bremner received the first yellow card of the game for a challenge on Clarke as he was breaking free from his defensive shackles. However, Sheppey kept the pressure up and in the 24th minute, Appiah saw a yellow card which seemed to be for dissent from where I was sitting in the main stand.
Even though it became a more end to end game, it was Sheppey who scored again to make it 2-0, yet another cross was not dealt with and Turner had to head the ball off his own goal line but the ball fell kindly for Lee Fiend to hit home and the Crows had an even higher mountain to climb.
One thing that was in our favour was the calibre, desire and skill that this squad possesses, after all, you don't win eight games, with one draw in nine games, six of those wins on the spin, unless you have those qualities.
Gradually, the Crows started to put their own game together and Clarke nearly got a goal back for the Crows in the 33rd minute but his effort hit the crossbar and rebounded to safety. One minute later though the Crows did make it 2-1, Carrington winning the ball in the area before crossing for debutant strike partner, Stone, to head the ball past Warford in the Sheppey goal.
The rest of the half was nip and tuck, both teams having chances but no further goals were scored, Remell Davis did see a yellow card for dissent it seemed, however, the half ended with the visitors leading 2-1.
It would seem an obvious statement but the next goal was going to be vital, Sheppey needed it to restore a two goal cushion whilst the Crows needed it to restore parity, so the second half started much the same as the first, both teams taking turns to attack at every opportunity.
Muggeridge started to weave some magic and had a couple of efforts at goal in quick succession and in the 62nd minute another shot from Muggeridge was spilled by Warford in to the path of the on-rushing Carrington who finished with aplomb as he lifted it over the prostrate 'keeper into the net for 2-2.
The away side then started to get the jitters it seemed and their football lacked the fluency that it had previously and this handed the initiative to the Crows who needed no second invitation to take it.
Chances kept coming and after Warford made a good save, the resulting corner by Carey arrived at the head of Stone and he put the opportunity away and the Crows had the lead for the first time in the 66th minute, 3-2.
In a game of very few contentious incidents it became a bit surreal in the 68th minute when Turner went in for a tackle, seemed to win the ball, however, the referee decided it was a foul and he'd used excessive force, therefore, a straight red card was shown and the Crows would have to play the last 22 minutes with ten men.
The change in shape meant that Muggeridge went back to replace the departed Turner but it didn't seemed to affect the Crows at all as they maintained their grip on the game and created further chances.
Sheppey needed to alter things if they were to get a point so Babbington went off and Adjei came on in the 77th minute. The Crows need to replace tiring legs so Carrington went off to rapturous applause and Shea coming on as his replacement in the 80th minute.
The Crows remained in control and with time running out, two-goal hero, Stone, who was visibly tiring, was replaced by Olutade who at 18 showed maturity beyond his years whilst on the pitch. Sheppey then made their last substitution in the 90th minute, Harrold going off, G. Batten coming on and all he did was to get himself booked in the 90+4th minute for dissent.
From the time Crows went down to ten they never really looked like conceding a goal and so it proved when the final whistle went it was the Crows who took the points.
Sheppey were well supported on the day and they are definitely a vocal bunch who applauded any good play irrespective who it came from. The trip to their ground in late November will hopefully prove just as exciting as this game with plenty of good football be played by two good sides.